Christ  TEAcnmo  ix  the  Stnagogdk     From  Alexander  Bida. 


THE 


New  Testament, 


Notes  and  Comments. 


ACCOMPANIED    WITH    MAPS    AND    ILLUSTRATIONS. 

/ 
By   Rev.  LYMAN   ABBOTT. 


VOLUME     L 

MATTHEW     AND     MARK 


A.    S.    BARNES     «&:    COMPANY, 

NEW  YORK  AND   CHICAGO. 

1875. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1873,  by 

A.    S.    BARNES    &    CO., 

In  the  OflSce  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


PREFACE. 

THE  object  of  this  Commentary  is  to  aid  in  their  Christian  work  those 
who  are  endeavoring  to  promote  the  knowledge  of  the  principles 
which  Jesus  Christ  came  to  propound  and  establish — clergymen,  Christian 
parents,  Sunday-School  teachers,  Bible-women,  lay-preachers.  Intended 
for  Christian  workers,  it  aims  to  give  the  results  rather  than  the  processes 
of  scholarship,  the  conclusions  rather  than  the  controversies  of  scholars ; 
intended  for  laymen  as  well  as  for  clergymen,  it  accompanies  the  English 
version  of  the  New  Testament,  in  all  references  to  the  original  Greek  gives 
the  English  equivalent,  and  translates  all  quotations  from  the  French, 
German,  Latin  and  Greek  authors. 

The  introduction  on  pages  31-34,  contains  a  statement  of  those 
principles  of  interpretation  which  appear  to  me  to  be  essential  to  the  correct 
understanding  of  the  Word  of  God.  This  Commentary  is  the  result  of  a 
conscientious  endeavor  to  apply  those  principles  to  the  elucidation  of  the 
New  Testament. 

It  is  founded  on  a  careful  examination  of  the  latest  and  best  text ;  such 
variations  as  are  of  practical  or  doctrinal  importance  are  indicated  in  the 
notes.  It  is  founded  on  the  original  Greek  ;  wherever  that  is  inadequately 
rendered  in  our  English  version,  a  new  translation  is  afforded  by  the  notes. 
The  general  purpose  of  the  writer  or  speaker,  and  the  general  scope  of  the 
incident  or  teaching,  is  indicated  in  a  Preliminary  Note  to  the  passage,  or 
in  an  analysis,  a  paraphrase,  or  a  general  summary  at  the  close.  Special 
topics,  such  as  The  Baptism,  The  Temptation,  The  Trial,  and  The 
Crucifixion  of  Jesus  are  treated  separately  in  preliminary  or  supplementary 
notes.  This  volume  contains  thirty  such  excursus.  The  results  of  recent 
researches  in  Biblical  archaeology  have  been  embodied,  so  as  to  make 
the  Commentary  serve  in  part  the  purpose  of  a  Bible  Dictionary,  A  free 
use  is  made  of  illustrations,  from  antiques,  photographs,  original  drawings, 
and  other  trustworthy  sources.  They  are  never  employed  for  mere 
ornament,  but  always  to  aid  in  depicting  the  life  of  Palestine,  which 
remains  in  many  respects  substantially  unchanged  by  the  lapse  of  time. 
Since  the  Commentary  is  prepared,  not  for  devotional  reading,  but  for 
practical  workers,  little  space  has  been  devoted  to  hortatory  remarks  or 
practical  or  spiritual  reflections.  But  I  have  uniformly  sought  to  interpret 
the  letter  by  the  spirit,  and  to  suggest  rather  than  to  supply  moral  and 
spiritual  reflections,  a  paragraph  of  hints  is  affixed  to  each  section  or  topic, 
embodying  what  appears  to  me  to  be  the  essential  religious  lessons  of  the 


Vi  PREFACE. 

incident  or  the  teaching ;  sometimes  a  note  is  appended  elucidating 
them  more  fully.  The  best  thoughts  of  the  best  thinkers,  both  exegetical 
and  homiletical,  are  freely  quoted,  especially  such  as  are  not  likely  to  be 
accessible  to  most  American  readers ;  in  all  such  cases  the  thought  is 
credited  to  the  author.  Parallel  and  contrasted  passages  of  Scripture  are 
brought  together  in  the  notes  ;  in  addition,  full  Scripture  references  are 
appended  to  the  text.  These  are  taken  substantially  from  Bagster's  large 
edition  of  the  English  version  of  the  Polyglot  Bible,  but  they  have  been 
carefully  examined  and  verified  in  preparing  for  the  press,  and  some 
modifications  have  been  made.  For  the  convenience  of  that  large  class  of 
Christian  workers  who  are  limited  in  their  means,  I  have  endeavored  to 
make  this  Commentary,  as  far  as  practicable,  a  complete  apparatus  for  the 
study  of  the  New  Testament.  When  finished  it  will  be  fully  furnished 
with  maps  ; — there  are  four  in  this  volume  ;  a  Gazetteer  gives  a  condensed 
account  of  all  the  principal  places  in  Palestine,  mentioned  in  our  Lord's 
life ;  and  an  introduction  traces  the  history  of  the  New  Testament  from 
the  days  of  Christ  to  the  present,  giving  some  account  of  the  evidence  and 
nature  of  inspiration,  the  growth  of  the  canon,  the  character  and  history 
of  the  manuscripts,  the  English  version,  the  nature  of  the  Gospels  and 
their  relation  to  each  other,  a  brief  life  of  Christ,  and  a  complete  tabular 
harmony  of  the  four  Gospels. 

The  want  of  all  who  use  the  Bible  in  Christian  work  is  the  same.  The 
wish  is  often  for  a  demonstration  that  the  Scripture  sustains  the  reader's 
peculiar  theological  tenets,  but  the  want  is  always  for  a  clearer  and  better 
knowledge  of  Scripture  teaching,  whether  it  sanctions  or  overturns  previous 
opinions.  I  am  not  conscious  that  this  work  is  written  in  the  interest  of 
any  theological  or  ecclesiastical  system.  In  those  cases  in  which  the  best 
scholars  are  disagreed  in  their  interpretation,  the  different  views  and  the 
reasons  which  lead  me  to  my  own  conclusions  have  been  given,  I  trust,  in 
no  controversial  spirit.  For  the  sole  object  of  this  work  is  to  ascertain 
and  make  clear  the  meaning  of  the  Word  of  God,  irrespective  of  systems, 
whether  ecclesiastical  or  doctrinal. 

No  work  is  more  delightful  than  that  which  throws  us  into  fellowship 
with  great  minds  ;  of  all  work  the  most  delightful  is  that  which  brings  us 
into  association  with  the  mind  of  God.  This  is  the  fellowship  to  which  the 
student  of  the  Bible  aspires.  I  can  have  for  those  who  use  this  work  no 
higher  hope  than  that  they  may  find  in  its  employment  some  of  the  happi- 
ness which  I  have  found  in  its  preparation,  and  that  it  may  serve  them  as 
it  has  served  me,  as  a  guide  to  the  Word  of  God,  and  through  that  Word 
to  a  better  acquaintance  with  God  himself. 

CoRNWALL-ON-HuDSON,  May,  1875.  LYMAN   ABBOTT. 


TABLE    OF    CONTENTS. 


I  N  T  E  0  D  TJ  0  T  I  0  N . 

PAGE 

Nature  of  the  New  Testament 11 

Origin  and  Authority. 13 

Evidences  of  Inspiration 14 

Limits  of  Inspiration 16 

New  Testament  Canon ' 17 

The  Text 25 

Our  English  Version 28 

Principles  of  Interpretation 31 

Relation  of  the  Gospels  to  each  other 34 

Origin  of  the  Gospels 36 

Harmony  of  the  Gospels 38 

Life  of  Christ 40 

Tabular  Harmony  of  the  Gospels 44 


THE    GOSPEL     OF    MATTHEW. 

Introduction  to  the  Gospel  of  Matthew 49 

Map  of  Palestine 50 

Gazetteer 51 

Supplementary  Notes  in  Matthew — 

Names  of  Jesus 57 

•     Birth  of  Jesus 64 

Baptism  of  Jesus 72 

Temptation  of  Jesus  77 

The  Sermon  on  the  Mount 83 

Christ's  Principles  respecting  Retaliation 96 

Christ's  Teaching  respecting  Care * 108 

Judging  our  Fellow-men 109 

Demoniacal  Possession 123 

The  Publicans : 126 


Viii  TABLE     OF     CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

The  Twelve  Apostles  :    Their  Lives  and  Character 147 

John's  Embassy  to  Jesus 153 

Brethren  of  our  Lord 187 

The  Foundation  op  Christ's  Church 301 

Lessons  of  the  Transfiguration 310 

Christ's  Law  of  Divorce 334 

Christ's  Blessing  of  Little  Children 336 

Christ's  Discourse  on  the  Last  Days 353 

Marriage  Ceremonies  in  the  East 368 

The  Lord's  Supper 383 

The  Lessons  op  Gethsemane 393 

The  Trial  op  Jesus  before  the  Sanhedrim 397 

The  Denial  op  Peter 301 

Lessons  prom  Peter's  Denial 304 

Character  and  Career  op  Judas  Iscariot 307 

The  Crucifixion 313 

The  Nature  of  Crucifixion 315 

The  Resurrection  of  Jesus 330 

THE     GOSPEL     OF     MAEK. 

Introduction  to  the  Gospel  of  Mark 335 

Supplementary  Notes  in  Mark — 

Ceremonial  Washings 366 

Authenticity  of  Mark  16  : 9-30 399 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Chuist  Teachtng  m  the  Synagogue.    Frontispiece,  page 

Bethlehem.    Looking  west  from  the  Convent  of  the  Nativity 57 

Fisherman  Casting  his  Net.    Near  Magdala 81 

The  Posture  at  Meal 127 

Ancient  Bottle 130 

Staff  and  Scrip 138 

Grain  Basket  ;    Travelling  Basket 198 

Ancient  Key 203 

Tetadrachm  or  Stater 213 

Denarius— A  Penny *. 243 

Phylactery  in  use 347 

Fringed  Garment 247 

The  Temple  op  ELerod .- 257 

The  Cloak 261 

An  Eastern  Mill 266 

A  Modern  Marriage  Procession  in  Jerusalem 269 

Assyrian  Lamps 370 

Lamp  and  Trimmer 371 

A  Shekel 381 

Reclining  at  Meal 283 

Roman  Wine  Cups 285 

Egyptian  Cups 385 

Garden  of  Gethsemane  :  Jerusalem  in  the  Background 390 

The  MachvEra 395 

Interior  Courtyard  of  Oriental  House 303 

Plan  op  Oriental  House 303 

Scourges 311 

Scarlet  Robe 313 

Crown  op  Thorns 313 

The  Reed 313 

Golgotha 314 

The  Three  Crosses 815 

Hyssop 318 


X  LIST     OF     ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAOB 

Two  Centurions 320 

Road  from  Bethany  to  Jerusalem 333 

A  Grabatus 344 

Ancient  Candle-stick 350 

Ancient  Skiff 353 

Tomb  at  Gadara 355 

Ancient  Mourning  Women 359 

Tools  of  an  Egyptian  Carpenter 360 

Staff,  Scrip  anb  Sken  Bottle 362 

Sandals— Shoes 363 

The  Charger 363 

Executioner 363 

Modern  Hand- washing 366 

Loaves  of  bread... 371 

Tower  of  Tiberias 371 

Treasury  Boxes 389 

dla.6ram  of  jewish  sepulchre 396 

Plan  op  Tomb  Door  or  Golal 397 

Tomb  Door 397 


MAPS    AND    PLANSi 

Sketch  Map  illustrating  the  Journeyings  of  our  Lord 41 

Map  op  Jerusalem  in  the  Times  of  Christ 278 

Map  op  Galilee.     Showing  the  miracles  and  journeyings  of  our  Lord  in  its  neigh- 
borhood   343 


THE  STUDY  OF  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT. 


THE  New  Testament  consists  of  twenty-seven  distinct  documents,  written  by  nine, 
perhaps  ten,  diflFerent  authors.  They  were  written  without  concert  of  action,  at 
different  times,  for  different  purposes,  and  addressed  to  different  readers.  They  differ 
also  in  character  and  style ;  some  of  them  are  historic,  some  of  them  philosophic  and 
didactic,  one  is  poetic  and  prophetic.  They  were  all  composed  during  the  first  century 
after  Christ,  in  the  Greek  language — unless  Matthew's  Gospel  was  first  written  in  Hebrew — 
and  the  manuscript  copies  have  long  since  perished.  Thus  our  English  New  Testament 
is  a  translation  from  a  Greek  original,  which  is  itself  a  copy  of  copies,  the  original  being 
no  longer  in  existence.  I  propose  in  this  Introduction  to  trace  the  history  of  the  New 
Testament  from  its  origin  to  the  present  day ;  to  point  out  the  central  principle  which 
unites  these  documents  in  one  harmonious  book ;  to  state  the  reasons  which  have  led  the 
Christian  Church  to  regard  them  as  in  a  peculiar  sense  inspired  by  God ;  to  give  briefly 
the  evidences  which  satisfy  the  Church  that  these  books  were  really  written  by  the  authors 
whose  names  they  bear;  to  describe  the  diflficulties  which  Christian  scholars  have  encoun- 
tered in  ascertaining  what  was  the  text  of  the  original  manuscripts,  and  how  they  have 
overcome  those  difficulties ;  and  to  narrate  the  history  of  our  present  English  translation, 
indicate  some  of  its  defects,  and  the  principles  adopted  in  this  Commentary  in  the 
endeavor  to  afford  the  Christian  student  aid  in  its  interpretation.  I  propose  then  further 
to  describe  the  characteristics  of  the  Gospels,  and  their  relations  to  each  other ;  to  point 
out  the  seeming  discrepancies  and  real  harmony  in  their  accounts ;  to  indicate  the  prin- 
cipal features  in  the  earthly  life  of  Jesus  Christ ;  and  finally  to  furnish  a  table  of  the 
Evangelical  narratives,  arranged  in  parallel  columns,  so  as  to  enable  the  student  to  fill  out 
and  complete  this  ske.tch  in  detail. 


PART  I.    THE   NEW^  TESTAMENT. 

I.  Its  IVatiire. — The  word  Testament  means  covenant  or  agreement.  It  is  gener- 
ally so  translated.'  This  meaning  lingers  in  the  phrase  "  last  will  and  testament."  The 
will  of  a  deceased  is  his  last  testament  because  it  is  his  last  covenant,  the  last  agreement 
which  he  can  make,  one  which  often  has  to  be  accepted  and  finally  executed  by  his  heirs. 
It  appears  very  cleariy  in  the  institution  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  In  the  hospitable  East 
a  meal  was  the  customary  method  of  at  once  celebrating  and  sealing  a  treaty  or  compact,  as 
is  smoking  the  pipe  of  peace  among  the  North  American  Indians,  or  the  payment  of  a  sum 
to  bind  the  bargain  in  our  more  commercial  age  and  nation.  Christ,  therefore,  imme- 
diately before  his  death,  arranged  for  a  supper  with  his  disciples,  as  a  method  of  both 

»  As  in  Acts  3  :  25;  Gal.  3  :15, 17 ;  4  :  24 ;  and  in  many  places  in  Hebrews. 


12  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT. 

sealing  and  celebrating  bis  compact  or  covenant  witb  bis  Cburcb  ;  and  taking  tbe  cup 
of  wine,  be  pledged  bis  disciples  in  it  witb  tbe  words,  "  Tbis  cup  is  tbe  new  testament 
(i.  e.,  tbe  new  covenant)  in  my  blood,  wbicb  is  sbed  for  you.'"  Tbus  every  recurring 
communion  season  empbasizes  tbe  meaning  of  tbis  word  Testament,  and  repeats  tbe  solemn 
ratification  of  tbe  compact  between  Cbrist  and  bis  people. 

The  New  Testament,  then,  is  God's  own  covenant  or  agreement  with  man.^  The 
opening  chapter  of  Matthew  intimates  tbe  character  of  tbis  covenant.  Tbe  angel,  in 
announcing  the  advent  of  tbe  Son  of  God,  says  to  Joseph,  "  Thou  shalt  call  bis  name 
Jesus,  for  be  shall  save  his  people  from  their  sins."  Tbe  closing  chapter  of  the  Book  of 
Revelation  intimates  the  answer  to  tbe  question,  Who  are  his  people  ?  "  Whosoever  will, 
let  him  take  of  the  water  of  life  freely."  Tbe  New  Testament,  then,  is  God's  promise  to 
save  from  tbe  present  and  future  punishment  of  sin  all  those  who  come  to  Him  for  such 
salvation.  It  is  not  a  book  of  rules  for  tbe  government  of  conduct ;  that  is,  it  is  not  a 
new  law.  It  is  not  a  book  of  philosophy,  respecting  either  human  or  divine  nature ;  that 
is,  it  is  not  a  new  theology.  It  is  simply  what  its  name  implies,  a  new  covenant  on  God's 
part  to  save  from  sin  those  who  come  to  him,  in  child-like  trust,  for  such  salvation.  This 
is  a  very  simple  truth  ;  but  it  is  fundamental  to  a  right  interpretation  of  tbe  book. 

The  New  Testament  may  be  regarded  as  consisting  of  three  kinds  of  books,  (1)  his- 
toric, (2)  philosophic  and  didactic,  (3)  prophetic ;  though  each  of  these  elements  is  to  be 
found  in  all  the  books. 

1.  The  four  Gospels  and  the  Book  of  Acts  are  mainly  historic.  The  first  afford  us  our 
only  information  concerning  tbe  life  and  teachings  of  Jesus  Christ ;  tbe  second  gives  an 
account  of  the  results,  in  the  early  church,  of  the  work  of  the  Divine  Spirit,  whom  Christ, 
at  the  time  of  his  death,  promised  to  send  to  the  disciples  after  bis  ascension.  These  five 
books  constitute  tbe  foundation  on  wbicb  the  superstructure  of  the  New  Testament  is 
built ;  the  historical  basis  for  the  new  covenant  which  Paul  in  his  Epistles  analyzes  and 
interprets,  and  the  fulfilment  of  which  John,  in  tbe  Book  of  Revelation,  pictorially 
describes. 

2.  The  Epistles,  most  of  which  were  written  by  Paul,  are  philosophic  and  didactic. 
They  explain  the  necessity  for  such  a  covenant  as  the  New  Testament,  its  nature,  the 
conditions  on  wbicb  we  can  avail  ourselves  of  it,  the  consequences  of  rejecting  it,  the 
results  of  accepting  it,  in  spiritual  life,  in  the  individual  and  the  community,  in  the  present 
world  and  tbe  hereafter ;  they  contain  wise  counsels  to  Christians  bow  best  to  promote 
the  general  acceptance  of  tbis  covenant  by  Jew  and  Gentile ;  and  witb  vehement  rhetoric 
they  urge  its  acceptance  upon  the  reader.  These  Epistles,  of  which  I  shall  write  more 
fully  in  the  introduction  to  the  volume  which  contains  them,  differ  in  character,  scope, 
and  purpose.  Some  of  them  were  written  as  circular  letters  to  the  church  at  large,  some 
of  them  to  individual  churches,  some  of  them  to  personal  friends.  They  contain,  therefore, 
some  personal  allusions  and  practical  advice,  which  are  only  indirectly  applicable  to  our 
own  time,  and  some  counsels  in  respect  to  church  organization  and  church  work,  which 
are  not,  however,  to  be  interpreted  as  ecclesiastical  laws,  but  as  illustrations  of  those 
principles  of  organic  action  which  will  render  the  church  efficient  in  proclaiming  tbe 
pnvileges  of  the  new  covenant  to  others. 

3.  The  only  purely  prophetic  book  of  the  New  Testament  is  the  Book  of  Revelation. 
Its  object  is  to  disclose  the  final  fulfillment  of  tbe  new  covenant  or  agreement  of  God  in 

•  Luke  22  :  20.. 

'  This  covenant  is  distinctly  stated  in  Jer.  31 :  31-34,  quoted  in  Hebrews  8  :  8-12.  The  difference  between 
the  old  covenant  and  the  new  is  indicated  by  comparing  the  language  of  the  third  commandment,  "Showing 
mercy  unto  thousands  of  them  that  love  me  and  keep  my  commandments  "  (Exod.  20 :  6),  with  that  of  Paul,  "  God 
who  is  rich  in  mercy,  for  his  great  love  wherewith  he  loved  us,  even  when  we  were  dead  in  sins,  hath  quickened 
us  together  with  Christ."   Ephes.  3 :  4,  5. 


ITS  ORIGIN  AND  AUTHORITY.  13 

the  second  coming  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  complete  and  final  overthrow  of  sin  and  suflFerinf, 
and  the  manifest  and  perfect  triumph  of  God  and  godliness  throughout  the  universe. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  New  Testament  is  not  a  mere  collection  of  independent 
and  disconnected  treatises,  but  a  harmonious  whole,  in  which  the  new  agreement  or 
promise  of  God  is  first  set  forth  in  the  life  and  death  of  Jesus  Christ  and  the  work  of  the 
Holy  Spirit ;  second,  explained  and  enforced  by  the  arguments  of  Paul  and  his  apostolic 
contemporaries ;  and  finally  disclosed  in  its  fulfillment  in  the  vision  of  John  the  prophet- 
apostle. 

II.  Its  Origin  aod  Authority.— If  the  New  Testament  is  a  new  covenant,  there 
must  be  a  covenantor.  If  it  is  a  promise  that  God  will  do  for  man  what  man  cannot  do 
for  himself,  it  must  in  a  peculiar  sense  come  from  God,  or  it  is  not  what  it  pretends  to  be. 
For  example,  if  we  suppose  the  declaration,  "  He  shall  save  his  people  from  their  sins," 
was  directly  authorized  by  God,  it  is  a  divine  promise  on  which  we  can  with  assurance 
rely ;  if  not,  it  only  expresses  the  opinion  which  a  Roman  tax-gatherer  of  the  first  century 
entertained  upon  the  subject,  and  is  of  no  particular  value.  In  other  words,  the  divine 
origin  and  authority  of  the  book  is  involved  in  its  nature,  and  indeed  in  its  very  title. 
If  it  were  a  book  of  moral  philosophy,  i.  e.,  if  its  object  were  to  tell  us  how  to  conduct 
ourselves  in  this  life,  or  if  it  were  a  book  of  theological  philosophy,  i.e.,  if  its  object  were 
to  teach,  either  by  analogies  drawn  from  nature,  or  by  appeals  to  our  own  intuition, 
truths  about  God  and  our  own  souls,  it  might  be  uninspired  and  still  valuable.  But  if 
it  is  an  agreement  on  God's  part  to  save  his  people  from  their  sins,  it  must  be  inspired  by 
God ;  otherwise  it  is  not  a  divine  covenant  to  do,  but  only  a  human  opinion  concerning 
what  God  is  likely  to  do.     If  it  is  not  inspired  it  is  no  New  Testament. 

Accordingly  we  find  throughout  the  book  the  claim,  or  rather  the  quiet  assumption, 
of  that  divine  origin  and  authority  which  is  imjjlied  in  its  very  title. 

Jesus  Christ  himself,  at  twelve  years  of  age,  declares  to  his  mother  that  he  has  come  to 
earth  to  do  his  Father's  business;'  he  is  repeatedly  said  by  the  Evangelists  to  be  acting 
under  the  influence  of  the  Divine  Spirit;"  he  declares  to  the  Jews  in  Jerusalem  that  he 
speaks  to  the  world  those  truths  which  he  has  received  from  his  Father;'  he  declares  to 
his  disciples  that  the  Father  dwells  in  him,  and  that  the  words  which  he  speaks  he  speaks 
not  of  himself,  but  from  the  Father  which  sent  him  and  dwells  in  him  ;*  and  in  solemn 
prayer  he  reasserts  that  the  words  of  truth  which  he  has  taught  them  the  Father  gave  to 
him  for  that  purpose.^  He  promises  to  his  disciples  before  his  death  that  he  will  not 
leave  them  alone,  but  will  come  unto  them  and  dwell  in  them  ;*  that  the  Holy  Ghost  shall 
be  their  teacher  and  shall  quicken  their  remembrance  of  their  Master's  teaching ;''  and 
after  his  resurrection,  when  he  gives  them  their  final  commission,  he  promises  to  be  with 
them  in  all  their  work,  even  to  the  end  of  the  world.*  The  opening  chapter  of  the 
Book  of  Acts  records  the  beginning  of  the  fulfillment  of  these  promises  in  the  visible 
manifestation  of  the  presence  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  In  the  first  apostolic  sermon  Peter 
refers  to  a  prophetic  promise  of  inspiration  contained  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  declares 
that  the  day  of  its  fulfillment  has  arrived ;''  and  the  subsequent  portions  of  the  Book  of 
Acts  contain  on  almost  every  page  accounts  of  its  further  fulfilment."  Throughout  the 
Epistles  the  writers  assume  to  speak,  not  their  own  opinions,  but  the  truths  which  they 
have  been  taught  of  God.  They  not  only  declare  in  general  terms  that  all  Scripture  is 
given  by  inspiration  of  God,  and  that  holy  men  of  God  spake  as  they  were  moved  by  the 

•  Lake  2  :  49 '  Matt.  3  :  16 ;  Luke  2  :  40 ;  4  :  14, 18 ;   John  3  :  34 ;   Acts  1:2;  10  :  38 ;  Romans  1:4 

'John  8:  28 ♦  John  14  :  10, 24. ...» Johnl7  :  8 «  John  14  :  17-19 'John  14:  26;  16:7,13-15.  Com- 
pare Matt.  10  :  19,  20 ;  Luke  12  :  12 »  Matt.  28  :  20.    Compare  Acts  1  :  4.  5,  8 "Acts  2  :  4,  16-18,  33 

»"  Acts  4  :  8,  31;  6  :  10;  7  :  55;  8  :  29;  10  :  19,  20;  13:2,4,9-11,52;  15:28;  16:6;  19:6;  20:22,23,28. 


14  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT. 

Holy  Ghost  '—these  declarations  apply  primarily  only  to  the  Old  Testament— but  they 
also  declare  of  their  own  ministry  and  of  the  Gospel  of  the  New  Testament,  that  it  is  the 
"power  of  God,"  the  "word  of  God,"  the  "word  of  the  Lord,"  "the  glorious  Gospel  of 
the  blessed  God,"  "  the  commandments  of  the  Lord,"  the  "  word  of  Christ,"  a  "  more  sure 
word  of  prophecy  "  even  than  the  Old  Testament,  spoken  "  in  demonstration  of  the  Spirit," 
in  "  words  which  the  Holy  Spirit  teacheth,"  and  preached  "  with  the  Holy  Ghost  sent 
down  from  heaven."  ^  If  this  claim  be  not  true,  the  book  not  only  ceases  to  be  trustworthy 
as  a  promise  or  covenant  of  God,  it  also  ceases  to  be  trustworthy  as  a  moral  or  spiritual 
guide.  For,  if  the  writers  of  the  New  Testament  were  not  thus  guided  and  impelled  by 
the  Spirit  of  God,  if  they  were  not  the  authorized  bearers  of  a  Divine  promise  to  man, 
then  they  were  either  impostors  or  visionaries,  the  perpetrators  of  a  fraud  or  the  victims 
of  a  delusion.  And  neither  impostors  nor  visionaries  are  safe  and  trustworthy  sijiritual 
guides. 

III.  Evidences  of  its  Inspiration. — The  claim  of  the  New  Testament  writers 
that  they  speak  by  the  authority  of  God,  and  under  the  impulse  and  inspiration  of  the 
Spirit  of  God,  has  been  generally  regarded  as  well  founded  by  the  great  majority  of  those 
who  have  studied  their  writings  and  the  history  of  the  effects  which  they  have  produced 
upon  the  human  race.  It  is  impossible  to  do  more  here  than  summarize  very  briefly 
some  of  the  principal  considerations  which  have  led  to  this  conclusion. 

1.  It  is  the  fundamental  doctrine  of  Christianity,  confirmed  by  the  history  and  expe- 
rience of  the  Christian  Church,  that  God  dwells  in  the  hearts  of  his  children,  that  he 
guides,  comforts,  and  strengthens  them,  that  the  soul  was  not  made  to  live  alone,  but  in 
constant  communication  with  God,  and  that  the  influence  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  thus 
vouchsafed  to  the  spirit  of  man,  is  always  adapted  to  his  needs.  Thus  the  doctrine  of  the 
special  inspiration  of  the  sacred  penmen  is  only  part  of  the  more  general  doctrine  of  the 
inspiration  of  all  who  will  accept  the  divine  guidance. 

2.  The  history  of  the  human  race  shows  that  there  is  a  need  of  some  more  definite  and 
explicit  instruction  concerning  moral  and  spiritual  truth  and  life  than  is  afforded  by  the 
analogies  of  nature  or  the  intuitions  of  uninstructed  conscience.  Without  it  no  people 
have  attained  a  high  state  of  intellectual,  political,  or  social  civilization,  still  less  a  high 
state  of  moral  and  spiritual  culture.'  Without  an  inspired  book  the  human  race  is  with- 
out any  adequate  knowledge  of  God  or  the  future  life,  without  any  reliable  assurance 
of  pardon  for  past  sin  or  provision  of  escape  from  future  sin,  and  without  any  trustworthy 
and  immutable  standard  of  human  duty  or  ideal  of  human  character. 

3.  This  need,  interpreted  by  the  universal  craving  for  inspired  oracles,  writings,  or 
priests,  is  supplied  by  the  Bible.  This  book  or  series  of  books  reveals  a  paternal  God, 
whose  love  satisfies  the  filial  yearning  of  the  soul  for  a  heavenly  Father ;  it  reveals  a 
future  life,  which  satisfies  both  the  requirements  of  justice  and  the  aspirations  after 
immortality ;  it  not  only  promises  divine  pardon  on  the  condition  of  repentance  and  faith, 
but  upon  such  an  historical  basis  that  its  assurances  do  actually  afford  jseace  of  mind  to 
the  believer,  as  no  other  religion  does ;  it  promises,  on  like  conditions,  divine  help  in 
change  of  life  and  character,  and  the  help  afforded  in  innumerable  instances,  in  moral  and 

>2  Tim.  3:16;    2  Peter  1 :  21 "lOor.  1  :  18;  2:  4,  12, 13;  14  :  37;   Col.3:16;   lThess.2;13;  1  Tim. 

1 :  11 ;  1  Peter  1 :  12,  25 ;  2  Peter  1 :  19.  Compare,  also,  Acts  10  :  36 ;  20  :  24 ;  Rom.  15  :  29 ;  16  :  25,  26 ;  2  Cor.  4  :  4^; 
6:4;  Gal.  1 :  11,  12,  16  ;  Ephes.  3:9;  6  :  17 ;  Col.  1  :  26 ;  Heb.  2  :  4 ;  1  Tim.  6  :  3  ;  1  John  4  :  6.  It  can  hardly  be 
necessary  to  refer  the  reader  to  passages  in  the  Book  of  Revelation,  since  that  is  an  unmeaning  dream  except  it 
be  regarded  as  an  inspired  vision. 

'  Let  him  who  doubts  this  statement,  and  cites  the  Greeks  and  Romans  as  exceptions,  study  Pressens6's  TJm 
Beligions  before  Christ,  or  even  Gibbon's  or  Lecky's  descriptions  of  Roman  and  Grecian  civilization.  Or  let 
the  reader  compare  Paul's  description  of  Roman  morals,  in  Romans,  chapters  I  and  n,  with  any  of  the  ancient 
historians,  for  they  fully  justify  it. 


EVIDENCES  OF  ITS  INSPIRATIOK  15 

spiritual  changes,  not  only  in  individuals  but  in  entire  communities,  is  the  best  evidence 
of  the  origin  and  trustworthiness  of  these  promises  ;  it  affords  in  the  law  of  love  a  perfect 
and  an  inflexible  standard  of  character,  applicable  to  all  ages,  classes,  and  conditions  of 
men ;  and  it  affords  in  the  life  of  Jesus  Christ  a  perfect  ideal  of  human  life  and  character, 
which  all  can  follow  and  which  none  have  ever  surpassed. 

4.  The  supreme  excellence  of  the  precepts  and  principles  of  the  Bible  negative  the 
hypothesis  that  they  were  the  uninspired  productions  of  the  men  who  transcribed  them. 
It  is  easier  to  believe  that  the  Ten  Commandments  were  inspired  by  God  than  to  believe 
that  they  were  wrought  out  by  a  man  whose  sole  training  was  derived  from  a  Hebrew 
slave  mother,  an  Egyptian  court,  and  the  life  of  a  Midianitish  shepherd ;  easier  to  believe 
that  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  and  the  14th,  15th,  and  16th  chapters  of  John,  were 
inspired  by  God,  than  to  believe  that  they  were  the  intellectual  production  of  a  Galilean 
carpenter.  The  lives  which  then,  and  ever  since,  those  have  lived  who  have  received  the 
Bible  as  the  "Word  of  God,  when  compared  with  the  lives  of  the  heathen  who  have  not 
received  its  influences,  afford  also  a  perpetual  evidence  that  those  precepts  and  principles 
are  of  superhuman  origin,  and  possess  a  superhuman  inspiring  power. 

5.  The  unity  of  the  Bible  indicates  that  one  Supreme  intellect  directed  the  various 
writers  by  whom  its  books  were  composed.  It  consists  of  sixty-six  separate  treatises, 
written  by  between  forty  and  fifty  different  writers,  living  centuries  apart,  sj)eaking  dif- 
ferent languages,  subjects  of  different  governments,  brought  up  under  different  civiliza- 
tions. Over  fifteen  hundred  years  elapsed  between  the  writings  of  Moses  and  those  of 
John.  All  forms  of  literature — law,  history,  biography,  poetry,  oratory,  and  philosophy — 
are  contained  in  the  Bible.  Yet  the  same  substantial  truths  are  taught  by  all  these 
various  writers,  and  the  moral  and  spiritual  unity  of  the  Bible  is  such  that  probably  few 
of  its  readers  ever  realize  that  it  is,  humanly  speaking,  the  product  of  so  many  individual 
minds.  Unity  of  design  in  the  Scriptures  proves  that  there  was  one  designer,  as  the 
unity  in  the  architectural  design  of  the  cathedral,  which  is  the  construction  of  many  dif- 
ferent hands,  proves  the  supervising  skill  of  the  architect  who  planned  and  directed  its 
construction. 

6.  The  fulfilment  in  the  New  Testament  of  prophecies  recorded  in  the  Old  Testament, 
and  the  fulfilment  in  later  times  of  prophecies  recorded  in  the  New  Testament,  prove 
that  at  least  those  portions  which  are  prophetic  were  the  work  of  Him  who  sees  the  end 
from  the  beginning,  and  afford  a  sign  and  seal  of  the  inspiration  of  the  other  portions  of 
the  sacred  writings. 

7.  The  miracles  authenticate  the  divine  authority  of  those  who  wrought  them.  Chris- 
tianity as  a  system  of  truth  and  duty  does  not,  indeed,  depend  upon  the  miracles.  But 
to  those  who  accept  the  New  Testament  as  an  authentic  narration  of  actual  events,  the 
miracles  demonstrate  that  Christianity  possesses  the  divine  sanction,  since  they  could  have 
been  wrought  only  by  divine  power.  To  this  authentication  of  their  authority  frequent 
reference  is  made  by  the  writers  of  the  New  Testament.' 

8.  The  testimony  of  those  writers  is  in  itself  not  a  demonstration  of  their  inspiration, 
but  it  is  an  evidence  thereof  That  they  claim  to  be  inspired,  and  that  Christ  promised 
them  such  inspiration,  we  have  already  seen.  If  this  claim  is  unfounded  we  must  believe 
either  that  they  were  impostors,  pretending  to  an  inspiration  which  they  knew  they  did 
not  possess,  or  visionaries,  believing  themselves  to  possess  an  inspiration  which  they  did 
not  in  fact  possess.  The  heroism  and  self-sacrifice  of  their  lives  prove  that  they  were  not 
impostors;  the  excellence  of  their  doctrine  proves  that  they  were  not  visionaries.  In 
brief,  to  the  great  body  of  thoughtful  men  it  will  always  seem  more  natural  to  believe 
that  the  writers  of  the  Bible  wrote  and  spoke  under  the  special  influence  of  the  Spirit  of 

'  Mark  16  :  20 ;  John  10  :  25 ;  Rom.  15  :  18, 19 ;  Heb.  2:  4. 


16  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT. 

God,  than  to  suppose  that*  they  belong  in  the  same  category  with  either  Mohammed  or 
Joe  Smith. 

9.  Finally,  if  the  New  Testament  be  not  inspired,  Christianity  is  not  a  divine  covenant, 
but  only  a  human  system  of  theology  and  ethics.  There  is  no  trustworthy  revelation  con- 
cerning the  nature  and  will  of  God,  no  assurance  of  divine  pardon  for  sin,  no  provision 
of  divine  grace  for  the  tempted.  And  in  fact  those  philosophies  which  reject  the  Bible 
as  the  inspired  Word  of  God  teach  that  God  is  unknowable,  or  that  there  is  no  other  God 
than  nature,  that  his  will  cannot  be  ascertained,  or  is  only  manifested  in  natural  law, 
physical  and  social,  and  that  there  is  no  forgiveness  of  sins,  but  that  every  man  must  bear 
in  his  own  person  the  penalty  of  his  transgressions,  and  work  out  by  the  force  of  his  own 
will  his  own  redemption. 

IV.  L.iinits  of  Inspiration. — The  word  Inspiration  means  literally  "in-breath- 
ing." The  doctrine  that  the  New  Testament  is  inspired  of  God  is  the  doctrine  that  the 
penmen  in  writing  it  acted  under  an  influence  from  God,  which  conferred  upon  their 
minds  and  hearts  a  power  greater  than  their  own,  or,  as  stated  by  Peter,  that  "  holy  men 
of  God  spake  as  they  were  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost."*  The  manner  in  which  this 
Divine  influence  acted  upon  their  minds,  and  the  extent  to  which  it  afiected  them  and 
their  writings,  is  nowhere  distinctly  stated  in  Scripture.  There  are  various  theological 
theories  upon  this  subject,  which  I  do  not  think  it  necessary  to  recount  here.  They  may 
all  be  reduced  to  two  general  classes — the  doctrines  respectively  of  verbal  inspiration  and 
of  moral  inspiration. 

By  verbal  inspiration  is  meant  the  immediate  communication  by  God  to  the  writers,  of 
every  word  which  they  wrote.  "  I  believe,"  says  Tregelles,  "  the  sixty-six  books  of  the 
Old  Testament  and  New  Testament,  to  be  verbally  the  Word  of  God,  as  absolutely  as  were 
the  Ten  Commandments  written  by  the  finger  of  God  upon  the  two  tables  of  stone."*  So 
Hooker'  says  of  the  prophets,  "  they  neither  spake  nor  wrote  any  word  of  their  own,  but 
uttered  syllable  by  syllable  as  the  Spirit  put  it  into  their  mouths."  That  certain  passages 
may  have  been  written  thus,  as  it  were,  by  Divine  dictation,  the  writers  being  mere 
amanuenses,  is  possibly  true ;  that  the  chief  portions  of  the  New  Testament  were  thus 
written,  is,  I  think,  clearly  not  true. 

This  method  does  not  accord  with  God's  general  principles  of  action,  which  are  to 
work  in  us  and  with  us,  helping  our  infirmities,  not  to  relieve  us  of  all  responsibility  and 
do  the  work  in  our  stead.  It  does  not  accord  with  the  claims  of  the  sacred  writers,  who 
indeed,  nowhere  distinctly  define  the  limits  of  inspiration,  but  who  do  very  distinctly 
imply  the  existence  of  a  human  element,  of  personal  thought  and  study  in  the  writing.* 
It  does  not  accord  with  those  variations  in  style,  expression,  thought,  and  even  teaching, 
which  give  individuality  to  each  of  the  sacred  books,  which  make  the  three  Gospels  so 
different  in  style,  that  of  John  so  different  from  the  other  three  in  subject-matter,  and  the 
Epistles  of  James  and  of  Paul  so  different  in  the  phases  of  truth  which  they  respectively 
exhibit.  It  does  not  accord  with  the  verbal,  and  even  more  than  verbal  discrepancies 
which  are  notable  where  two  or  more  writers  narrate  the  same  event.  Many  such  instances 
are  afforded  by  a  comparison  of  the  parallel  accounts  of  the  three  Synoptic  Gospels.  In 
the  four  variant  reports  of  the  inscription  on  the  cross  ^  is  a  striking  illustration  of  a 
discrepancy  which  is  just  such  as  we  should  expect  from  independent  historians,  who  to 
a  large  extent  relied  upon  their  own  memory,  or  upon  the  recollection  of  others,  but  is 
utterly  irreconcilable  with  the  theory  that  they  recorded  as  amanuenses  what  the  Holy 

'  2 Peter  1 :  21.    The  trae  rendition  of  this  paesaee,  "holy  men  spake  from  God,"  intensifies  its  meaning^ 

but  does  not  otherwise  modify  it "  Quoted  in  McWhorter's  Hand  Book  of  the  New  Testament,  page  23 .' 

'  Quoted  in  Lee  on  inspiration,  page  35 ♦  See  for  example  Luke  1 :  3 ;  8  Pet.  1 :  21 '  Matt.  27  :  37 ;  Mark 

15  :  26  ;  Luke  23  :  38 ;  John  19  :  19. 


THE  NEW  TESTAMENT  CANON.  I7 

Spirit  dictated  to  them.'  This  theory  does  not  accord  with  the  subsequent  history  of  the 
New  Testament.  For  we  have  not  the  original  words  in  which  the  books  were  written ; 
with  the  exception  of  a  few  scholars,  the  great  majority  of  Bible  readers  are  dependent 
upon  a  confessedly  uninspired  translation  of  a  confessedly  uninspired  copy.  Finally,  the 
apostle  distinctly  declares  that  the  letter  killeth,  while  the  Spirit  maketh  alive  ;  and  a 
theory  of  verbal  inspiration,  i.  e.  of  the  inspiration  of  the  words  and  letters,  so  far  from 
quickening  the  spiritual  impulse  to  a  reverent  study  of  the  essential  truths  of  the  Bible, 
produces  a  directly  opposite  effect,  and  is  neither  productive  of  Scriptural  scholarship  nor 
true  spiritual  culture. 

By  moral  inspiration  is  meant  such  a  divine  quickening  of  the  natural  faculties  of  the 
sacred  writers,  that,  while  they  used  their  own  memory,  reason,  and  religious  and 
intellectual  culture,  they  were  protected  from  all  such  errors  as  would  impair  the  value 
of  their  writings  as  instruments  for  religious  instruction  and  spiritual  impulse,  or,  in  other 
words,  that  they  were  inspired  just  so  far  as  was  necessary  to  make  their  writings 
"profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correction,  for  instruction  in  righteousness." 
Minor  errors  in  science,  in  chronology,  in  dates,  diversities  in  forms  and  methods  of 
expression,  partial  and  fragmentary  utterances,''  immaterial  discrepancies  and  apparent 
inconsistencies  in  different  narrations  of  the  same  event,  do  nothing  to  shake  the  faith  of 
those  who  hold  this  theory  of  inspiration.  It  allows,  too,  the  opinion  that  the  inspiration 
of  different  books  is  of  a  different  kind,  and  that  the  same  degree  of  authority  is  not  to  be 
attached  to  the  books  of  Ruth  and  Esther  as  to  the  Ten  Commandments,  the  purely  personal 
epistle  to  Philemon  as  to  the  general  epistle  to  the  Romans,  or  to  such  a  direction  as  that 
of  3  Tim.  4:13,  as  to  the  precepts  of  .the  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  This  is  the  doctrine  of 
inspiration  which  throughout  this  Commentary  I  have  assumed  to  be  the  correct  one.  The 
evidences  of  its  correctness  will  appear  in  the  notes  themselves,  > 

At  the  same  time  there  are  passages  in  which  the  language,  as  well  as  the  idea,  appears 
to  me  to  have  been  supematurally  inspired.  This  is  especially  the  case  in  many  instances 
in  the  Evangelical  reports  of  our  Lord's  discourses,  where  a  peculiar  significance  is  involved 
in  the  words  used  by  our  Lord  and  preserved  by  his  reporters— a  significance  which  is 
often  lost  in  our  English  translation.^ 

I  believe,  then,  that  the  New  Testament  is  God's  covenant  with  man ;  that  it  is  not  an 
outgrowth  of  human  thought,  but  comes  from  God ;  that  he  has  chosen  to  impart  it 
through  imperfect  men,  as  he  chooses  imperfect  men  to  proclaim  and  to  interpret  it;  that  in 
writing  this  New  Covenant  they  had  all  the  divine  guidance  and  impulse  necessary  to  make 
it  a  safe  and  sufficient  guide  to  man  in  moral  and  spiritual  life ;  and  that  their  authority 
to  speak  for  God  is  attested  by  the  miracles  they  wrought,  by  the  fulfillment  of  the 
prophecies  they  recorded,  by  the  superhuman  excellence  of  the  doctrines  and  the  life  they 
inculcated,  but  yet  more  by  the  divine  fulfillment  of  the  compact  which  in  God's  name 
they  professed  to  record,  and  in  the  beneficent  effects,  temporal  and  spiritual,  which  have 
resulted  in  the  case  of  all  individuals  and  of  all  communities  which  have  accepted  it  and 
complied  with  its  conditions. 

V.  The  New  Testament  Canon.— The  word  Canon  means  literally  a  carpen- 
ter's rule.  Hence,  by  an  easy  transition,  it  is  used  to  signify  a  rule  or  test  in  language, 
art,  or  religion.  As  applied  to  Scripture  it  may  mean  either  the  rules  or  principles  by 
which  the  right  of  any  book  to  be  in  the  Bible  is  determined,  or  the  authority  of  such 
book  or  books  as  a  rule  of  faith  and  practice.  It  is  in  the  latter  sense  that  the  word  is 
now  generally  used.     The  term  "  Canonical  books  "  means  the  books  which  afford  an 

>  See  for  examples  the  arrest  of  Christ,  the  trial,  and  Peter's  denials.    Matt.,  chap.  26,  and  notes '  Such 

as  Romans  13  :  8,  9 »  See  for  example  Notes  on  Matt.  6  :  19,  44 ;  6  :  25 ;  7  : 1-6.     The  instances  are  very 

numerous ;  these  may  serve  to  illustrate  my  meaning. 


18  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT. 

autlioritative  rule,  in  contrast  with  those  which  are  uninspired  and  hence  afford  only 
human  instruction.  The  history  of  the  formation  of  the  New  Testament  and  the  princi- 
ples which  determine  what  books  belong  to  it  and  are  authoritative,  constitute  there- 
fore the  theme  of  this  section.  What  evidence  have  we  that  the  New  Testament  which 
we  now  possess  includes  the  inspired  productions  of  the  Apostles  and  excludes  spurious 
imitations  ?  in  other  words,  what  evidence  is  there  that  we  have  the  true  canon  or  rule  ? 
The  evidence  is  of  two  kinds  :  external  or  historical,  and  internal  or  spiritual. 

I.  External  or  Historical  Evidence. — To  the  question,  When,  where,  and  by  whom  were 
the  books  of  the  New  Testament  collected  into  one  volume  ?  no  answer  can  be  given. 
The  New  Testament  was  not  formed ;  it  grew.  The  external  evidence  of  its  authenticity 
and  authority  is  to  be  found  in  a  history  of  that  growth,  and  of  the  testimony  of  writers 
immediately  succeeding  the  apostolic  age. 

The  Gospels  bear  the  evidence  in  themselves  that  they  were  written  for  the  informa- 
tion of  the  disciples  of  Jesus  Christ,  especially  for  those  who  had  not  directly  received 
the  Master's  instructions,  and  who  had  not  access  to  the  verbal  teaching  of  eye  and  ear 
witnesses.'  The  Epistles  were  written,  either  to  local  churches  or  to  particular  individ- 
uals, to  impart,  in  a  more  systematic  form,  the  precepts  and  principles  of  Christianity,  to 
correct  particular  errors,  or  to  afford  instruction  or  inspiration  needed  in  particular 
churches.  Both  apostles  and  churches  anticipated  the  speedy  second  coming  of  Jesus 
Christ,  and  there  is  nothing  to  indicate  that  either  recognized  in  these  separate  treatises  a 
contribution  to  a  permanent  and  universal  book.  But  that  the  writers  claimed  to  speak 
by  authority  of  God,  and  in  a  peculiar  sense  under  his  inspiration,  we  have  already  seen.' 
The  writers  of  the  New  Testament  were,  moreover,  all  immediate  disciples  of  Jesus 
Christ,  excepting  Paul,  who  claimed  to  have  received  instruction  directly  from  the  risen 
Lord,  and  to  be  therefore  not  less  an  apostle  than  the  twelve.^  The  epistles  thus  received 
by  the  church  from  the  immediate  disciples  of  the  Lord  would  be  naturally  held  as  a 
sacred  possession.  They  were  read  publicly  in  the  church  services  ; ''  churches  exchanged 
their  epistles  one  with  another ;  ^  they  were  unmistakably  regarded  by  both  writers  and 
recipients  as  authoritative ;"  and  in  one  significant  passage  Peter  expressly  classifies  the 
writings  of  Paul  with  the  Old  Testament  ScrijDtures.'  Thus,  toward  the  close  of  the  first 
century  the  materials  for  the  New  Testament  had  been  accumulated.  Each  church  pos- 
sessed, in  addition  to  a  copy  of  the  Old  Testament  in  common  with  the  Jewish  Syna- 
gogue, a  letter  or  a  gospel,  or  two  or  three  letters,  obtained  by  a  system  of  exchange, 
while  no  church  probably  possessed  the  entire  New  Testament  collection.  It  existed,  but 
in  fragments,  and  divided  among  the  different  churches.* 

The  apostles  died,  leaving  these  writings  as  a  legacy  to  the  inftint  churches.  As  tradi- 
tion grew  more  and  more  remote,  and  direct  counsel  from  the  apostles  in  the  solution  of 
questions  of  ritual,  government,  discipline,  and  doctrine  was  no  longer  attainable,  these 
writings  appreciated  in  value,  and  the  authority  of  the  letter  was  established  by  the  death 
of  the  writer.  Meanwhile,  with  the  growth  of  the  church,  heresies  sprang  ujj.  The 
heretics  were  often  unprincipled.  They  sometimes  mutilated  the  apostolic  writings, 
sometimes  denied  their  authenticity  and  authority,  sometimes  endeavored  to  palm  off 
upon  the  churches  spurious  doctrines,  with  the  sanction  of  a  forged  apostle's  name. 
These  practices,  of  which  we  get  some  hints  even  in  the  New  Testament,®  and  some  indi- 
cations in  very  early  corruptions  of  the  text,  increased  after  the  death  of  the  inspired 

»  Luke  1:1^;  John  20  :  30,  31 »  See  under  Section  m »1  Cor.  9:1;  15  :  8;  Gal.  1 :  15, 16;  2:  2; 

Ephes.  3:3 «  1  Thess.  5  :  27 »  Col.  4:  16 «  Acts  15  :  23-31 ;  2  Cor.  10  :  1-10;  Kev.,chap.  2  :  3 

'  2  Pet.  3  :  16. 

'  Mr.  Norton,  Genuineness  of  the  Gospels,  estimates  that  as  many  as  60,000  copies  of  the  Gospels  were  in 
circulation  by  the  end  of  the  second  century,  by  which  time,  however,  the  N.  T.  canon  had  been  substantially 
organized »  2  Tim.  1 :  15 ;  Titus  1 :  10-14 ;  Rev.  22  :  18, 19. 


THE  NEW  TESTAMENT  CANON.  19 

writers.  Thus  at  once  the  value  of  the  genuine  writings,  and  the  evident  necessity  of  a 
critical  examination  into  all  doubtful  gospels  and  epistles,  increased.  Thus,  too,  in  the 
controversies  which  ensued,  and  which  reached  their  climax  in  the  conflict  between  Arius 
and  Athanasius  (A.  D.  325-336),  quotations  from  the  inspired  writings  of  the  Evangelists 
and  Apostles  grew  more  frequent.  These  quotations  rendered  necessary  a  larger  inter- 
change of  the  original  documents.  Each  church,  dissatisfied  with  a  second-hand  report 
of  an  apostolic  writing,  sought  and  obtained  a  copy  of  the  original,  and  thus  gradually 
book  was  added  to  book,  every  claimant  to  inspired  authority  was  subjected  to  a  search- 
ing examination,  the  false  were  thrown  out  and  the  true  alone  accepted,  until  at  length, 
by  the  close  of  the  second  century,  the  New  Testament,  substantially  as  we  now  have  it, 
had  grown  into  a  book  whose  authenticity  and  authority  all  parties  in  the  Christian 
church  alike  acknowledged.^  Thus  the  canon  of  the  New  Testament  is  established,  not 
by  the  judgment  of  a  single  man,  whose  authority  to  select  it  would  be  difficult  to  estab- 
lish, not  by  the  judgment  of  an  ecclesiastical  council,  which  might  labor  under  the  just 
suspicion  of  ecclesiastical  prejudice,  but  by  the  general  consent  of  thousands  of  local 
churches,  and  an  innumerable  body  of  individual  Christians,  whose  combined  judgment 
must  ever  be  free  from  all  possible  suspicion  of  local  prejudice  or  personal  interest,  and 
from  any  just  charge  of  theological  prepossessions.  The  evidence  of  the  canonicity  of  the 
New  Testament — that  is,  the  evidence  that  we  have  in  the  New  Testament  the  books 
written  by  the  immediate  disciples  of  our  Lord,  and  only  such — is  to  be  found,  not  in  the 
opinions  of  individual  scholars,  or  the  decrees  of  early  councils,  but  in  the  abundant  ref- 
erence to  these  books  in  the  controversial  writings  of  the  three  or  four  centuries  which 
immediately  followed  the  apostolic  age.  Without  attempting  to  give  this  evidence  in 
detail,  which  would  be  foreign  to  my  purpose,  I  shall  give  such  a  summary  of  it  as  will 
afibrd  the  reader  an  idea  of  its  character  and  the  student  a  suggestion  for  more  elaborate 
investigation.'' 

1.  Clement  of  Rome.  Of  his  history  little  is  known.  He  was  Bishop  of  Rome  at  the 
end  of  the  first  century,  is  probably  referred  to  by  Paul  in  Philippians  4  :  3  as  one  of  his 
"  fellow  workers,"  and  was  certainly  a  disciple  of  the  apostles.  Of  the  various  works 
attributed  to  him,  only  the  so-called  1st  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians  is  certainly  known  to 
be  his.  In  this  epistle,  certainly  published  during  the  first  century,  and  very  probably 
as  early  as  64-70  A.  D.,  he  quotes,  "  as  the  words  of  the  Lord  Jesus,"  expressions  in  sub- 
stance identical  and  in  phraseology  similar  to  those  reported  in  the  Gospels  of  Matthew 
and  Luke ;  in  a  similar  manner  embodies  sentiments  and  expressions  found  in  James, 
1  Peter,  and  several  of  Paul's  Epistles;  while  his  quotations  from  or  similarities  of  expres. 

'  "  With  the  exception  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  the  two  shorter  Epistles  to  St.  John,  the  second 
Epistle  of  St.  Peter,  the  Epistles  of  St.  James  and  St.  Jude,  and  the  Apocalypse,  all  the  other  books  of  the  New 
Testament  were  acknowledged  as  apostolic  and  authoritative  throughout  the  church  at  the  close  of  the  second 
ccnturj y—Westcott  on  the  Canon  of  the  New  Testament,  p.  306. 

^  To  comprise  in  a  few  pages  the  results  of  discussions  which  fill  hundreds  of  volumes,  which  have  been 
conducted  on  both  sides  too  often  with  unseemly  acerbity,  in  which  not  unfrequently  strong  assertion  has  served 
for  proof,  and  special  pleading  for  critical  scholarship,  which  depends  on  an  examination  and  analysis  of  the 
literature  of  the  first  three  centuries,  its  own  authenticity  sometimes  involved  in  doubt,  has  been  a  matter  of  no 
small  diflSculty.  It  was  possible  to  accomplish  such  a  condensation  only  (1)  by  giving  results  and  discussions  ; 
(2)  omitting  all  authors  whose  works  are  really  involved  in  any  reasonable  doubt,  such  as  Ignatius  and  Barna- 
bas ;  (3)  passing  by  without  notice,  though  not  without  careful  examination,  the  objections  of  rationalistic  critics 
to  the  conclusions  of  Christian  scholarship.  Whatever  on  a  fair  examination  has  seemed  to  me  doubtful  I  have 
omitted;  there  is  enough  that  is  certain.  The  English  student  who  wishes  to  examine  the  subject  more  thor- 
oughly is  referred  to  Westcott,  History  of  the  Canon  of  the  N.  T.,  Scrivener's  Plain  Intro,  to  the  Criticism  of  the 
N.  T.,  Davidson's  Intro,  to  the  iV.  T.,  Hone's  Intro,  to  the  Scriptures,  and  Smith's  Bible  Diet.,  art.  Canon,  pre- 
pared by  Dr.  Westcott.  A  popular  statement  of  results  is  given  by  Edward  Case  Bissell  in  The  Historic  Oriffin 
of  the  Bible,  and  a  condensed  statement  of  the  argument  in  a  little  tract  by  Tischendorf,  entitled  "  TFA««  ■we7'e  our 
Gospels  Written  ?  "  The  most  complete  rationalistic  argument  against  the  canonicity  of  the  N.  T.  in  the  English 
language  is  given  by  the  anonymous  work  Supernatural  Beligion. 


20  *     THE  NEW  TESTAMENT. 

sion  to  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  is  so  great  that  by  some  its  authorship  is  attributed  to 
him.  In  addition,  his  doctrinal  statements  accord  with,  and  are  apparently  derived  from, 
the  writings  of  the  apostles. 

2.  Polycarp,  Bishop  of  Smyrna,  bom  probably  A.  D.  70-80,  martyred  A.  D.  166.  One 
short  epistle  of  his,  to  the  Philii^pians,  is  extant,  concerning  the  genuineness  of  which 
there  is  no  reasonable  question.  It  contains  far  more  references  to  the  writings  of  the 
New  Testament  than  any  other  work  of  the  first  age ;  and  still,  with  one  exception,'  all 
the  phrases  which  Polycarp  employs  are  woven  into  the  texture  of  his  letter,  without  any 
sign  of  quotation.  "  In  other  cases  it  is  possible  to  assig-n  verbal  coincidences  to  acci- 
dent ;  but  Polycarp's  use  of  Scriptural  language  is  so  frequent  that  it  is  wholly  unreason- 
able to  doubt  that  he  was  acquainted  with  the  chief  parts  of  our  canon."  *  His  testimony 
to  the  genuineness  and  the  then  recognized  value  of  the  books  of  the  New  Testament  is 
the  greater  because  (1)  it  is  incidental  and  indirect,  and  therefore  demonstrates  that  the 
facts  and  doctrines  referred  to  were  already  generally  accepted  in  the  church,  and  indi- 
cates that  the  books  from  which  he  apparently  quotes  were  widely  and  popularly  known, 
and  regarded  as  an  authority ;  and  (2)  because  he  was  personally  a  disciple  of  the  apos- 
tles, especially  of  John,  and  was  by  the  apostles  ordained  to  the  oflSce  of  bishop  or  pastor 
of  the  church  at  Smyrna.  His  character  seems  to  have  resembled  that  of  John  in  piety 
and  loveliness;  he  was  esteemed  even  by  his  ecclesiastical  opponents,  and  loved  devotedly 
by  his  own  disciples ;  by  Jerome  he  is  called  the  most  eminent  man  of  Asia.  His  quota- 
tions from  the  first  epistle  of  Peter  and  the  epistles  of  Paul  are  especially  abundant.' 

3.  Papias.  Of  his  history  little  is  known  with  certainty.  He  appears  to  have  been 
bom  toward  the  close  of  the  first  century,  and  to  have  been  contemporary  with  Polycarp, 
but  there  is  no  adequate  evidence  that  he  ever  saw  any  of  the  apostles.  He  refers  expli- 
citly to  a  Gospel  of  Matthew,  which  he  says  was  originally  written  in  Hebrew,  to  a  Gospel 
of  Mark,  whom  he  describes  as  writing  as  the  interpreter  of  Peter,  and  also  to  1  Peter, 
1  John,  and  the  Book  of  Eevelation.  He  does  not  refer  to  Paul's  epistles,  which  Westcott 
explains  by  the  supposition  that  he  belonged  to  the  Judaizing  portion  of  the  church ;  "  in 
such  a  man  any  positive  reference  to  the  teachings  of  St.  Paul  would  have  been  unnatural." 

4.- Justin  Martyr.  His  birth  is  uncertain,  probably  toward  the  close  of  the  first  cen- 
tury. In  his  early  life  a  Platonist,  he  was  converted  to  Christianity  A.  D.  119-132,  and 
wrote  A.  D.  140-147.  His  extant  works  are  arguments  for  the  truth  of  Christianity, 
which  he  mainly  rests  on  the  facts  of  Christ's  life.  Nearly  all  the  principal  events  in  that 
life  may  be  gathered  from  his  writings,  which  are  founded  on  what  he  entitles  "the 
Memoirs  of  the  Apostles."  These  he  describes  as  containing  a  record  of  all  things  con- 
cerning Jesus  Christ,  and  as  read  customarily  in  the  public  services  of  the  churches  on 
the  same  footing  as  the  projjhets,  i.  e.,  as  inspired  and  authoritative ;  in  one  passage  he 
says  that  "they  are  called  Gospels."  '  That  the  "  Memoirs"  thus  described  are  our  four 
Gospels  seems  to  me  unquestionable,  though  the  fact  has  been  questioned.  All  Justin 
Martyr's  facts  not  directly  traceable  to  the  Gospels,  as  we  have  them,  are  said  not  to 
exceed  six  in  number,  and  there  is  but  one  inconsistent  with  them,  which  may  possibly 
be  accounted  for  by  a  variation  of  manuscript.     Besides  the  Gospels  his  writings  show  an 

>  The  exception  is  as  follows  :  The  blessed  and  glorious  Paul  wrote  letters  to  you  (the  Philippians),  into 
which  if  ye  look  diligently  ye  will  be  able  to  be  built  up  into  the  faith  given  to  you. 

'  Westcott  on  the  Canon  of  the  N'ew  Testament. 

»  The  apostolic  fathers— under  which  general  title  are  included  such  as  were  contemporary  with  any 
of  the  apostles  (A.  D.  70-120)— whose  works  are  now  extant,  namely,  Clement  of  Rome,  Ignatius(?) ,  Polycarp, 
and  Bamaba8(?),  and  possibly  Hermias,  contain  references  more  or  less  distinct  to  the  three  Synoptic  Gospels, 
the  Epistles  to  the  Romans,  1st  and  2d  Corinthians,  Galatians,  Ephesians,  Philippians,  1st  and  2d  Timothy, 
Hebrews,  James,  1  Peter,  and  1  John.  The  allusions  to  Thessalonians,  Colossians,  Titus,  Philemon,  and  2d 
Peter  are  very  uncertain.  The  reader  will  find  a  full  and  classified  account  of  these  references  in  McClintock 
ftnd  Strong's  Cyclopedia,  article  Apostolic  FatMrs. 


THE  NEW  TESTAMENT  CANON.  21 

acquaintance  with  all  the  remaining  books  of  the  New  Testament  except  the  epistles  of 
James,  Peter,  Jude,  and  John,  and  those  to  Philemon  and  Titus.  He  refers  by  name  to 
the  book  of  Revelation.' 

5.  The  Canon  of  Muratori.  This  is  a  Latin  manuscript,  which  derives  its  name  from 
its  discoverer.  It  is  an  imperfect  copy  of  a  Greek  original,  written  either  in  Africa  or 
Rome,  both  the  beginning  and  the  end  being  lost.  It  claims  to  have  been  originally 
written  during  the  second  century,  and  scholars  regard  the  claim  as  sustained  by  internal 
evidence.  Hence  "  it  may  be  regarded  as  a  summary  of  the  opinion  of  the  Western  church 
on  the  Canon  shortly  after  the  middle  of  the  second  century ;"  '  that  is,  when  men  were  still 
living  who  had  seen  and  possibly  conversed  with  the  apostles.  It  commences  with  a  frag- 
ment of  a  sentence  evidently  referring  to  Mark's  Gospel.  It  goes  on  to  state  that  the 
Gospel  of  St.  Luke  stands  third  in  the  canon,  and  the  Gospel  of  St.  John,  a  disciple  of  the 
Lord,  fourth.  That  the  lost  fragment  refers  to  Matthew  is  probable,  since  four  Gospels 
are  distinctly  recognized.  In  the  list  which  follows  all  the  books  included  in  our  present 
canon  are  embraced,  except  the  Epistles  of  James  and  Peter  and  that  to  the  Hebrews,  and 
possibly  3d  John.  Two  epistles  of  John  are  referred  to,  but  it  is  not  improbable  that  the  2d 
and  3d  are  included  in  one  epistle,  in  this  list.  According  to  Westcott,  the  chasms  found  in 
the  text  of  this  writing  afford  the  probable  explanation  of  the  omission  of  epistles  which 
are  known  to  have  been  in  use  in  the  churches  at  the  time  when  the  list  is  believed  to 
have  been  prepared.  An  apocryphal  "  Apocalypse  of  Peter  "  is  also  mentioned,  with  the 
remark  that  some  do  not  choose  that  it  shall  be  used  in  the  churches.  It  is  a  noteworthy 
and  important  fact  that  this  Canon  of  Muratori  does  not  give  the  writer's  individual  o^Dinion, 
but  the  general  consent  and  judgment  of  the  Christian  church  of  the  age,  that  is,  of  the 
second  century. 

6.  Irenosus,  born  120-140,  a  disciple  of  Polycarp,  became  bishop  of  Lyons  A.  D.  177, 
died  probably  about  A.  D.  200.  His  only  extant  work  is  a  treatise  against  heresy.  In 
this  work  "  he  maintains  the  co-ordinate  authority  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments ;  finds 
a  characteristic  reason,  in  the  four  quarters  of  the  globe,  why  there  should  be  just  four 
Gospels,  and  no  more ;  assigns  the  authorship  of  these  Gospels  to  those  whose  names 
they  now  bear ;  quotes  as  Scripture  the  Acts,  twelve  Epistles  of  Paul  (omitting  Philemon), 
the  Apocalypse  (or  book  of  Revelation),  1st  and  2d  John,  1  Peter,  and  is  said  by  Euse- 
bius  to  refer,  in  a  work  now  lost,  to  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews."  ^  He  does  not  profess 
to  give  a  complete  list  of  canonical  writings ;  hence  his  omissions  prove  nothing  against, 
the  authority  of  the  books  not  referred  to,  while  his  references  are  sufficient  to  prove  that 
in  his  day  the  greater  portion,  if  not  the  whole,  of  our  New  Testament  was  recognized  as 
authority  in  the  church.  This  testimony  is  the  more  significant  because  it  comes  from  a 
disciple  of  a  disciple  of  one  of  the  New  Testament  writers. 

7.  Clement  of  Alexandria  was  a  contemporary  of  Irenseus,  and  liis  life  covers  about 
A.  D.  165-220.  His  birthplace  is  thought  to  have  been  Athens ;  the  major  part  of  his  life 
was  spent  at  Alexandria.  A  Christian  in  faith,  he  devoted  himself  to  the  study  of  philos- 
ophy, with  apparently  a  supreme  love  for  truth,  which  he  was  ready  to  welcome  in 
whatever  school  he  found  it.  In  his  writings  he  treats  the  Law  and  the  Gospel  of  equal 
authority,  refers  to  them  as  "  the  Scriptures  of  the  Lord,"  as  though  they  constituted  one 
recognized  collection,  and  makes  unmistakable  references  to  and  quotations  from  the 
four  Gospels,  the  Acts,  all  of  Paul's  Epistles,  except  that  to  Philemon,  the  Epistle  to  the 
Hebrews  (which  he  imputes  to  Paul),  1  John,  1  Peter,  Jude,  and  the  Book  of  Revelation. 

^  For  a  full  list  of  his  works,  genuine  and  doubtful,  see  Dictionary  of  Greek  and  Boman  Biographies,  article 
Jmiinus  Martyr  ;  for  a  full  account  of  the  bearing  of  his  writings  on  the  authority  of  the  Gospels,  see  Westcott 
on  the  Canon  of  the  N.  T. 

»  Westcott.  Even  the  anonymous  author  of  "  Supernatural  Religion  "  concedes  to  this  canon  as  early  a 
date  as  the  third  century "  Bissell's  Historic  Origin  of  the  Bible. 


22  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT. 

But  he  also,  as  well  as  Irenseus,  cites  as  "divine  writings"  some  works  now  universally 
regarded  as  apocryphal,  thus  indicating  that  the  final  collection  of  the  New  Testament 
■writings  into  one  recognized  volume  was  not  completed. 

8.  TertuUian,  born  at  Carthage  about  A.D.  160 ;  the  time  of  his  death  is  uncertain, 
probably  about  A.D.  240.  In  middle  life  he  abandoned  the  orthodox  party  and  became 
identified  with  the  Montanists,  a  sect  of  enthusiasts  and  ascetics.  He  was  a  voluminous 
author.  His  writings  recognize  the  Old  and  New  Testament  Scriptures  as  one  "  divine 
instrument,"  the  integrity  of  which  he  defends  against  heretics.  He  gives  no  complete 
catalogue  of  the  New  Testament  books  of  his  day,  but  incidentally  refers  to  the  four 
Gospels,  the  Acts,  thirteen  Epistles  of  Paul  (including  Philemon),  1  Peter,  1  John,  Jude, 
and  the  Book  of  Revelation.  Certain  apocryphal  books  recognized  by  TertuUian  he 
characterizes  as  unauthentic. 

Origen,  A.D.  186-254,  a  pupil  of  Clement  of  Alexandria.  His  scholarship  not  only 
was  remarkable  for  that  age,  but  would  be  so  in  any  age.  He  was  a  voluminous  writer, 
especially  upon  Biblical  topics ;  lie  prepared  two  editions  of  the  Old  Testament,  together 
with  commentaries  upon  it.  His  independence  was  such  that  he  was  excommunicated 
and  exiled  from  Alexandria  for  holding  and  promulgating  opinions  which  were  regarded  as 
not  orthodox  by  his  ecclesiastical  superiors.  His  courage,  his  intellectual  independence, 
and  the  thoroughness  of  his  scholarship  are  now  generally  acknowledged.  He  distinctly 
recognizes  the  four  Gospels,  1  Peter,  the  Book  of  Revelation,  and  one  of  John's  Epistles, 
and  refers  in  general  terms  to  Paul's  Epistles,  and  to  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  the 
authorship  of  which  he  says  is  not  certainly  known.  In  addition,  his  quotations  from  the 
New  Testament  are  so  voluminous  that  Tregelles  asserts  that  at  least  two-thirds  of  it  may 
be  found  in  his  extant  writings,  simply  in  the  form  of  citations. 

The  Heretics.  The  writings  of  the  heretics  of  the  first  three  centuries  are  among  the 
not  least  significant  testimonies  to  the  genuineness  of  the  New  Testament  books.  Some- 
times they  write  to  disprove  the  authority  of  these  books,  sometimes  they  quote  from 
them  in  support  of  the  heretical  doctrine ;  but  in  either  case  their  quotations  afford 
indubitable  evidence  that  the  books  referred  to  were  generally  accepted  as  authoritative 
by  the  Christian  church.  Simon  Magus '  and  his  followers  not  only  recognized  the  facts 
in  the  life  of  Jesus  Christ  as  recorded  by  the  four  Gospels,  but  also  the  peculiar  weight 
attached  by  the  church  to  the  writings  of  the  apostles.  Cerinthus  (probably  beginning 
of  second  century)  recognized  the  facts  as  reported  by  the  four  Gospels  respecting  Jesus 
Christ,  though  he  denied  the  supernatural  birth,  and  taught  that  the  Divinity  entered 
Jesus  at  his  baptism  and  departed  previous  to  his  crucifixion.  Basilides,  probably  a 
younger  contemporary  of  Cerinthus,  living  in  the  age  immediately  succeeding  the  apostles, 
refers  more  or  less  explicitly  to  Matthew,  Luke,  John,  Romans,  Corinthians,  Ephesians, 
and  Colossians.  Marcion  (A.D.  130),  published  a  canon  of  books  on  which  he  founded 
his  system  of  modified  or  reconstructed  Christianity.  It  includes  a  revised  edition  of  St. 
Luke  and  ten  Epistles  of  Paul,  excluding  the  Pastoral  Epistle  and  that  to  the  Hebrews. 
He  set  the  others  aside,  however,  not  because  their  authorship  was  in  doubt,  but  because, 
according  to  him,  the  apostolic  writers  themselves  had  but  an  imperfect  apprehension  of 
the  truth.  Finally  Celsm  (second  century),  and  Porphyry  (third  century),  distinguished 
opponents  of  Christianity,  refer  in  their  attacks  upon  it  to  the  writings  of  the  disciples 
of  Jesus  Christ,  in  such  a  way  as  to  leave  no  doubt  that  the  substantial  facts  reported  in 
the  four  Gospels,  and  the  substantial  doctrines  taught  in  the  Epistles,  were  recognized  by 
both  friend  and  foe,  as  constituting  the  historical  and  doctrinal  system  of  the  Christian 
church. 

Versions  and  Collections.    The  Peshito  Version,  in  the  Syriac  tongue,  is  still  the  recognized 


THE  NEW  TESTAMENT   CANON.  33 

authority  among  the  various  sects  of  Syrian  Christians,  who  claim  to  have  derived  it  from 
the  cburch  at  Antioch,  which  sent  out  Paul  and  Barnabas  on  their  first  missionary  journey. 
It  almost  certainly  dates  as  far  back  as  the  second  century,  possibly  is  of  still  earlier  date. 
It  contains  in  its  earliest  forms  the  four  Gospels,  Acts,  fourteen  Epistles  of  Paul,  includin'» 
the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  James,  1  Peter  and  1  John,  and  perhaps  the  Book  of  Revelation. 
An  ancient  Latin  Version  was  almost  certainly  in  common  use  in  the  second  century 
which,  according  to  Westcott,  included  the  books  embraced  in  the  Muratorian  Canon,  i.  e., 
the  four  Gospels,  Acts,  thirteen  Epistles  of  Paul  (excluding  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews), 
three  Epistles  of  John,  1  Peter,  Jude,  and  the  Book  of  Revelation.  Eusebius,  by  order  of 
Constantine,  prepared  (A.D.  332),  fifty  copies  of  the  Scriptures  for  public  use  in  Constan- 
tinople. The  New  Testament  as  prepared  by  him,  embraced  all  the  books  of  our  present 
New  Testament,  except  the  Book  of  Revelation.  Finally,  the  Council  of  Carthage  (about 
A.D.  397),  officially  declared  what  were  the  books  of  the  Canonical  Scripture  to  be  read 
in  the  churches.  In  their  list  the  books  of  the  New  Testament  are  exactly  those  which  are 
generally  received  at  present.  And  it  must  be  remembered  that  their  action,  like  that  of 
Eusebius,  was  not  in  the  nature  of  an  individual  and  authoritative  decision  of  a  doubtful 
question,  but  only  an  official  declaration  of  the  judgment  which  had  been  reached  by  the 
universal  consent  of  the  Christian  church. 

Summary.  The  result  of  this  investigation  into  the  historical  evidences  of  the 
canonicity  of  the  books  of  the  New  Testament  may  be  thus  briefly  stated.  It  is  to  be 
presumed,  in  the  absence  of  evidence  to  the  contrary,  that  books  are  the  product  of  the 
authors  whose  names  they  bear.  This  reasonable  presumption  is  greatly  strengthened 
when  they  have  borne  that  name  for  years  and  even  centuries  without  question.  In  the 
fourth  century  the  books  of  the  New  Testament,  as  we  now  possess  them,  were  universally 
attributed  to  the  authors  whose  names  they  bear,  except  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  which 
is,  in  fact,  an  anonymous  work.'  In  the  absence  of  evidence  to  the  contrary  this 
universal  opinion  is  to  be  presumed  correct.  But  its  correctness  is  not  merely  a  reasonable 
presumption.  The  extant  writings  of  a  series  of  authors,  extending  from  the  days  of  the 
apostles  to  the  fourth  century,  form  an  unbroken  testimony  to  the  genuineness  of  tlie 
collection.  If  the  New  Testament  were  destroyed,  every  important  fact  in  the  life  of 
Christ,  every  important  doctrine  in  the  writings  of  the  Apostles,  and  a  considerable  part 
of  the  words  of  both  Evangelists  and  Apostles  could  be  gathered  from  the  extant  writings 
of  these  unconscious  and  unintentional  witnesses.  They  embrace  representatives  of  every 
section  of  the  Christendom  of  the  first  centuries — Europe,  Asiatic  Greece,  Syria,  Alexan- 
dria, Africa.  They  include  orthodox  and  heretics,  friends  and  foes  of  Christianity. 
Among  them  are  to  be  found  the  ripest  scholars,  the  most  critical  students,  the  ablest, 
most  courageous,  and  most  independent  thinkers  of  their  times.  Many  of  them  wrote 
before  the  church  had  become  organized  into  a  hierarchy,  or  Christianity  into  a  system 
of  recognized  theology,  and  therefore  before  there  was  any  considerable  ecclesiastical  or 
theological  temptation  to  misstatement  or  misinterpretation.  Their  testimony  is  not, 
indeed,  entirely  unanimous  ;  some  of  them  accept,  as  canonical,  single  books  which  are  now 
rejected,  and  others  reject,  as  uncanonical,  single  books  which  are  now  accepted ;  but  there 
is  a  substantial  accord  in  their  testimony ;  not  a  single  doubt  is  raised  by  any  author, 
friendly  or  inimical,  as  to  the  authorship  of  the  four  Gospels,''  and  none  as  to  any  of  the 
more  important  Epistles,  excepting,  perhaps,  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews ;  and  if  every 
book  not  supported  by  their  nearly  unanimous  testimony  were  laid  aside,  the  substantial 
teaching  of  the  New  Testament  would  not  be  affected.     It  is  true  that  the  earlier  authors 

>  There  is  nothing  in  the  Epistle  to  indicate  the  authorship ;  the  title  "  The  Epistle  of  Paul  the  Apostle  to 
the  Hebrews  "  is  no  part  of  the  original  document. 

'Dr.  Peabody  says  that  they  were  never  doubted  till  the  last  century.  "  Christianity  and  Science,"  p.  24. 
See  Sec.  I.  for  some  other  evidences  of  genuineness  of  the  Gospels,  in  their  language,  their  geographical  accu- 
racy, and  their  undesigned  coincidences. 


24  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT. 

do  not  cite  the  New  Testament  writers  by  name.  But  this  might  naturally  be  expected. 
The  author  of  to-day,  in  writing  of  the  well-known  events  of  the  Civil  War,  would  refer 
to  the  fact  without  citing  his  authority,  while  in  referring  to  the  more  distant  events  of 
the  American  Revolution,  he  would  refer  to  Sparks,  or  Hildreth,  or  Bancroft ;  so  the 
Apostolic  Fathers,  assuming  that  their  readers  are  acquainted  witli  the  facts  and  the 
doctrines  of  which  they  write,  abound  in  references  to  the  facts  recorded  in  the  four 
Gospels,  and  the  doctrines  contained  in  apostolic  writings,  and  even  in  quotations  of 
words,  phrases,  sentences,  and  metaphors  from  the  sacred  books,  without  accompanying 
them  with  citations,  while  the  writers  of  the  succeeding  ages  refer  by  name  to  the  authors 
from  whom  they  quote.  It  is  true  that  no  list  of  the  sacred  writings  appears  till  toward 
the  close  of  the  second  century.  But  this  might  naturally  be  expected.  For  the  New 
Testament  was  not  written  as  a  book,  nor  with  any  conference  between  the  writers  of 
its  diflferent  documents,  but  by  different  writers  to  different  churches  and  for  different 
purposes.  A  list  of  contents  could  not  therefore  be  made  until,  by  a  mutual  interchange 
of  these  documents,  the  collection  itself  grew  into  a  book.  This  testimony  of  the  ancient 
fathers  is  confirmed  by  that  of  the  ancient  manuscripts.  While  of  Plato  and  Herodotus 
we  have  less  than  thirty  manuscripts,  and  not  one  of  them  one  thousand  years  old,  we 
have  forty-seven  of  the  New  Testament  which  are  more  than  one  thousand  years  old,  four 
of  which  certainly  date  from  the  fifth  century  or  earlier,  and  one,  the  Sinaitic,  which  is 
believed  by  one  of  the  ablest  scholars  of  the  age  to  date  from  A.D.  325.  These 
manuscripts,  though  some  of  them  are  imperfect,  unite  in  confirming  the  authorship  and 
authenticity  of  our  New  Testament  books.' 

Finally,  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  this  testimony  has  not  only  been  weighed 
carefully  by  a  large  number  of  Christian  scholars,  but  has  also  been  severely  scrutinized 
by  a  large  number  of  rationalistic  critics.  As  no  ancient  book  has  run  the  gauntlet 
of  so  much  hostile  criticism,  so  none  is  sustained  by  evidence  so  irrefragable.  The  most 
elaborate  analyses  of  this  evidence  have  been  made  by  hostile  critics.  As  interpreted  by 
them  it  shows  that  the  writings  of  the  early  fathers  abound  in  quotations  from  certain 
widely-diffused  and  generally  accepted  Gospels  and  Epistles  ;  that  these  quotations  embody 
the  facts  and  doctrines  of  our  New  Testament,  not  infrequently  in  nearly  its  exact  words; 
that  in  the  middle  of  the  second  century  Gospels  by  Matthew,  Mark  and  Luke  were  in 
existence ;  that  before  the  middle  of  the  third  century  our  New  Testament,  substantially 
as  we  now  possess  it,  was  generally  recognized  and  accepted  in  the  churches.  Unless  our 
Gospels  and  Epistles  existed  from  the  days  of  the  Apostles,  these  quotations  were  made 
from  books  most  of  which  are  not  now  extant  and  some  are  even  hypothetical ;  the 
Gospels  of  Matthew,  Mark  and  Luke,  referred  to  by  Papias  and  Marcion,  were  not  our 
Gospels,  but  other  productions  which  have  perished  so  utterly  that  not  a  trace  of  them  is 
left  in  manuscript  or  quotation ;  and  all  our  Gospels  and  many  of  our  Ej^istles  were  forged 
in  lieu  of  the  genuine  and  now  lost  books,  and  were  accepted  by  the  age  which  produced 
them,  with  a  faith  so  unquestioning  and  so  universal,  that  no  one,  heretic  or  orthodox,  in 
African,  Alexandrian,  Syrian,  or  Roman  Church,  questioned  the  authorship  of  any  Gospel 
or  any  important  Epistle.  And  even  this  skepticism  concedes,  what  the  most  hostile 
criticism  cannot  deny,  that  in  the  present  Gospels  we  have  the  substantial  facts 
concerning  the  life  and  death  of  Christ,  and  in  the  Epistles  the  substantial  teaching  of 
the  Apostles,  or,  in  the  words  of  one  of  the  most  eminent  leaders  in  infidel  belief,' 
"  whatever  else  may  be  taken  away  from  us  by  rational  criticism,  Christ  is  still  left — a 
unique  figure  not  more  unlike  all  his  precursors  than  all  his  followers,  even  those  who  had 
the  direct  benefit  of  his  personal  teaching." 

In  view  of  this  examination  it  is  perfectly  safe  to  say  that,  while  the  canonicity  of  all 

» See  below  Section  "V,  the  text '  John  Stuart  Mill,  "  Three  Essays  on  Religion." 


THE  TEXT.  25 

the  books  of  the  New  Testament  does  not  rest  upon  the  same  evidence,  while  some  are 
involved  in  an  uncertainty  which  does  not  attach  to  the  others,"  the  genuineness  of  the 
collection  as  a  whole  is  better  established  than  that  of  any  book  or  collection  of  books  of 
ancient  times — better  than  that  of  Homer  in  Greek,  Virgil  in  Latin,  or  Shakespeare  in 
English  literature. 

II.  The  Internai,  and  SpiRixuAii  Evidence  of  the  canonicity  of  the  New  Testament 
books  consists  in  a  simple  comparison  of  those  books  with  those  which  are  now  univer- 
sally regarded  as  apocryphal  and  spurious.  The  limitations  of  my  space  forbid  me  from 
giving  such  a  comparison,  nor  is  it  necessary.,  The  contrast  is  so  marked  that  no  school, 
Protestant,  Papal,  or  Rationalistic,  attaches  any  value  to  the  Apocryphal  New  Testament, 
and  the  contrast  would  be  valuable  only  because  it  would  indicate  the  nature  of  those 
mythical  Gospels  and  spurious  Epistles  which  really  were  the  production  of  the  sub- 
apostolic  age,  and  with  which  modern  skepticism  desires  to  confound  those  of  our  New 
Testament.  The  reader  who  desires  to  trace  the  argument,  the  nature  of  which  I  here  merely 
indicate,  will  find  the  material  in  The  Apocryphal  New  Testament^  or,  less  perfectly,  in  the 
articles  Epistles  Spurious,  and  Gospels  Spuriom,  in  McClintock  and  Strong's  Cyclopedia. 

TT.  The  Text. — The  books  of  the  New  Testament  were  originally  written  on  pajiyrus 
paper,  with  pens  made  of  reeds,  and  ink  composed  of  lamp-black  or  burnt  ivory.  The 
material  was  not  such  as  could  be  expected  to  survive  a  century  of  use,  and  in  the  first  centu- 
ries there  were  no  adequate  libraries  or  archives  where  they  could  be  preserved.  They  were 
probably  written  and  used  in  the  early  churches,  as  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures  still  are 
in  the  Jewish  synagogues,  in  the  form  of  scrolls ;  but  the  form  in  which  the  most  ancient 
manuscripts  of  the  New  Testament  now  extant  are  found  is  tliat  of  the  modern  book, 
generally  folios  or  quartos.  The  earliest  manuscripts  now  extant  were  written  on  parch- 
ment, i.  e.,  the  skins  of  sheep  and  goats,  or  vellum,  i.  e.,  the  skins  of  abortive  or  at  least 
sucking  calves.  The  famous  Sinaitic  manuscript  was  manufactured  of  the  skins  of  ante- 
lopes. It  was  not  until  the  tenth  century  that  paper  came  into  use,  manufactured  from 
cotton  rags ;  and  not  till  the  twelfth  century  that  paper  was  made  from  linen  rags.  The 
monks  in  the  middle  ages  devoted  much  of  their  time  to  copying  the  books  of  the  Old 
and  New  Testament,  oftentimes  with  elaborate  and  rich  illuminations.  The  libraries  of 
the  monasteries  aflforded  a  safe  repository  for  these  sacred  treasures  of  art  and  literature, 
in  an  age  when  only  superstitious  reverence  could  have  preserved  them  from  vandalism. 
Thus  there  are  now  scattered  throughout  Europe  these  manuscript  copies  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, a  few  complete,  more  copies  of  single  books,  or  of  incomplete  collections  of  books. 
There  are  said  to  be  preserved  now  more  than  3,000  of  these  manuscripts,  bearing  date 
from  the  fourth  to  the  fifteenth  century,  and  the  ablest  scholars  have  devoted  their  best 
energies  to  a  careful  comparison  of  them,  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  what  is  the 
original  reading.  Among  scholars  whose  judgments  are  generally  regarded  as  most  trust- 
worthy are  Griesbach,  Lachmann,  Tregelles,  and  Tischendorf ;  to  their  opinions  on  ques- 
tions of  text  the  reader  will  find  constant  references  in  this  Commentary.  For  the  Ameri- 
can scholar  there  is  no  better  method  of  ascertaining  the  correct  text  than  that  which  is 
afforded  by  Dean  Alford's  "  Greek  Testament."  This  contains  the  text  which  he  himself 
regards  as  the  correct  one,  with  an  accompanying  statement  of  the  different  readings 
afforded  by  the  various  manuscripts  of  recognized  critical  value. 

The  difficulty  of  determining  the  original  reading  is  of  two  kinds.  There  is  first  a 
diflBculty  in  deciphering  the  manuscript.  The  more  ancient  and  therefore  the  more  valu- 
able manuscripts,  are  written  not  only  without  division  into  chapters  and  verses,  but 
without  accents,  or  breathings,  or  punctuation,  or  any  indication  of  the  separation  between 

•  The  canonicity  of  each  book  will  be  considered  separately  in  the  introduction  to  it. 


26  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT. 

the  words.  The  introduction  of  chapters  and  verses  dates  from  about  the  fifth  century ; 
they  were  employed  probably  for  convenience  of  public  service,  and  also  for  reference. 
The  introduction  of  punctuation  bears  about  the  same  date.  That  the  reader  may  appre- 
hend the  difficulty  of  deciphering  a  manuscript  without  these  divisions  of  a  later  date, 
we  place  side  by  side  an  ancient  manuscript  version  of  John  1  :  1,  3,  with  the  Greek  ver- 
sion from  Bagster's  Greek  Testament : 


*    *    *     xal  6  Xoyoq  tjv  JiQoq 
Tov  Q-eov,  xal  O-eoq  t^v 
6  Xoyog.    ovToq  vjv  ev 


/    y       ^  ^  r^y    a^xv ^q^? ^^^ 

The  accompanying  reproduction  in  English  of  a  style  and  combination  of  letters 
answering  to  the  ancient  Greek  manuscript,  will  give  the  English  reader  a  jjartial  idea  of 
its  character  and  the  difficulty  of  deciphering  it,  enhanced  as  it  is  by  variations  in  the 
form  of  the  letters  and  obscurity  in  the  manuscripts : 

*      *      *      *      ANDTHEWOKDWAS 

WITHGD'ANDGDWASTHEWOKD 

HEWASINTHEBEGINNINGWITHGD 

ALLWEKEMADEBTHIMANDWITH 

OUTHIM  WASMADENOTONE  THING' 

THATWASMADEINHIMiyJF^WAS- 

ANDTHELIFEWASTHELIGHTOFMN- 

ANDTHELIGHTINDARKNESSSHIN" 

ETHANDTHEDARKNESSDIDNOTITCOMPEE 

HEIS^D-      THEEEWASAMNSE 
NtFROMGODWHOSENAME  TF^5 

I0HN-THISP£'iZS07VCAME 

ASAWITNESSTHATHEMIGHTTESTI 

FTCONCERNINGTHELIGHTTHATA 

LLMIGHTBELIEVETHROTJGHHIM- 
The  difficulty  of  deciphering  is  not,  however,  the  only  nor  the  principal  one.  These 
various  manuscripts  present  varieties  of  readings.  A  few  of  these  varieties  consist  in  what 
was  probably  a  deliberate  addition  or  a  mutilation  of  the  text  for  doctrinal  reasons;  in 
other  instances  an  addition  which  one  copyist  has  made,  perhaps  in  the  margin,  perhaps 
parenthetically,  in  order  to  explain  the  original  text,  has  been  by  subsequent  copyists 
incorporated  in  it.  The  great  majority  of  variations,  however,  are  insignificant  and 
unimportant,  and  are  the  result,  simply,  of  a  natural  error  in  transcribing.  Of  the  first 
kind  of  alteration  1  John  5  :  7  is  an  illustration  :  "  For  there  are  three  that  bear  record  in 
heaven,  the  Father,  the  Word,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  these  three  are  one."  This  is 
now  known  to  be  an  interpolation,  added  to  the  Greek  text  as  late  as  the  sixteenth 
century.  Of  the  second,  the  statement  in  John  5  :  4  is  an  example :  "  For  an  angel  went 
down  at  a  certain  season  into  the  pool,"  etc.  This  was  probably  added  by  the  copyist 
for  the  purpose  of  explaining  why  the  impotent  folk  gathered  about  the  pool  of  Bethesda. 
So,  in  some  of  the  ancient  manuscripts,  Barabbas  is  called  Jesus  Barabbas,  the  name  Jesus 


THE  TEXT.  27 

having  been  perhaps  omitted  by  subsequent  copyists  from  a  sentiment  of  reverence.  Such 
modifications  are,  however,  very  rare.  Out  of  nearly  one  hundred  and  twenty  thousand 
variations '  very  few  affect  the  sense,  and  fewer  still  have  any  bearing  on  the  doctrinal  and 
practical  teachings  of  the  Bible.  Nearly  all  are  merely  differences  in  orthography  (as  in 
the  EngWsh,  favor  and  favour),  or,  in  the  order  of  words  (as,  then  went  there  out  to  meet  him, 
and  then  there  went  out  to  meet  him),  or  in  the  names  of  the  same  person  (as  Cephas  and 
Peter),  or  similar  variations  incident  to  manual  transcription. 

In  ascertaining  which  of  various  readings  is  the  correct  one,  resource  is  had  to  two 
kinds  of  evidences,  external  and  internal.  The  external  evidence  is  derived  from  an 
examination  of  the  manuscripts  themselves.  Where  the  more  ancient  manuscripts  are 
uniform  in  their  reading,  their  testimony  is  generally  considered  conclusive  ;  where  they 
are  not  so,  recourse  is  had  to  internal  evidences,  that  is,  to  a  consideration  of  the  question 
which  reading  is  inherently  most  probable.  For  example :  John  5  :  4  is  wanting  in  some 
of  the  best  manuscripts  and  is  found  in  others ;  thus  the  external  evidence  is  somewhat 
conflicting.  But  it  is  easy  to  understand  how  a  copyist  might  have  inserted  this  verse  as 
an  explanation  of  the  account,  while  it  is  not  easy  to  understand  how  it  should  have 
become  expunged  from  the  record  if  it  was  originally  there,  since  the  angelic  interference 
thus  described  would  not  seem  strange  to  the  writers  of  the  first  centuries.  Thus  internal 
evidence  is  against  the  genuineness  of  the  passage. 

The  manuscripts  differ  not  only  in  the  matter  of  which  they  are  composed,  but  also  in 
the  form  of  the  letters.  In  the  Uncial  manuscripts,  which  are  the  oldest,  the  letters  are  all 
capitals ;  in  the  Cursive  manuscripts,  which  seem  to  have  come  into  existence  in  the  tenth 
century,  the  letters  run  together,  often  with  no  capitals  except  in  the  case  of  initial 
letters.  Sometimes  the  original  writing  has  been  almost  or  altogether  obliterated,  and  the 
parchment  has  been  used  for  other  writing.  This  has  been  subsequently  removed  and 
the  original  restored.  Such  manuscripts  are  called  palimpsest  manuscripts;  that  is, 
manuscripts  re-written.  When  the  text  is  accompanied  by  a  version,  the  manuscripts  are 
termed  codices  helingues  or  double-tongued.  The  age  of  the  manuscript  can  be  determined 
with  substantial  accuracy  by  the  materials  of  which  it  is  composed,  the  form  of  the 
letters  and  words,  the  presence  or  absence  of  punctuation,  and  other  marks  of  division. 
The  following  are  the  most  important  Uncial  manuscripts.  For  convenience  of  reference 
they  are  lettered  by  scholars  as  here,  though  in  the  notes  I  refer  to  them  by  name  and  not 
by  letter. 

A.  Alexandrine  Manuscript  (Codex  Alexandrinus),  now  in  the  British  Museum.  It  is  on 
parchment,  in  four  volumes,  three  of  which  contain  the  Old  and  one  the  New  Testament. 
The  first  twenty-four  chapters  of  Matthew  are  wanting.  It  is  now  generally  agreed  that 
it  was  written  in  Alexandria,  and  during  the  fifth  century. 

B.  Vatican  Manuscript  (Codex  Vaticanus),  in  the  Vatican  Library  at  Rome.  It  is  on 
vellum,  contains  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  but  Timothy,  Titus,  Philemon,  the  Book 
of  Revelation,  and  Hebrews  9  :  14  to  the  end  are  wanting.  It  is  thought  to  have  been 
written  in  Egypt  during  the  fourth  century.  No  really  satisfactory  edition  of  this  manu- 
script has  ever  been  published. 

C.  The  Ephraem  Manuscript  (Codex  Ephraemi),  in  the  Imperial  Library  at  Paris.  It 
is  a  palimpsest  manuscript  consisting  of  the  works  of  Ephraem,  the  Syrian,  written  over 
fragments  of  manuscripts  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  It  is  believed  to  have 
been  written  in  Alexandria  in  the  fifth  century.  It  contains  only  portions  of  the  New 
Testament. 

D.  Cambridge  Manuscript  (Codex  Camhridgiensis),  called  also  Codex  Bern,  because 
presented  by  Beza  in  1581.     It  is  in  the  University  Library  at  Cambridge,  is  on  parch- 

»  The  estimates  are  very  various  ;  in  the  whole  Bible  they  have  been  estimated  as  high  as  800,000. 


28  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT. 

raeut,  and  contains  the  four  Gospels,  the  Acts,  and  a  fragment  of  the  Catholic  Epistles, 
together  with  a  Latin  version.  Its  origin  is  uncertain,  and  its  value  is  a  matter  of  dispute ; 
it  is  now  generally  attributed  to  the  fifth  or  sixth  century. 

N.  Sinaitic  Manuscript  {Codex  Sinaiticus)  in  the  Imperial  Library  at  St.  Petersburg. 
It  derives  its  name  from  the  fact  that  it  was  discovered  by  a  singular  accident  by 
Tischendorf  in  1859  in  the  convent  of  Mt.  Sinai.  His  first  hint  of  its  existence  was 
afforded  by  the  fact  that  fragments  of  it  were  brought  to  him  (in  1844)  by  the  ignorant 
monks  in  a  basket  of  rubbish  with  which  to  kindle  his  fire  !  It  contains  part  of  the  Old 
Testament  and  the  whole  of  the  New.  It  is  one  of  the  oldest  and  the  most  valued  of  the 
manuscripts.     Tischendorf  attributes  it  to  the  fourth  century. 

There  are  Uncial  Manuscripts  and  a  great  number  of  cursive  manuscripts.  Some  of 
them  of  considerable  value.  The  English  reader  will  find  a  good  account  of  them  in 
Kitto's  Cyclopedia,  article  Manuscripts.  See  also  Alford's  Greek  Testament  and  Bissell's 
Historic  Origin  of  the  Bible.  Our  English  New  Testament  is  translated  from  a  Greek 
text  printed  from  very  late  Greek  manuscripts,  in  the  sixteenth  century.  This  text, 
since  it  is  the  basis  of  our  English  version,  is  known  as  the  Received  Text  or  Textus 
Receptus.^  The  discovery  of  ancient  manuscripts  since  that  time,  the  careful  and  critical 
collation  and  comparison  of  them,  and  the  development  of  critical  scholarship,  by  this  very 
process,  has  led  to  the  discovery  of  errors  in  the  Received  Text,  and  to  the  elucidatiou 
of  a  text  which  probably  much  more  nearly  conforms  to  the  originals  of  the  sacred  writers. 
In  this  Commentary  I  have  generally  followed  the  text  of  Alford's  Q-reelc  Testament 
wherever  any  variation  in  the  reading  afl'ects  the  sense.  In  all  such  cases  I  have 
indicated  the  variation  in  the  notes,  and  wherever  there  is  any  material  question  respecting 
the  reading  I  have  also  indicated  that  fact,  with  a  brief  reference  both  to  the  difiisrent 
manuscripts  and  to  the  opinions  of  the  leading  critical  scholars. 

These  differences  in  the  text,  the  reader  must  not  forget,  are  for  the  most  part  of  very 
minor  importance.  There  are  a  few  passages  of  some  significance,  as  John  8  :  1-11,  and 
Mark  16  :  9-20,  the  genuineness  of  which  is  involved  in  doubt.  But  for  the  most  part  the 
variations  are  verbal  and  trivial.  "  So  great,  in  fact,"  says  Mr.  Bissell,*  "  is  the  harmony 
of  teaching  in  all  these  documents,  though  we  compare  the  earliest  with  the  latest,  that 
while  three  of  the  most  important  Uncials  had  not  been  discovered  when  our  present 
English  translation  was  made,  and  one  that  was  known  to  exist  was  inaccessible  (the 
Vatican),  and  only  a  single  specimen  of  the  less  valuable  of  these  most  ancient  vdtnesses 
was  used  (the  Cambridge  Manuscript),  yet  no  person  would  hazard  the  opinion  that  in 
our  English  Bibles  we  have  not,  for  substance,  the  teaching  of  the  best  documents  brought 
to  light  during  the  last  two  hundred  and  fifty  years."  The  slight  variations  in  the 
readings,  and  the  careful  and  critical  examination  to  which  they  have  given  rise,  enhance 
our  assurance,  that  in  all  substantial  respects  we  have  the  text  of  the  original  documents, 
whose  character  is  testified  to  by  so  many  and  so  independent  witnesses. 

VII.  Our  English  Version. — From  a  very  early  time  the  endeavor  has  been  made 
by  the  church  to  supply  the  Bible  in  the  vernacular  tongue.  A  Greek  version  of  the  Old 
Testament  Scriptures  was  in  popular  use  in  Palestine  in  the  days  of  Christ,  and  the 
quotations  from  the  Old  Testament  by  Christ  and  the  Apostles  are  generally  from  this 
version.    It  is  known  as  the  Septuagint,  a  word  meaning  seventy ;  the  name  is  derived 

»  The  "  Received  Greek  Text "  {Textus Receptm)  on  the  continent  of  Europe,  is  that  of  the  Elzevir  edition 
of  16:3  and  1634.  In  England  and  America  the  "  Received  Text"  is  Mill's  reprint,  with  a  few  typographical 
errors  corrected,  of  Stephen's  edition  of  1550,  often  differing  from  the  Elzevir  edition.  The  groundlessness  of 
its  pretensions  to  be  accepted  as  the  Received  Text  of  the  New  Testament,  is  shown  by  a  writer  in  the 
Edinburgh  Review  for  July,  1851.— Z>r.  T.  I.   Cmant,  in  AbbotCs  Beligious  Dictionary. 

'  Hist&iic  Origin  of  the  Bible. 


OUR  ENGLISH  VERSION.  29 

from  an  ancient  though  now  discredited  account  of  its  origin.  According  to  this  legend, 
the  Septuagint  was  prepared  under  tlie  authority  of  Ptolemy  Philadelphus  (B.C.  309-247), 
by  seventy-two  scholars,  who  were  commissioned  for  the  purpose  by  Eleazar,  the  high- 
priest  at  Jerusalem,  and  were  by  the  king  shut  up  in  the  island  of  Pharos  at  Alexandria, 
till  their  task,  which  required  just  seventy-two  days,  was  completed.  That  the  translation 
was  made  in  the  third  century  before  Christ,  and  at  Alexandria,  is  probable ;  the  rest  of 
the  story  is  apocryphal.  The  Septuagint  is  rejected  by  the  Jews  and  regarded  by 
Christian  scholars  as  imperfect.  But,  notwithstanding  its  errors,  it  is  of  inestimable  value, 
not  only  in  the  study  and  interpretation  of  the  Old  Testament,  but  also  in  throwing  light 
upon  the  proper  rendering  of  the  Greek  of  the  New  Testament. 

Next  in  importance  to  the  Septuagint,  which  contains,  of  course,  only  the  Old  Testa - 
lament,  is  the  Vulgate,  an  ancient  Latin  version  of  both  Old  and  New  Testaments.  This 
translation  was  prepared  by  Jerome,  A.D.  385-405,  and  since  the  seventh  century  has  been 
adopted  in  the  Romish  Church  as  the  authentic  text  of  Scripture.  By  the  Council  of 
Trent  it  was  ordained  that  this  version  alone  should  be  esteemed  as  the  authorized  text,  and 
that  no  one  should  dare  to  reject  it  under  any  pretence  whatever.  There  are  two  principal 
editions  of  this  version,  called  respectively,  from  the  popes  under  whom  they  were 
prepared,  the  Sixtine  and  the  Clementine.  The  latter  is  the  standard  in  the  Romish 
Church  at  the  present  day,  and  is  the  basis  of  the  Roman  Catholic  English  version  of  the 
Bible.  This  is  commonly  known  as  the  Douay  Version,  from  the  fact  that  the  Old 
Testament  translation  was  prepared  in  the  sixteenth  century  at  Douay,  in  France.  The 
New  Testament  translation  was  first  published  at  Rheims.  and  is  known  as  the  Rhemish 
version.  The  translation  is  not  from  the  original  Greek  and  Hebrew,  but  from  the 
Vulgate.  It  thus  perpetuates  the  errors  which  the  imperfect  scholarship  of  the  fifth 
century  had  not  discovered  and  corrected;  while  the  literalness  of  the  translation  renders 
it  sometimes  quite  unintelligible.  The  best  Roman  Catholic  scholars  concede  the  imper- 
fections of  the  Douay  and  Rhemish  versions,  and  the  superiority  of  the  Authorized  or 
King  James'  version.^ 

The  history  of  this  version  "^  carries  us  back  to  the  beginnings  of  English  history.  An 
attempt  was  made  to  translate  portions  of  the  Bible  into  the  English,  or  rather  Anglo- 
Saxon,  as  early  as  the  seventh  century,  by  the  venerable  Bede ;  and  another,  in  the  ninth 
century,  by  Alfred  the  Great ;  but  all  these  attempts  were  fragmentary  and  imperfect. 
They  were,  for  the  most  part,  loose  paraphrases — poems  founded  on  Bible  narratives,  or 
abridgments ;  and  down  to  the  year  1360,  the  Psalter  was  the  only  book  of  the  Scriptures 
literally  translated  into  the  English  language.  About  this  time  Wyckliflfe,  lamenting  the 
degeneracy  of  the  Church  and  the  irreligion  of  the  people,  commenced  and  completed  a 
translation  of  the  New  Testament  from  the  Vulgate  or  Latin  version.  For  this  offence  he 
was  cited  to  appear  before  the  Court  of  Rome,  and  probably  nothing  saved  him  from 
condemnation  except  his  failing  health  and  early  death  in  1334.  Although  before  the 
days  of  printing,  his  translation  seems  to  have  been  extensively  circulated;  one  hundred 
and  seventy  manuscript  copies,  more  or  less,  are  still  extant,  some  of  them  bearing  the 
names  of  their  royal  owners.  It  is  said  that  the  yeomen  were  so  anxious  to  obtain  the  word 
of  God,  that  they  often  gave  a  load  of  hay  for  a  few  chapters.  One  and  a  half  centuries 
later,  William  Tyndale  published  the  first  part  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  ever  printed  in  the 

'  In  Smith's  Bible  Dictionary,  article  Versions  Authorized,  the  reader  will  find  a  list  of  passages  indicating 
the  nature  of  the  imperfections  in  this  translation.  They  are  chiefly  of  three  kinds  :  (1)  A  few  that  are  due  to 
theological  bias,  such  as  the  substitution  of  "do  penance"  for  "repentance;"  (2)  Some  that  are  due  to  the 
use  of  obsolete  or  un-English  words,  as  "  azymes,"  "  pasche,"  "  longanimity  ;  "  (3)  Some  that  are  due  to  the 
avowed  principle  that  the  Scriptures  were  not  intended  for  the  common  people— a  principle  which  manifests 
itself  occasionally  in  a  translation  that  is  absolutely  unmeaning,  as  in  the  rendition  of  Ephes.  6  :  12,  "  Against 
the  spirituals  of  wickedness  in  the  celestials." 

»  The  following  epitome  is  taken  chiefly  from  my  Dictionary  of  Religious  Knowledge. 


30  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT. 

English  language.  They  were  printed  at  Hamburg,  Cologne,  and  subsequently  at  Worms; 
for  Rome  had  still  the  control  of  England,  and  the  first  edition  was  so  eflfectually  destroyed, 
that  only  two  copies  of  it  are  known  to  exist.  The  priests,  however,  overreached  them- 
selves ;  for  they  bought  up  Tyndale's  Testaments  at  a  high  price,  and  publicly  burned 
them,  but  by  the  operation  unwittingly  put  Tyndale  out  of  debt,  and  gave  him  the  means 
to  issue  a  larger  and  better  edition.  By  treachery  he  was  betrayed  into  the  hands  of 
the  priests  and  put  to  death ;  but  his  work  lives  to-day  as  the  basis  of  our  English  Bible. 
Almost  simultaneously  with  his  death  was  published  the  whole  Bible,  translated  by  Myles 
Coverdale,  and  soon  after  the  (so-called)  Matthew's  Bible,  published  under  that  name  by 
John  Rogers,  the  martyr.  The  accession  of  Bloody  Mary  drove  the  Reformers  from 
England,  and  gave  rise  to  the  Genevan  Bible,  so  entitled  from  the  fact  that  it  was  pre- 
pared and  published  at  Geneva.  After  her  death  the  leading  dignitaries  in  the  English 
Church,  under  Queen  Elizabeth,  took  measures  for  the  publication  of  an  official  transla- 
tion, which  went  by  the  name  of  the  Bishops'  Bible.  And  toward  the  close  of  the  six- 
teenth century,  yielding  to  the  pressure  which  had  become  too  great  to  be  longer  resisted, 
the  Roman  Catholic  authorities  prepared  and  published  the  Douay  and  Rhenish  versions 
already  alluded  to. 

These  various  versions  were,  in  God's  providence,  only  preparations  for  the  great  work 
of  rendering  the  Bible  in  an  authorized  manner  into  the  English  tongue.  On  the  acces- 
sion of  James  I.,  fifty-four  of  the  first  scholars  of  the  kingdom,  without  regard  to  sect  or 
party,  eminent  alike  for  learning  and  for  piety,  were  appointed  to  make  a  new  translation. 
They  were  engaged  in  the  work  for  seven  years — A.  D.  1604-1611.  Three  years  were 
occupied  in  individual  investigations ;  three  more  in  systematic  and  united  work.  Only 
forty-seven  of  the  fifty-four  scholars  were  actually  engaged.  They  were  divided  into  six 
classes — two  at  Westminster,  two  at  Oxford,  and  two  at  Cambridge.  The  books  of  the 
Bible  were  divided  among  these  classes.  Each  member  of  each  class  translated  all  the 
books  intrusted  to  the  class.  Then  the  whole  class  met,  and,  after  thorough  revision, 
adopted  a  common  text.  Then  that  text  was  transmitted  in  succession  to  each  of  the 
other  classes  for  revision.  Then  the  text  of  the  whole  Bible,  approved  by  the  entire  six 
classes,  was  submitted  to  the  final  revision  of  six  elected  delegates,  with  six  consulting 
assistants,  and  their  approved  manuscript  was  placed  in  the  skilful  hands  of  Dr.  Smith, 
distinguished  for  his  knowledge  of  ancient  languages,  to  examine  and  prepare  it  for  the 
press.  In  their  work,  not  only  the  former  English  versions,  but  the  Hebrew,  Chaldee, 
Greek,  Syriac,  Latin,  Spanish,  French,  Italian,  and  Dutch,  were  all  consulted ;  and  among 
the  commission  were  not  only  men  eminent  for  Biblical  learning,  but  men  distinguished 
as  linguists,  naturalists,  antiquarians,  and  historians.  A  single  significant  circumstance 
indicates  how  desirous  the  translators  were  to  bring  the  reader  into  contact  with  the  very 
letter  of  the  originals.  Eveiy  word  which  had  no  direct  representation  in  the  original 
Hebrew  or  Greek  was  printed  in  italics,  that  it  might  be  seen  what  the  translators  had 
supplied ;  and  in  the  marginal  readings  was  added  further  information  where  the  minds 
of  the  translators  were  in  doubt.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  English  version  of  the 
Scriptures  is  really  the  fruit  of  a  century  of  study ;  to  which  should  be  added  the  reflec- 
tion that  it  was  prepared  at  a  time  when  the  Reformation  was  yet  fresh,  and  the  Reform- 
ers, scarcely  free  from  the  trammels  of  Rome,  had  not  yet  begun  to  divide  into  difierent 
denominations.  There  probably  had  never  been  an  era  in  the  history  of  the  Church  so  < 
favorable  for  the  preparation  of  an  unsectarian  translation  of  the  Scriptures  as  that  in 
which  the  King  James  version  was  prepared. 

Still,  though  a  remarkable  translation,  it  is  not  claimed  by  any  to  have  been  inspired 
or  to  be  infallible.  The  state  of  the  original  text  was  imperfect ;  the  knowledge  of  the 
Greek  and  Hebrew  grammars  was  less  accurate  and  thorough  than  it  is  now  ;  the  same 


PRINCIPLES  OF  INTERPRETATION.  31 

Greek  and  Hebrew  word  is  not  infrequently  rendered  bv  different  English  words,  and  the 
English  language  itself  has  undergone  changes  which  require  in  the  translation  some 
modifications.'  These  facts  have  at  various  times  induced  individual  scholars  to  attempt 
further  revisions  of  the  whole  or  of  parts  of  the  Bible ;  and  at  length  a  voluntaiy  commis- 
sion has  been  organized,  including  representatives  from  the  different  Evangelical  churches 
of  England  and  America,  and  embracing  the  ablest  Biblical  scholars  of  both  lands,  to  pre- 
pare a  new  and  revised  translation  of  the  Bible.  Their  avowed  purpose  is,  however,  to 
accept  the  Authorized  Version  as  a  basis,  and  to  introduce  as  few  alterations  in  the  trans- 
lation as  is  consistent  with  fidelity  to  the  original.  These  committees,  for  there  are  two, 
one  on  the  Old  Testament  and  one  on  the  New  Testament,  are  now  engaged  upon  their 
work.    The  notes  in  this  Commentary  accompany  the  Authorized  or  King  James  Version. 

Vm.  Principles  of  Interpretation. — The  Bible  is  not  a  substitute  for  thought ; 
it  is  a  stimulant  to  thinking.  Its  office  is  not  merely  to  reveal  necessary  truth  to  the 
unlearaed,  but  also  to  stir  to  the  highest  activity  the  faculties  of  all  men.  It  is  the  store- 
house of  divine  truth,  whence  the  centuries  gather  their  supply.  It  is  the  widow's  cruse 
of  oil,  which,  forever  drawn  upon,  never  grows  less.  Thus  it  abounds  with  aj^othegms, 
proverbs,  germinant  philosophies  enwrapped  in  single  seed  texts,  which  yield  their  fruit- 
fulness  only  to  the  careful  and  conscientious  student.  It  treats  of  exjDeriences  which 
transcend  thought;  it  deals  with  themes  which  lie  beyond  the  utmost  vision  of  the  imagi- 
nation. Its  sujireme  teachings  are  hidden  alike  from  the  careless  and  superficial  reader, 
and  from  the  prejudiced  and  dogmatic  controversialist ;  and  are  revealed  only  to  the 
humble,  earnest,  and  thoughtful  student.  For  the  assistance  of  such  students,  I  embody 
here  certain  essential  principles  of  interpretation,  as  they  have  been  evolved  in  my  own 
study  of  the  New  Testament,  and  have  been  applied  and  employed  in  its  interpretation. 

1.  I  have  sought  to  secure  the  best  Greek  text.  In  general,  I  have  followed  that  of 
Alford's  New  Testament ;  but  wherever  there  appeared,  on  careful  study,  any  adequate 
reason  for  varying  from  his  conclusion,  I  have  done  so.  Generally  the  external  evidences 
should  outweigh  the  internal ;  that  is,  we  are  generally  to  accept  as  the  true  text  that 
which  is  indicated  by  the  most  ancient  Greek  manuscripts ;  rarely,  if  ever,  may  we  justly 
set  aside  their  concurrent  testimony,  because  the  reading  they  afford  is  difficult  to  inter- 
pret or  to  reconcile  with  other  passages  of  Scripture. 

2.  I  have  sought,  by  a  careful  study  of  the  original,  to  ascertain  the  exact  literal 
meaning  of  the  words.  When  that  has  been  doubtful  the  translations  of  the  best  scholars, 
in  Latin,  German,  and  English,  have  been  compared.  In  determining  the  exact  meaning 
of  a  doubtful  Greek  word  the  New  Testament  usage  is  always,  and  the  SeiDtuagint  usage 
is  generally  to  be  preferred  to  that  of  the  classical  writers.  I  have  founded  the  notes 
on  the  English  version,  but  my  studies  on  the  original  Greek  ;  and  wherever  a  new  transla- 
tion seemed  likely  to  convey  more  adequately  or  more  freshly  the  meaning  of  the  origi- 
nal, it  has  been  given  in  the  notes. 

3.  The  original  text  and  its  meaning  being  understood,  the  student  is  next  to  master  the 
general  scope  of  the  address  or  document  which  he  is  studying,  and  the  aim  of  the  speaker 
or  writer.  Texts  are  not  to  be  taken  out  of  their  connection — still  less  to  be  woven  into  new 
connections  and  relations — to  afford  a  basis  for  a  doctrine,  a  ritual,  or  a  discipline.  The 
rule  of  legal  interpretation  is,  in  this  respect,  fundamental  to  a  true  interpretation  of  the 
Scripture,  viz.,  that  the  parts  of  a  document,  law,  or  instrument  are  to  be  construed 
with  reference  to  the  significance  of  the  whole.  In  many  cases  the  neglect,  on  the  part 
of  Bible  students,  to  put  themselves  en  rapport  with  the  sacred  writer  involves  the  writing 

'  For  a  fall  account  of  the  errors  in  our  English  version  and  the  necessity  for  a  new  or  revised  translation,  see 
Th&  Revision  of  the  New  Testament^  combining  three  papers  by  Lightfoot,  Trench,  and  Ellicott  respectively. 


32  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT. 

in  needless  obscurity.  Thus  the  key  to  the  famous  parable  of  the  laborers  in  the  vine^ 
yard,  in  Matt.,  ch.  20,  is  given  by  the  question  of  Peter  in  the  preceding  chapter,  to  which 
it  is  an  answer ;  and  the  still  more  difficult  parable  of  the  unjust  steward,  in  Luke,  ch. 
16,  is  relieved  of  much  if  not  of  all  its  difficulty,  by  observing  the  fact  stated  in  verse  14, 
"  the  Pharisees  also,  which  were  covetous,  heard  all  these  things  :  and  they  derided  him." 
This  hint  that  the  parable  is  aimed  at  covetousness  is  the  key  to  its  right  interpretation. 

4.  In  studying  the  aim  of  the  speaker  or  writer  we  may  generally  assume  that  he  is  to 
be  understood  as  those  to  whom  he  spoke  or  wrote  would  have  understood  him.  We  are 
therefore  to  acquaint  ourselves  with  their  customs,  their  philosophies,  their  errors,  their 
sins ;  we  are  to  put  ourselves  in  their  place,  and  to  hear  and  understand  as  they  would 
have  done.  It  is  indeed  often  true  that  there  is  more  in  Scripture  than  they  could  have 
perceived,  a  fullness  of  truth  which  only  time  could  interpret.  But  this  deeper  meaning 
is  rarely  if  ever  inconsistent  with  the  less  profound  truth,  which  the  contemporaries  of 
Christ  and  the  ajjostles  might,  and  generally  would,  have  apprehended  from  the  discourse 
or  the  letter.  The  failure  to  apprehend  and  apply  this  principle  has  involved  the  familiar 
passage  concerning  the  power  of  the  keys  in  much  of  its  mystery.' 

5.  Everything  in  the  New  Testament  is  written  for  a  practical  or  spiritual  purjjose. 
It  is  not  a  book  of  abstruse  metaphysics ;  its  aim  is  always  the  development  of  a  divine 
life  in  the  soul.  It  is  therefore  essential  to  a  correct  apprehension  of  its  wording  that  the 
student  weigh  well  its  practical  or  spiritual  significance.  A  careful  and  prayerful  pon- 
dering of  the  question,  How  is  this  passage  to  make  men  better,  to  bring  them  nearer  to 
God,  or  to  render  their  manifestations  of  the  divine  life  more  luminous  ?  will  often  give 
the  interpretation  to  passages  which  remain  unsolved  enigmas  to  unspiritual  students. 
The  spiritual  and  the  critical  study  of  the  Scriptures  must  go  together.  The  substitution 
of  the  critical  for  the  spiritual  deprives  the  New  Testament  of  its  soul ;  the  substitution 
of  the  spiritual  for  the  critical  supplants  the  doctrine  of  the  Word  of  God  with  the  imagi- 
nation of  the  commentator.  Critical  study  has  made  great  advance  in  modern  times ; 
but  I  have  found  no  better  spiritual  interpreters  of  the  New  Testament  than  Chrysostom 
and  Matthew  Henry,  i.  e.,  none  that  realize  more  fully,  and  employ  more  constantly,  the 
truth  that  the  words  of  the  New  Testament  are  life.  In  this  Commentary  I  have  devoted 
little  space  to  drawing  doctrinal  or  ethical  conclusions  from  the  text ;  but  I  have  sought 
always  to  ascertain  its  spiritual  purpose,  as  a  necessary  condition  of  interpreting  its  true 
meaning. 

6.  According  to  the  Roman  Catholic  doctrine  the  Bible  is  made  for  the  church,  and 
the  church  is  its  interpreter  to  the  people.  It  is  thus  like  a  ship's  chart,  which  the  oflicers, 
not  the  passengers,  are  to  consult.  Protestant  commentators  have  sometimes  practi- 
cally adopted  this  view,  while  theoretically  repudiating  it.  Believing  that  the  Bible  is 
given  by  God  for  the  people,  that  it  is  meant  to  be  their  illumination  and  their  inspira- 
tion in  the  divine  life,  I  think  it  safe  to  assume  that  those  interjjretations  which  are 
abstruse,  involved,  or  obscure,  those  which  require  peculiar  logical  and  metaphysical 
acumen,  those  which  do  not  illumine  but  darken,  do  not  inspire  but  deaden,  which  con- 
fuse the  mind  and  benumb  the  soul,  are  always  to  be  rejected.  And  of  two  interpreta- 
tions, one  of  which  is  characteristically  ingenious  and  the  other  is  characteristically  simple, 
the  preference  is  always,  other  things  being  equal,  to  be  given  to  the  latter.  Ingenuity 
in  interpretation  is  a  fatal  encomium  to  bestow  upon  a  commentator.  Often  a  knowledge 
of  ancient  life  is  necessary  to  an  understanding  of  Scripture  ;  often  some  proficiency  in 
divine  truth ;  still  more  frequently  some  attainment  in  spiritual  experience,  without  which 
its  sublimest  declarations  are  incomprehensible.*  But  these  attainments  are  open  to  the 
unlearned  many  as  to  the  cultured  few.     Whenever  after  careful  study  I  have  not  been 

»  See  Matt.  16  :  19,  note  '  Matt.  13 :  11-16 ;  1  Cor.  2 :  7-16. 


PRINCIPLES  OF  INTERPRETATION.  33 

able  to  find  a  simple  and  natural  interpretation,  I  have  contented  myself  with  frankly 
pointing  out  the  difficulty,  stating  briefly  the  principal  interpretations  of  other  commen- 
tators, and  so  leaving  the  passage  for  the  elucidation  of  the  future. 

7.  A  reasonable  regard  is  to  be  paid  to  the  peculiar  idiosyncrasies  of  the  sacred  writers 
and  their  peculiar  circumstances.  That  Paul  should  inculcate  faith,  and  James  works, 
and  John  love;  that  Matthew  should  recount  the  miracles  and  the  ethical  instructions  of 
Jesus  Christ,  and  John  his  spiritual  teachings,  accords  with  the  free  spirit  of  the  Gospel. 
The  truth  is  divine  ;  its  espression  is  human.  Some  consideration,  therefore,  of  the  temper- 
aments and  mental  characteristics  of  the  writers,  as  indicated  by  their  writings,  and  some 
allowance  therefor  is  essential  to  the  best  elucidation  of  the  truth.'  From  Paul's  expres- 
sion in  Rom.  9  :  3,  "  I  could  wish  myself  accursed  from  Christ  for  my  brethren,"  a  literal 
interpretation  has  deduced  the  doctrine  that  we  ought  to  be  willing  to  be  damned  for  the 
glory  of  God.  The  interpreter  who  thus  ignores  the  ardency  and  warmth  of  Paul's  nature, 
and  his  constant  use  of  hyperbole  in  the  endeavor  to  give  utterance  to  unutterable  feeling, 
loses  the  truth  which  is  really  conveyed,  a  truth  of  experience,  not  of  philosophy,  the 
ardent  desire  for  souls  which  should  always  characterize  the  disciple  of  Jesus  Christ.  A 
not  less  striking  illustration  of  the  consequence  of  ignoring  or  denying  this  principle  of 
interpretation  is  affoi-ded  by  the  doctrine  of  the  Real  Presence.  This  doctrine  is 
founded  upon  Christ's  declaration,  This  is  my  body,  but  with  singular  if  not  deliberate 
inattention  to  the  circumstances  under  which  it  was  uttered,  the  symbolic  language  of 
the  Passover  for  which  it  was  a  substitution,  and  the  fact  that  Christ  often  clothed  his 
teaching  in  poetic  forms,  or,  in  other  words,  was  a  true  poet. 

8.  Subject  to  these  principles,  due  consideration  is  to  be  paid  to  the  parallel  or  the 
contrasted  teachings  of  Scripture.  In  this  Commentary  the  material  for  a  study  of  these 
is  aflforded  by  the  full  marginal  references,  and  by  those  which  are  incorporated  in  the 
notes.  Where  the  meaning  of  any  writer  is  in  doubt,  it  is  always  legitimate  to  examine 
other  utterances  of  the  same  writer,  and  to  interpret  what  is  enigmatical  by  what  is  clear. 
It  is  also  legitimate  to  examine  the  utterances  of  other  writers  of  the  same  general  school  or 
faith,  and  employ  the  one  in  interpreting  the  other.  It  is  customary,  upon  this  principle, 
to  refer  to  the  debates  of  the  Constitutional  Convention,  and  to  the  writings  of  Jefierson, 
Madison,  Hamilton,  and  their  contemporaries,  in  order  to  ascertain  the  meaning  of  doubt- 
ful phrases  in  the  United  States  Constitution.  The  substantial  hannony  of  doctrine  of  the 
various  writers  of  the  New  Testament,  and  the  consistency  of  each  writer,  is  to  be  pre- 
sumed, in  the  absence  of  evidence  to  the  contrary,  and  that  interpretation  is  to  be  pre- 
ferred which  sustains  this  presumption.  For  this  reason  it  is  true  that  in  many  cases 
Scripture  is  its  own  best  interpreter.  Thus  Christ's  paradoxical  saying  in  Luke  14  :  26, 
*'  If  any  man  come  to  me  and  hate  not  his  father  and  mother  *  *  *  he  cannot  be  my  dis- 
ciple," is  to  be  interpreted  in  the  light  of  the  humanizing  influence  of  his  general  teach- 
ings, and  his  example  of  filial  love  to  his  own  mother. 

9.  But  it  is  not  legitimate  to  deny,  limit,  or  interpret  away  the  plain  and  unenigmati- 
cal  declarations  of  a  writer,  in  order  to  make  them  accord  with  his  other  utterances,  or 
with  the  utterances  of  other  writers.  This  has  been  often  done  in  the  predetermined 
endeavor  to  construct  a  system  of  theology  and  ethics  out  of  the  Bible.  As  in  science  it 
is  the  duty  of  the  investigator  to  accept  the  plain  facts  of  nature,  to  harmonize  in  his  sys- 
tem such  as  he  can,  and  to  leave  the  rest  to  other  investigators,  denying  nothing  because 
he  cannot  understand  it,  so  it  is  the  duty  of  the  Bible  student  to  accept  the  plain  facts  of 
Revelation,  to  interpret  in  accord  such  as  he  can,  and  to  leave  such  as  do  not  adjust 
themselves  to  his  system  for  the  study  of  those  that  will  come  after  him.  It  is  my  simple 
endeavor  in  this  work  to  unfold  the  meaning  of  the  New  Testament,  passage  by  passage, 

'  See  Section  IV.,  on  the  Limits  of  Inspifation. 


34  THE  GOSPELS. 

leaving  to  others  to  adjust  the  teachings  in  one  harmonious  whole.  This  is  the  work  of 
the  theologian,  not  of  the  commentator.  The  one  constructs,  the  other  simply  gathers 
the  materials.  If  there  appear  to  be  unreconciled  views  in  the  notes,  there  are  also  un- 
reconciled (I  do  not  say  irreconcilable)  teachings  in  the  Scripture  text. 

10.  Finally,  there  is  no  book  that  has  been  such  a  battle  ground  as  the  Bible.  The 
great  body  of  those  who  accept  its  teachings  as  adequate  authority,  agree  in  respect  to 
the  fundamental  truths  which  it  teaches ;  the  chief  differences  in  interpretation  are  between 
Protestant  students  and  Roman  Catholic  theologians  on  the  one  Jiand,  who  deny  that  it  is 
adequate  without  the  church,  and  Rationalistic  students  on  the  other,  who  deny  that  it  is 
authoritative.  Still  there  are  passages  concerning  the  interpretation  of  which  there  are 
important  and  honest  differences  of  opinion  between  Congregational,  Presbyterian,  Epis- 
copalian, Baptist,  and  Methodist  students.  In  respect  to  all  the  more  important  of  such 
passages,  where  a  reasonable  room  exists  for  a  difference  of  interpretation,  I  have  endea- 
vored to  set  forth  the  different  opinions  briefly,  usually  indicating  my  own  conclusion. 
Whether  I  have  succeeded  or  not  in  laying  aside  denominational  bias,  it  is  certain  that  the 
student  who  wishes  to  get,  unmixed,  the  teachings  of  the  Scripture,  must  disabuse  his  mind 
of  theological  prepossessions.  An  unprejudiced  mind  is  as  essential  to  a  fruitful  study  of 
God's  word  as  a  clear  lens  to  the  telescopic  study  of  the  stars.  Next  to  the  prejudices 
bred  of  sinful  habits  and  affections,  those  which  spring  from  a  determination  to  find  in  the 
Bible  a  support  for  a  previously  accepted  system  of  doctrine,  or  a  means  of  assault  upon 
a  system  prejudged,  are  the  most  fatal  to  a  true  understanding  of  the  Divine  Word.  We 
must  approach  that  Word  like  little  children,  in  that  we  must  approach  it,  as  they  their 
early  studies,  with  unbiased  minds,  ready  to  receive  whatever  our  inspired  Instructor  has 
to  teach  us. 

That  I  have  always  succeeded  in  applying  these  principles  I  do  not  claim ;  to  those 
that  would  build  their  religious  faith  and  life  upon  the  Bible,  and  the  Bible  only,  they 
are  none  the  less  sincerely  commended,  as  the  conditions  of  a  successful  study  and  inter- 
pretation of  the  Word  of  God. 


PART   II.    THE  GOSPELS.* 

I.  Relation  of  the  Gospels  to  Each  Other. — The  word  Gospel  is  composed 
of  two  Anglo-Saxon  words,  God  spel,  meaning  good  news.  It  is  a  translation  of  a  Greek 
word  euaggelim  {evayyiliov).  From  a  cognate  word  is  derived  our  English  word  Evan- 
gelist, who  is,  literally,  a  messenger  or  herald  of  good  news.  The  title,  which  is  com- 
monly given  to  each  of  the  first  four  books  of  the  New  Testament,  is  interpreted  by,  and 
perhaps  derived  from,  the  announcement  by  the  angels  to  the  shepherds  of  the  birth  of 
Jesus  Christ :  "  Behold  I  bring  you  good  tidings  of  great  joy."  '  The  Gospel  is,  then, 
the  announcement  to  the  world  of  good  news,  namely,  the  advent,  incarnation,  crucifixion, 
and  resurrection  of  One  whose  life  is  our  example,  and  in  whose  death  is  our  pardon,  and 
whose  perpetual  spiritual  presence  is  the  source  and  the  assurance  of  spiritual  life,  both 
here  and  in  the  hereafter,  to  all  those  who  accept  him.  Thus  the  word  Gospel  accords  with 
and  carries  but  the  idea  embodied  in  the  title  New  Testament,  as  explained  above.' 

A  very  marked  difference  is  noticeable  between  the  first  three  Gospels  and  the  last. 
This  difference  is  both  external  and  internal. 

Matthew  and  Mark  narrate  chiefly  Christ's  ministry  in  Galilee,  with  only  a  brief  account 
of  teachings  in  Perea.'  Luke  narrates  also  the  events  and  teachings  in  Galilee,  but  adds 
»  Luke2:10 »  SeePtrt  I.,  SectionI »  Matt,  ch.  19 :  - ;  20:16;  Mark  10 : 1-31. 


RELATION  OF  THE  GOSPELS  TO  EACH  OTHER.  35 

several  chapters  devoted  to  the  report  of  what  I  believe  to  have  been  his  ministry  in 
Perea.  But  no  incident  of  his  ministry  in  Judea  is  related  by  any  one  of  the  three. 
"  Had  we  only  their  accounts,"  says  Dean  Alford,  "  we  could  nevei*  with  any  certainty 
have  asserted  that  he  went  to  Jerusalem  during  his  public  life,  till  his  time  was  come  to 
be  delivered  up."  John's  Gospel,  on  the  other  hand,  is  chiefly  occupied  with  a  narrative 
of  the  ministry  in  Judea.  Only  in  the  sixth  chapter  does  he  give  any  account  of  Christ's 
teachings  in  Galilee  ;  only  in  a  sentence  does  he  refer  to  a  ministry  in  Perea.'  The  mira- 
cles he  records  as  performed  in  Galilee  are,  with  one  exception,  not  mentioned  by  the 
other  Evangelists ;  ^  and  tfie  resurrection  of  Lazarus,  the  most  remarkable  of  all  the  mira- 
cles, if  a  comparison  can  be  instituted  between  them,  is  narrated  only  by  him.  The  feed- 
ing of  the  five  thousand  is  indeed  narrated  by  John  (ch.  6)  in  common  with  the  others, 
but  this  is  apparently  only  because  it  was  the  text  to  the  discourse  in  the  synagogue  at 
Capernaum,  which  John  alone  reports.  Even  in  the  history  of  the  Passion  Week,  where  all 
the  Evangelists  narrate  substantially  the  same  events,  a  characteristic  difference  is  observa- 
ble. Incidents  which  we  should  most  expect  to  find  in  John's  Gospel  are  omitted.  He 
gives  no  account  of  the  institution  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  though  fully  and  exclusively  re- 
porting Christ's  memorable  discourse  on  that  occasion,  and  makes  no  reference  to  the  agony 
in  Gethsemane,  though  he  describes  both  Christ's  going  thither  and  his  arrest  there.  A 
glance  at  the  tabulated  Harmony  of  the  Gospels,  given  at  the  end  of  this  Introduction, 
will  further  indicate  to  the  reader  how  small  a  portion  of  the  fourth  Gospel  is  occupied  with 
the  narration  of  events  or  teachings  given  by  the  other  Evangelists.  I  believe  the  expla- 
nation of  this  fact  to  be  that  John,  who  undoubtedly  wrote  after  the  others,  had  their 
narratives  before  him,  and  wrote  to  supply  elements  and  incidents  which  they  had 
omitted.  But  this  view  is  by  no  means  universally  accepted.  It  is  strenuously  resisted 
by  Alford. 

The  difference  in  internal  characteristics,  between  John  and  the  other  Evangelists,  is 
even  more  remarkable,  Matthew,  Mark  and  Luke,  are  historians,  John  is  a  theologian ; 
they  write  simple  historical  narratives,  he  with  a  definite  and  an  avowed  doctrinal  pur- 
pose ;  they  record  most  fully  our  Lord's  life,  he  our  Lord's  teaching  and  character ;  they 
rarely  refer  to  our  Lord's  divine  character  and  mission,  except  either  by  a  reference  to  the 
fulfillment  of  ancient  prophecy  in  him,  or  by  the  narration  of  his  own  teaching  resjjecting 
himself,^  John  opens  his  gospel  with  what  is,  perhaps,  the  most  explicit  declaration  to 
be  found  in  Scripture  of  Christ's  divinity,  lingers  reverentially  over  every  utterance  in 
which  Christ  brings  to  light  this  truth,  hidden,  for  the  most  part,  from  common  appre- 
hension during  his  earthly  life,  and  closes  his  account  by  declaring  that,  from  the  various 
signs  wrought  by  Jesus  in  the  presence  of  his  disciples,  he  has  selected  those  written  in 
this  book,  "  that  ye  might  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God ;  and  that 
believing  ye  might  have  life  through  his  name."  * 

The  bearing  of  this  contrast  between  John's  Gospel  and  the  other  Gospels,  on  the 
authority  of  the  former,  will  be  considered  hereafter."  It  must  suflace  here  to  state  the 
fact,  as  one  to  be  constantly  borne  in  mind,  in  studying  the  Gospel  narratives. 

The  first  three  Gospels  are  commonly  known  as  the  Synoptic  Gospels,  from  the  fact 
that,  to  a  large  extent,  they  cover  the  same  ground,  so  that  from  a  combination  and  com- 
parison of  them,  a  synopsis  of  Christ's  life,  though-  not  a  complete  or  perfect  one,  may  be 
obtained. 

These  three  Synoptic  Gospels,  however,  by  no  means  duplicate  each  other.  Each  con- 
tributes its  own  peculiar  element.     Referring  the  student  to  the  sections  below  on  the 

■  'John  10:4(M2 "John  8:1-12;   4:45-54 'Matt.  1:23;   16:16-20;   26:63,64 'Oh.  21  was 

probably  added  by  John  as  an  appendix  some  time  after  the  completion  of  his  Gospel 'See  Intro,  to  John's 

Gospel. 


36  THE  GOSPELS. 

several  Gospels,  for  a  fuller  account  of  their  characteristics,  we  may  here  sum  up  the  con- 
trasts between  them  in  Bishop  EUicott's  brief  but  admirable  note.' 

"  (1.)  In  regard'of  the  external  features  and  characteristics,  we  are  perhaps  warranted 
in  saying  that  (a)  the  point  of  view  of  the  first  gospel  is  mainly  Israelitic ;  of  the  second, 
Gentile;  of  the  third,  universal;  of  the  fourth,  Christian:  that  (5)  the  general  aspect,  and, 
80  to  speak,  physiognomy  of  the  first,  is  mainly  Oriental ;  of  the  second,  Roman ;  of  the 
third,  Greek  ;  of  the  fourth,  spiritual :  that  (c)  the  style  of  the  first  is  stately  and  rhythmical ; 
of  the  second,  terse  and  precise ;  of  the  third,  calm  and  copious ;  of  the  fourth,  artless  and 
colloquial:  that  the  most  striking  characteristic  of  the  first  is  "symmetry;  of  the  second, 
compression ;  of  the  third,  order ;  of  the  fourth,  system  :  that  (e)  the  thought  and  language 
of  the  first  are  both  Hebraistic  ;  of  the  third,  both  Hellenistic  ;  while  in  the  second  the 
thought  is  often  occidental,  though  the  language  is  Hebraistic  ;  and,  in  the  fourth,  the 
language  Hellenistic,  but  the  thought  Hebraistic.  (3.)  Again,  in  respect  of  subject-matter 
and  contents,  we  may  say,  perhaps,  (a)  that  in  the  first  gospel  we  have  narrative ;  in  the 
second,  memoirs ;  in  the  third,  history ;  in  the  fourth,  dramatic  portraiture ;  (i)  that  iu 
the  first  we  have  often  the  record  of  events  in  their  accomplishment ;  in  the  second, 
events  in  their  detail ;  in  the  third,  events  in  their  connection ;  in  the  fourth,  events  in 
relation  to  the  teaching  springing  from  them  :  that  thus  (c)  in  the  first  we  more  often  meet 
with  the  notice  of  impressions ;  in  the  second,  of  facts ;  in  the  third,  of  motives ;  in  the 
fourth,  of  words  spoken :  and  that,  lastly,  (d)  the  record  of  the  first  is  mainly  collective, 
and  often  antithetical ;  of  the  second,  graphic  and  circumstantial ;  of  the  third,  didactic 
and  reflective ;  of  the  fourth,  selective  and  supplemental.  (3.)  We  may  conclude  by  saying 
that,  in  respect  of  the  portraiture  of  our  Lord,  the  first  gospel  presents  him  to  us  mainly 
as  the  Messiah ;  the  second,  mainly  as  the  God-man ;  the  third,  as  the  Redeemer ;  the 
fourth,  as  the  only-begotten  Son  of  God." 

H.  Origin  of  the  Gospels. — "Whence  did  the  Evangelists  derive  their  informa- 
tion ?  Matthew  and  John  were  eye  and  ear  witnesses  of  the  events  and  teachings  which 
they  recorded.  Doubtless  their  personal  recollection,  quickened  by  the  Spirit  of  God, 
was  one  chief  source  whence  they  derived  their  histories.  But  Luke  and  Mark  were  not 
of  the  Twelve.  Moreover,  there  is,  as  already  observed,  a  remarkable  correspondence  in 
the  narratives  of  the  Synoptic  Gospels.  Of  Mark,  nine-tenths ;  of  Matthew,  a  little  more 
than  half;  of  Luke,  a  little  less  than  half,  is  common  to  the  other  Evangelists.  In  some 
cases  the  parallel  passages  are  almost  identical  in  language ;  more  generally  the  resem- 
blance is  substantial,  not  verbal.  These  facts  indicate  that  the  Evangelists  employed, 
at  least  to  some  extent,  the  same  sources  of  imformation,  yet  wrote  independently  of  each 
other.  To  account  for  the  resemblance  between  them,  four  hypotheses  have  been  proposed : 
1.  It  has  been  suggested  that  the  narrators  made  use  of  each  other's  work,  and  many 
have  endeavored  to  ascertain  which  gospel  is  to  be  regarded  as  the  first,  which  is  copied 
from  the  first,  and  which  is  the  last,  and  copied  from  the  other  two.  But  the  theory,  in 
its  crude  form,  is  in  itself  most  improbable ;  and  the  wonder  is  that  so  much  time  and 
learning  have  been  devoted  to  it.  It  assumes  that  an  Evangelist  has  taken  up  the  work 
of  his  predecessor,  and,  without  substantial  alteration,  has  made  a  few  changes  in  form,  a 
few  additions  and  retrenchments,  and  then  has  allowed  the  whole  to  go  forth  under  his 
name. 

2.  It  has  been  suggested  that  there  may  have  been  a  common  original  gospel,  since 
extinct,  from  which  the  three  gospels  were  drawn,  each  with  more  or  less  modification. 
But  if  all  the  Evangelists  had  agreed  to  draw  from  a  common  original,  it  must  have  been 
widely,  if  not  universally,  accepted  in  the  Church ;   and  yet  there  is  no  record  of  its 

» EUicott's  Life  of  Christ,  p.  46,  note. 


ORIGDT  OF  THE  GOSPELS.  37 

existence.  If  the  work  was  of  high  authority,  it  would  have  been  preserved,  or  at  least 
mentioned ;  if  of  lower  authority,  it  could  not  have  become  the  basis  of  three  canonical 
gospels.  Nor  is  it  easy  to  see  why,  if  the  Evangelists  were  transcribers,  they  should  have 
made  such  remarkable  modifications  in  the  work  from  which  they  copied. 

3.  It  has  been  surmised  that  our  Lord  spoke  in  the  Greek  language ;  that  the  Evan- 
gelists reported  him  independently,  but  reporting  the  same  words,  naturally  repeated  each 
other  in  many  cases.  It  is  true  that  the  most  notable  verbal  agreements  in  the  Synoptists 
are  in  their  reports  of  the  sayings  of  our  Lord ;  but  that  he  spoke  in  Aramaic,  is  implied 
by  Mark,'  and  it  is  almost  certain  that  Aramaic  was  the  language  of  the  common  people, 
to  whom  he  addressed  himself.  Nor  does  this  hypothesis  suggest  any  explanation  of  the 
source  whence  Mark  and  Luke  derived  their  knowledge. 

4.  The  fourth  hypothesis,  the  one  which  is  now  generaljy  adopted  by  the  most 
advanced  Christian  scholars,  and  which  I  think  the  most  probable,  is  that  the  three 
Evangelists,  in  the  preparation  of  their  respective  Gospels,  made  use  of  what  is  termed  an 
"oral  Gospel."  This  hypothesis — and  the  reader  must  bear  in  mind  it  is  only  that — 
may  be  thus  stated  :  ^  • 

The  apostles  were  chosen  by  Christ  to  be  his  companions  while  he  lived,  in  order  to 
be  the  personal  vntnesses  of  his  life,  his  death,  and  his  resurrection.  Almost  immediately 
after  his  ascension  they  were  scattered  abroad.  Driven  out  from  Jerusalem  by  the  Provi- 
dence of  God,  they  went  forth,  we  are  told,  "  preaching  the  Gospel."  '  This  preaching 
of  the  Gospel  was  not  with  them,  as  it  is  with  us,  the  unfolding  of  a  system  of  truth,  or 
its  application  to  the  heart  and  life  of  believers.  It  was  just  what  the  original  words  sig- 
nify, a  heralding  of  good  tidings.  The  early  disciples  went  forth  as  witnesses  to  the  fact  that 
the  Messiah  had  come ;  and  their  preaching  at  first  consisted  chiefly  in  a  simple  description 
of  the  life,  death,  and  resurrection  of  their  Lord,  a  simple  narration  of  the  mighty  works  j 
by  which  he  had  authenticated  his  divine  mission,  and  to  which  the  apostles  especially 
were  personal  vpitnesses.  This  historic  character  of  their  preaching  is  illustrated  by  the 
few  glimpses  of  it  which  we  obtain  in  the  Book  of  Acts,"*  and  is  further  indicated  by  the 
fact  that  when  the  history  to  which  they  had  been  witnesses  had  become  generally 
accepted,  their  mission  appears  to  have  come  to  an  end.  Of  them  all,  John  and  Peter 
alone  appear  in  subsequent  New  Testament  history,  as  either  theologians  or  ecclesiastical 
organizers.  The  result  of  their  witness-bearing,  taken  up  and  repeated  by  others,  would 
be,  in  a  brief  space  of  time,  a  generally  accepted  belief  in  respect  to  the  fundamental  facts, 
and  the  more  important  teachings  of  Jesus  Christ.  But  this  belief,  though  widespread, 
would  not  be  systematized.  Different  localities  and  different  churches  would  become 
possessed  of  different  fragments  of  the  whole,  and  in  forms  more  or  less  diverse.  When 
at  length,  however,  the  church  began  to  spread  from  Judea  into  Greece,  and  Asia,  and 
Africa,  both  the  churches  and  the  apostles  would  become  sensible  of  the  need  of  some 
more  permanent  record  of  this  oral  Gospel,  this  good  news,  and  the  demand  and  the 
supply  would  spring  up  together.  Those  less  adapted  to  the  work  of  oral  teaching  would 
reduce  the  current  traditions  to  writing.  And  gathering  their  information  from  this 
common  source,  we  should  expect  to  find  in  their  accoimts  a  certain  similarity  in  sub- 

'  Mark  5 :  41 ;  7  :  34,  notes '  For  a  faller  exposition  and  defence  of  it,  consult  Alford's  Greek  Testa- 
ment, Prolegomena,  and  Westcott's  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  the  Gospels »  Acts  8:4;  11 :  19-21. 

*  The  same  cardinal  events  which  are  described  with  the  greatest  fallness  in  the  written  Gospels  are  noticed 
with  the  most  minute  detail  in  the  speeches  in  the  Acts :  the  betrayal  (2  ;  23) ;  the  condemnation  by  the  San- 
hedrim (13  :  27)  ;  the  failure  of  the  charge  (13  :  28) ;  the  condemnation  by  Pilate  (3  :  13),  and  by  Herod  (4  :  27) ;  the 
choice  of  Barabbas  (3  :  14) ;  the  urgency  of  the  people  and  rulers  at  Jerusalem  (13  :  27,  28) ;  the  crucifixion  (4  :  10 ; 
5  :  30  ;  10  :  39) ;  by  the  hand  of  Gentiles  (4  :  27, 28) ;  the  burial  (13  ;  29) ;  the  resurrection  on  the  third  day  (10  :  40) ; 
the  manifestation  to  fore-ordained  witnesses  (10  :  41),  for  many  days  (13  :  31),  who  did  eat  and  drink  with  him 
after  he  rose  (10  :  41) ;  the  charge  to  the  apostles  (10  :  42) ;  the  ascension  to  the  right  hand  of  God  (2  :  33 ;  3  :  21)." 
—  Westcott  on  the  Study  of  the  Gospels. 


38  THE  GOSPELS. 

stance,  indicative  of  their  common  means  of  information,  and  certain  discrepancies  of 
form,  indicative  of  the  differences  in  the  respective  writers  and  in  the  diflferent  phases  of 
the  current  faith  to  which  they  had  access.  If  we  were  to  suppose  that  this  oral  tradition 
was  not  embodied  in  written  narratives  till  after  the  death  of  the  apostles,  we  might  con- 
sider the  authority  of  the  Gospels  questionable.  But  if,  as  I  believe,  our  Gospels  were  all 
of  them  written  by  contemporaries  of  our  Lord,  two  of  them  by  his  life-companions,  the 
third  (the  Gospel  of  Mark)  partially  under  the  guidance  of  an  apostle  (Peter),  and  all  of  them 
under  the  inspiration  of  God,  there  is  nothing  in  this  supposition  of  common  origin  in  an 
oral  Gospel  to  weaken,  in  the  least,  their  credibility.  Their  authenticity  is  further  assured 
by  the  consideration  that  after  they  were  written  and  were  current  in  the  churches,  John 
wrote  his  Gospel,  and  could  and  presumably  would  have  corrected  any  material  errors  if 
they  had  contained  any.   . 

The  following  considerations  render  this  hypothesis  a  reasonable  and  probable  one. 

It  is  the  customai7  method  of  preparing  history  or  biography.  The  conscientious 
modem  biographer  visits  the  most  familiar  friends  of  the  subject  of  his  work,  gains  by 
conversation  with  them  the  various  inddents  in  the  life  to  be  described,  and  the  traits  in 
the  character  to  be  portrayed,  and,  even  if  himself  a  companion  and  friend,  enlarges  and 
corrects  his  own  knowledge  by  such  an  examination  of  oral  tradition.  In  the  absence  of 
evidence  to  the  contrary,  this  customary  method  may  be  presumed  to  have  been  pursued 
by  the  Evangelists.  It  best  explains  the  verbal  discrepancies  and  substantial  harmony 
of  the  three  Synoptic  Gospels,  and  accords  with  their  broken,  unchronological,  and  frag- 
mentary character.  It  accords  with  Luke's  explicit  statement  of  the  sources  of  informa- 
tion whence  he  derived  his  own  Gospel.'  The  early  post-apostolic  writers  refer  to  such 
an  oral  tradition  as  one  of  the  sources  of  information  in  their  own  day.  Thus  Irenaeus 
distinctly  states  that  the  great  outlines  of  the  Life  of  Christ  were  received  by  the  barba- 
rous nations,  without  written  documents,  by  ancient  tradition ;  and  Papias  similarly  refers 
to  his  personal  research  among  the  traditions  of  his  own  day  respecting  the  ajjostles  and 
their  teachings.  The  existence  and  importance  of  such  a  body  of  tradition  appears  thus 
to  be  well  authenticated. 

I  believe,  then,  with  Dean  Alford,  "  that  the  Synoptic  Gospels  contain  the  substance 
of  the  apostles'  testimony,  collected  principally  from  their  oral  teaching  current  in  the 
church,  partly  also  from  written  documents  embodying  portions  of  that  teaching  ;  that 
there  is,  however,  no  reason  from  their  internal  structure  to  believe,  but  every  reason  to 
disbelieve,  that  any  one  of  the  three  Evangelists  liad  access  to  either  of  the  other  two 
Gospels  in  its  present  form ;  "  to  which  I  add  that  in  their  use  of  this  "  oral  Gosjjel "  the 
Evangelists  were  aided  either  by  their  own  personal  recollections,  as  in  the  cases  of 
Matthew  and  John,  or  in  part  by  that  and  in  part  by  the  personal  recollections  of  one  or 
more  of  the  apostles,  as  in  the  case  of  Mark,  and  perhaps  of  Luke  ;  that  they  wrote  and  pub- 
lished during  the  lifetime  of  the  apostles,  and  when  therefore  any  errors,  if  there  had  been 
any,  would  have  received  correction  ;  and,  finally,  that  John's  Gospel  was  written  some 
time  after  the  three  Synoptic  Gospels,  with  the  knowledge  of  their  contents,  and  in  part 
to  supply  elements  which  were  wanting  in  them,  and  which  were  necessary  to  a  full  com- 
prehension of  Christ's  character  and  mission. 

III.  Harmony  of  the  Gospels.— No  one  of  the  Gospels  gives  a  connected  and 
chronological  life  of  Jesus  Christ.  They  are  not  biographies,  but  biograjihical  memora- 
bilia ;  not  connected  histories,  but  collections  of  the  teachings  and  the  events  in  the  life 
of  Jesus  of  Nazareth.  No  one  of  them  follows  a  chronological  order ;  no  one  of  them 
gives  a  single  date.    Even  the  years  of  Christ's  birth  and  death  are  left  uncertain.     Their 

»  Luke  1 : 1-4. 


HARMONY  OF  THE  GOSPELS.  39 

records  are  in  these  respects  exactly  what  their  origin,  an  oral  Gospel,  and  the  inspiration 
of  their  writers,  moral,  not  verbal,  would  lead  us  to  expect.' 

There  are,  consequently,  numerous  discrepancies  between  the  Gospel  narratives. 
These  are  of  several  descriptions.  Sometimes  one  Evangelist  simply  omits  events  recorded 
by  another.  Thus  Mark  gives  no  hint  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  and  no  one  of  the 
Synoptists  mentions  the  resurrection  of  Lazarus.  Sometimes  the  order  indicated  in  one 
narrative  is  different  from  that  indicated  in  another.  Thus  if  we  only  had  Matthew's 
Gospel  we  should  presume  that  the  healing  of  the  leper  was  performed  immediately  after 
the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  while  Mark  indicates  another  and  a  more  probable  time.* 
Sometimes  the  discrepancy  is  only  apparent,  not  real.  Thus  Luke  mentions  the  ordina- 
tion of  the  twelve  apostles  in  connection  with  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  Matthew  gives 
their  names  in  connection  with  the  subsequent  commission  to  preach  the  Gospel  through- 
out Galilee.  A  careless  or  casual  reader  might  easily  imagine  the  accounts  to  be  dis- 
crepant, though  they  are  so  only  in  appearance.  Sometimes  the  difference  is  simply  one 
of  language.  Thus  the  four  accounts  of  the  inscription  over  the  cross  differ  in  j)hrase- 
ology,  as  do  the  three  accounts  of  the  stilling  of  the  tempest  in  their  reports  of  the 
language  of  the  disciples  in  awakening  our  Lord,  and  of  his  language  in  reply.'  Some- 
times the  discrepancy  is  such  as  would  naturally  arise  from  a  difference  in  the  point  of 
view  of  the  observers.  Thus  the  variations  in  the  four  accounts  of  the  arrest  of  Jesus 
Christ  are  just  such  as  would  naturally  arise  in  reporting  such  a  scene  of  confusion. 
Again,  the  accounts  of  the  birth  of  Jesus  given  by  Matthew  and  Luke  are  entirely  differ- 
ent, but  not  inconsistent,  one  Evangelist  recording  one  class  of  incidents,  the  other  a  dif- 
ferent class.  There  are  a  few  discrepancies  which,  with  our  limited  knowledge,  it  is 
difficult  or  perhaps  impossible  completely  to  remove.  Such  is  the  apparent  difference 
between  John  and  the  Synoptists  as  to  the  true  occasion  of  the  Lord's  Supper.*  There 
are  others  which  were  formerly  a  serious  stumbling-block  to  the  Christian,  but  in  which 
a  fuller  knowledge  has  discovered  singular  evidences  of  the  truthfulness  of  Scripture. 
Such  is  the  seeming  geographical  discrepancy  in  the  narrative  of  the  miraculous  cure  of 
the  demoniac,  which  Matthew  describes  as  performed  in  the  "land  of  the  Gergesenes," 
and  Mark  and  Luke  in  the  "  land  of  the  Gadarenes."  ^  A  careful  comparative  study  of 
the  four  Gospels  may  not  afford  a  satisfactory  solution  of  all  these  apparent  discrepancies,  but 
it  will  conduct  the  conscientious  and  unprejudiced  student  to  the  conclusion  of  Dean 
Alford,  who  gives,  indeed,  undue  weight  to  these  natural  variations  in  the  Evangelists' 
narratives,  but  who  says :  "  We  may  be  sure  that  if  we  knew  the  real  process  of  the  trans- 
actions themselves,  that  knowledge  would  enable  us  to  give  an  account  of  the  diversities 
of  narration  and  arrangement  which  the  Gospels  now  present  to  us." 

In  conducting  such  an  investigation  the  following  principles  are  to  be  borne  in  mind 
by  the  student  : 

1.  The  true  chronological  order  of  Christ's  life  is  not  to  be  found  in  any  one  Gospel, 
but  is  to  be  ascertained,  if  at  all,  by  a  comparison  of  the  four  accounts.  It  must  often  be 
only  a  matter  of  surmise. 

2.  No  one  of  the  Evangelists  ordinarily  gives  a  literal  report  of  the  language  used. 
The  habit  of  ancient  authors  was  to  embody  in  dramatic  forms  the  substance  of  the  inci- 
dent narrated.  Of  this  literary  habit  not  only  the  ancient  histories,  as  Caesar  and  Sallust, 
but  the  Old  Testament  also,  furnish  many  examples.^  Where  a  modern  historian,  narrat- 
ing the  stilling  of  the  tempest,  would  say,  "  The  disciples  awoke  Christ  and  reproached 

1  See  above  pages "  See  Matt.  8  : 1,  note '  See  Mark  4  :  35-41,  notes *  See  note  on  the  Lord's 

Supper,  Matt.  26  :  12, 13,  30 »  See  for  explanation  of  this  discrepancy  Matt.  8  :  28,  note. 

"  Thus,  "  God  said, ' Let  there  be  light.'"  To  whom  should  he  say  it?  This  is  evidently  simply  a  dra- 
matic and  graphic  portraiture  of  the  act  of  divine  creative  will.  So  throughout  the  O.  T.  history  the  conferencea 
are  given,  not  in  the  manner  of  a  modern  historian,  but  in  a  dialogue  form. 


40  THE  GOSPELS. 

him  for  his  indiflFerence  to  their  danger,"  the  Evangelists  put  the  language  of  reproach 
into  the  disciples'  mouths,  in  forms  verbally  diiferent,  and  representing  slightly  diflferent 
shades  of  feeling. 

3.  Christ  often  repeated  substantially  the  same  teaching,  and  often,  apparently,  clothed 
it  in  the  same  words.  Certain  aphorisms  became  even  characteristic  of  his  teaching. 
Moreover,  to  meet  the  same  or  similar  needs,  he  repeated,  on  different  occasions,  substan- 
tially the  same  miracle  of  mercy.  Thus  the  denouncing  of  the  Pharisees  reported  by 
Matthew,  in  chap.  23,  is  in  some  sense  a  repetition  of  the  previous  philippic  reported  in 
Luke,  chap.  11,  and  the  feeding  of  the  four  thousand  in  Matt.  15  :  32-39  is  in -almost  all 
respects  a  repetition  of  the  previous  feeding  of  the  five  thousand,  reported  in  chap,  14  : 
15-21. 

4.  Hence  we  often  find  the  same  event  or  teaching  reported  by  different  Evangelists,  in 
phraseology  and  in  chronological  connections  slightly  different ;  and  we  also  find  teach- 
ings and  miracles  similar,  yet  not  to  be  confounded,  occurring  on  diflferent  occasions ;  and 
again  we  find  some  cases  in  which  it  is  not  easy  to  determine  whether  the  two  accounts 
are  of  the  same  or  of  diflferent  events.  In  general  we  may  say  that  when  the  diflferences 
are  merely  verbal  and  chronological  it  is  probable  that  the  event  is  the  same,  only  the 
narrative  diflferent ;  but  that  when  the  end  or  object  in  view,  or  the  important  circum- 
stances, are  diflferent,  the  events  are  not  to  be  regarded  as  identical  because  similar  in  cer- 
tain minor  or  external  respects.  Thus,  to  suppose  that  Christ  healed  one  blind  man  as 
he  entered  Jericho  and  two  as  he  went  out  of  it,  in  order  to  reconcile  the  discrepant 
accounts  of  Luke  18  :  35,  etc.,  and  Matt.  20  :  29,  etc.,  is  as  unreasonable  and  improbable  on 
the  one  side,  as  to  suppose  that  the  anointing  described  in  Luke  7  :  36-50  and  Matt.  26  :  6-13 
are  the  same,  because  in  both  cases  performed  at  a  supper  table  and  by  a  woman. 

5.  It  is  possible  to  determine  with  tolerable  accuracy  what  were  the  great  eras  of 
Christ's  life,  what  its  outlines,  what  the  general  course  and  development  of  his  ministry, 
and  of  the  opposition  which  ended  in  his  death.  But  the  chronological  order  of  the  spe- 
cific events  and  teachings  which  belong  in  the  several  eras  must  probably  always  be 
largely  a  matter  of  conjecture. 

Applying  these  principles,  we  give,  for  the  aid  of  such  as  wish  to  study  the  life  of 
Christ  in  its  connections,  a  sketch  of  that  life  in  outline,  and  add,  at  the  close  of  this 
Introduction,  a  tabulated  harmony  of  the  Gospels,  cautioning  the  student  that  the  latter, 
in  its  arrangement  in  detail  of  the  Gospel  narratives,  represents  only  the  best  conjectures 
of  Bible  students. 

IV.  The  L.ife  of  Christ. — The  life  of  Christ  may  be  divided  into  eight  eras,  as 
follows :  His  birth  and  early  education  ;  the  inauguration  of  his  public  ministry ;  his  min- 
istry in  Galilee  ;  his  period  of  retirement ;  his  ministry  in  Judea;  his  ministry  in  Perea; 
his  Passion  ;  his  Eesurrectiou.  His  birth  probably  took  place  four  years  before  the  time 
indicated  by  our  present  chronology,  i.  e.,  B.  C.  4;  his  baptism  at  thirty  years  of  age, 
A.  D.  26 ;  and  his  death,  after  a  ministry  of  between  three  and  four  years,  A.  D.  30.' 

1.  His  Urth  and  education. — He  is  born  in  Bethlehem,  whither  his  mother  and  reputed 
father  have  come  from  Galilee,  on  the  taking  of  a  census.  From  Bethlehem  he  is  taken 
to  Egypt,  to  escape  the  malice  of  Herod  the  Great,  and  on  the  king's  death  is  carried  to 
Nazareth  in  Galilee.  Here  he  dwells  till  his  manhood.  Only  one  incident  of  his  youth 
is  narrated,  viz.,  his  disputing  with  the  doctors  in  the  Temple.^  Matthew  (chaps.  1,  2) 
and  Luke  (chaps.  1,  2)  narrate  Christ's  birth,  each  of  them  incidents  apparently  unknown 
to  the  other. 

1  For  a  fuller  sketch  of  the  Life  of  Christ,  from  which  this  epitome  is  taken,  see  Abbott's  Dictionary  of 
Eeligious  Knowledge,  article  Jesus.    See  also  Abbott's  Jesus  qf  Nazareth '  Luke  2 :  40-52. 


THE  LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 


41 


2.  The  inauguration  of  his  public  ministry. — He  first  enters  upon  his  life-work  by 
receiving  baptism  at  the  hands  of  John  the  Baptist^  in  the  Jordan ;  prepares  for  it  by  his 
mysterious  experience  of  temptation  in  the  wilderness ;  signalizes  it  by  his  attendance  on 
and  miracle  at  the  marriage  feast  in  Cana  of  Galilee,  and  his  expulsion  of  the  traders  from 
the  temple  at  Jerusalem.  Here,  in  conversation  with  Nicodemus,  he  reveals  privately  the 
truths  of  atonement  and  regeneration,  which  are  not  publicly  preached  till  much  later. 
But  he  does  not  commence  the  public  preaching  of  the  Gospel  till  the  arrest  and  impris- 
onment of  John  the  Baptist,  some  months  subsequent,  though  one  miracle  and  some 
teaching  in  Samaria,  consequent  upon  his  conversation  with  the  woman  at  the  well,  are 
recorded  by  John.  This  era  is  reported  by  Matt.,  chaps.  3,  4  :  1-11 ;  Mark  1  :  1-13  ;  Luke, 
chaps.  3,  4  :  1-13 ;  and  John,  chaps.  1  to  4.  To  this  period  belong  the  journeys  1,  3,  3,  and 
4  on  the  accompanying  map. 


Sketch  Map  Iixustbating  the  Jouenetings 
OF  OuB  LOBD. 


1  and  2.  First  journeys : 

Nazareth,  Bethany,  beyond  Jor- 
dan, Desert  of  Temptation.  Re- 
turn :  Bethany,  beyond  Jordan, 
Capernaum,  Nazareth. 

3.  First  Passover: 

Nazareth,  Jerusalem.  Return 
through  Judea  and  Samaria  (Si- 
chem,  Jacob's  Well),  Cana,  Naza- 
reth. 

4.  To  Capernaum,  &c. : 

Nazareth,  Capernaum  (dwelling 
there). 

5.  Feast  of  Purim: 

Capernaum,  Nazareth,  Nain, 
Bethany,  Jerusalem.  Return  to 
Capernaum. 

6.  In  Galilee,  &c. : 

Capernaum,  Bethsaida  -  Julias, 
Capernaum,  Borders  of  Tyre  and 
Sidon,  Coasts  of  Decapolis,  Coun- 
try of  Dalmanutha,  Bethsaida-Ju- 
lias,  Caesarea-Philippi,  Mount  Ta- 
bor, Capernaum. 

7.  Feast  of  Tabernacles : 

Capernaum,  Borders  of  Samaria, 
Jerusalem.    Return  to  Perea. 

8.  Feast  of  the  Dedication,  &c.  : 

Perea,  Jerusalem,  Bethany, 
Ephraim,  Jericho. 

9.  Last  Passover : 

Jericho,  Bethany,  Jemealem. 


3.  His  ministry  in  Galilee. — He  begins  his  ministry  by  preaching  a  sermon  at  Nazareth, 
where  he  is  mobbed,  and  whence  he  departs  to  make  Capernaum  his  home;  calls  four 
disciples  by  the  seashore  to  follow  him ;  then  Matthew ;  then  the  rest  of  the  twelve. 
These  he  ordains,  and  to  them,  in  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  he  explains  the  fundamental 
principles  of  his  kingdom.    During  this  ministry  he  attends  the  Passover  at  Jerusalem, 


43  THE  GOSPELS. 

where,  by  his  healing  on  the  Sabbath,  the  first  open  opposition  to  him  and  his  teaching  is 
excited.  He  then  returns  to  Galilee ;  his  ministry  there  is  one  of  constantly  increasing 
popularity,  though  also  of  increasing  opposition,  mainly  stimulated  by  emissaries  from 
Judea.  He  begins  to  employ  parables,  as  a  means  of  interpreting  the  nature  of  the  king- 
dom he  had  before  simply  announced.  He  commissions  his  apostles  to  preach  it  also,  and 
by  their  aid  the  Gospel  is  proclaimed  throughout  all  Galilee.  At  length  the  jjopular 
enthusiasm  reaches  its  height  in  a  determination  to  make  him  king  by  force  ;  he  declares, 
in  the  sermon  which  John  alone  (chap.  6)  has  reported,  the  spiritual  character  of  his 
kingdom,  and  the  self-sacrifice  it  entails ;  the  popular  feeling,  tested  by  this  revelation, 
proves  itself  Untrustworthy  ;  many  that  were  inclined  to  follow  abandon  him,  and  his 
public  ministry  in  Galilee  comes  to  an  end.  This  period  of  Christ's  ministry  is  reported 
by  Matt.,  chap.  4  :  13  to  chap.  15  :  20;  Mark,  chap.  1  to  chap.  7  :  23;  and  Luke,  chap, 
4  :  14  to  chap.  9  :  17.  John  reports  Christ's  journey  to  Jerusalem  to  attend  the  Passover, 
and  his  miracle  of  feeding  the  five  thousand  and  subsequent  sermon  thereon,  but  nothing 
else  of  this  period  of  his  life.^  To  this  period  belong  the  largest  number  of  our  Lord's 
miracles,  and  his  simplest  and  most  fundamental  teaching,  and  most  of  his  longest  public 
discourses,  particularly  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  the  Parables  by  the  sea-shore,  and  the 
Sermon  or  Commission  to  the  twelve. 

4,  The  period  of  Ms  retirement.— Mtei  the  close  of  his  ministry  in  Galilee,  Christ  spends 
a  few  brief  months  in  retirement  with  his  disciples,  during  whicfh  time  he  visits  succes- 
sively the  coasts  of  Tyre  and  Sidon,  the  region  about  Cesarea  Philippi,  and  the  eastern 
coast  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  The  miracles  performed  during  this  time  are  comparatively 
few,  and  are  kept,  as  far  as  practicable,  from  public  notice ;  the  indications  of  a  constant 
endeavor  to  avoid  the  people  are  many ;  and  the  instructions  are  chiefly  in  private,  to  the 
twelve,  and  concerning  the  principles  which  are  to  actuate  them  in  the  future  conduct  of 
the  church.  To  this  period  belongs  the  healing  of  the  Syro-Phoenician  woman's  daughter, 
Peter's  confession  of  our  Lord's  divinity,  the  Transfiguration,  and  the  feeding  of  the  four 
thousand.  The  accounts  of  it  are  found  in  Matthew,  chap.  15  :  21  to  chap.  19 ;  Mark, 
chap.  7  :  24  to  chap.  9;  Luke,  chap.  9  :  18-62.  John  does  not  refer  to  any  portion  of 
it.  This  and  the  previous  era  include  the  journeys  marked  5  and  6  on  the  accompanying 
map,  and  all  the  journeys  indicated  on  the  Map  of  the  Sea  of  Gennesaret  which  accompanies 
Mark,  chap.  1. 

5,  Tlie  ministry  in  Judea. — This  lasted  for  three  months,  from  the  feast  of  Tabernacles 
in  October,  to  the  feast  of  Dedication  in  December.  It  is  reported  exclusively  by  John, 
chap.  7  : 1  to  chap.  10  :  39,  unless,  as  may  be  the  case,  the  parables  of  the  Good  Samaritan, 
and  the  Pharisee  and  Publican,  and  the  incident  iu  the  house  of  Martha  and  Mary  °  belong 
to  the  same  epoch. 

6,  The  ministry  in  Perea. — This  name  was  given  to  all  that  part  of  Palestine  which 
lay  beyond  the  Jordan.  It  was  occupied  by  a  population  partly  Jewish,  partly  heathen. 
Driven  out  of  Jerusalem  I  believe  that  Jesus  went  into  Perea,  where  he  prosecuted  his 
ministry  during  the  winter  months,  and  where  he  commissioned  the  seventy  to  aid  him,  as 
before  in  Galilee  he  had  commissioned  the  twelve.  This  is  a  more  probable  account  of 
his  life  than  that  which  supposes  his  retirement  to  Galilee  and  the  resumjjtion  of  his 
teaching  there,  after  he  had  turned  his  back  upon  it  and  pronounced  his  denunciation 
upon  the  cities  of  Chorazin,  Bethsaida  and  Capernaum.  According  to  this  view  the  chief 
portion  of  the  teachings  and  events  recorded  in  Luke,  chap.  10  to  chap.  18  :  34,  together 
with  those  recorded  in  Matthew,  chap.  19 :  1  to  chap.  20  :  16,  and  Mark  10  :  1-31,  belong  to 
this  period.  From  the  ministry  in  Perea  Christ  was  called  by  the  intelligence  of  the  sickness 
of  Lazarus,  and  after  the  resurrection  of  Lazarus,  recorded  alone  by  John,  chap,  11,  retired 

»  John,  chaps.  5  and  6 »  Luke  10 :  2fr42 ;  18  :  9-14. 


THE  LIFE  OF  CHRIST.  43 

to  Ephraim,  where  he  remained  till  the  time  for  his  Passion  had  arrived.  The  journeys 
marked  7  and  8  on  the  majJ,  belong  to  this  and  the  previous  era,  though  I  do  not  agree 
with  the  map  in  supposing  that  Christ  went  at  this  time  into  Galilee,  a  supposition  which 
is  not  supported  by  evidence. 

7.  The  Passion  week. — The  events  of  this  week  are  recorded  by  all  the  Evangelists. 
Christ's  triumphal  entry  into  the  city  took  place  on  Sunday.  The  two  following  days, 
Monday  and  Tuesday,  were  occupied  with  the  instructions  in  the  Temple,  reported  most 
fully  by  Matthew,  ending  with  a  terrible  denunciation  of  the  Pharisees,  and  followed  b^ 
a  prophecy,  given  to  the  disciples  alone,  of  the  impending  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and 
Judaism.  These  discourses  are  much  more  fully  reported  by  Matthew  than  by  Mark  or 
Luke.  "Wednesday  was  spent  in  retirement  at  Bethany,  at  which  time,  as  I  think,  the 
supper  was  given  to  Christ  and  he  was  anointed  by  Mary,  his  rebuke  of  Judas  Iscariot 
at  that  time  being  the  immediate  occasion  of  the  latter's  treachery.  The  Passover  supper 
with  the  twelve  in  Jerusalem,  took  place  on  Thursday  evening,  and  was  followed  by  the 
agony  in  Gethsemane,  the  arrest,  the  mock  trial,  and  finally  the  crucifixion  on  Friday. 
Compare  for  accounts  of  this  week,  Matthew,  chaps.  21  to  27;  Mark,  chaps.  11  to  15; 
Luke,  chap.  19  :  29  to  chap.  23;  John  12  to  19. 

8.  TJie  Resurrection. — The  accounts  of  the  resurrection  are  given  by  Matthew,  chap. 
28 ;  Mark,  chap.  16  ;  Luke,  chap.  24  ;  and  John,  chaps.  20,  21. 

These  oiitlines  of  Christ's  life  I  believe  to  be  tolerably  clear  and  certain.  For  the 
more  detailed  harmony  of  the  Gospels,  and  the  probable  though  confessedly  conjectural 
order  of  the  .events  narrated,  the  student  is  referred  to  the  following  Harmony,  which, 
however,  he  must  remember  is  largely  conjectural. 


TABULAR    HARMONY    OF    THE    GOSPELS. 

Where  the  same  incident  or  teaching  is  treated  by  more  than  one  of  the  Synoptic  Evangelists  in  substantially 
the  same  manner,  the  notes  are  given  in  full  in  one  Gospel,  and  only  peculiarities  of  statement  or  diction  are 
treated  in  the  other.  In  this  table  the  black-faced  type  indicates  that  the  reader  may  expect  to  tind  full 
notes  oa  the  passage  so  marked.    The  notes  on  John  are  lull  throughout. 

I.  BIRTH  AND  EDUCATION.    From  b.c.  6  to  a.d.  8.* 


"The  Word"    

Preface,  to  Theophilus 

Annunciation  of  the  Baptist's  birth. 
Annunciation  of  the  birth  of  Jesus.. 

Mary  visits  Elizabeth 

Birth  of  John  the  Baptist 

Birth  of  Jesus  Christ 

Two  Genealogies 

The  vjratching  Shepherds 

The  Circumcision 

Presentation  in  the  Temple 

The  wise  men  from  the  East 

Flight  to  Egypt 

Disputing  with  the  Doctors 


Jerusalem. 
Nazareth. 
Juttah. 


Bethlehem. 
Jerusalem. 


18-25. 
1-17. 


2  :  1-12. 
2 : 13-23 


Jerusalem, 
II.  INAUGURATION  OF  PUBLIC  MINISTRY.    From  Summer,  a.d, 


Ministry  of  John  the  Baptist 

Baptism  of  Jesus  Christ 

The  Temptation 

Andrew  and  another  see  Jesus 

Simon,  now  Cephas  (Peter) 

Philip  and  Nathanael 

The  water  made  wine 

Passover  (ist)  and  cleansing  the  Temple 

Nicodemus 

Christ's  disciples  and  John  baptizing. . . 
The  woman  of  Samaria 


Jordan. 

(?) 
Jordan. 

"(?) 
Cana. 
Jerusalem. 


;  1-12. 
13-17. 
;  1-11. 


1-8. 
9-II. 

12,    13. 


1-4. 

5-25. 

26-38. 

39-56. 

57-80. 

1-7. 

23-38. 

8-20. 

21. 

22-38. 

39- 


2 :  40-52. 

26,  TO  Dec, 

1-18. 

21, 22. 
1-13- 


15-31. 
32-34. 


III.  MINISTRY  IN  GALILEE.    From  March, 


John  the  Baptist  in  prison 

Return  to  Galilee 

The  nobleman's  son 

Capernaum.    Four  Apostles  called 

Demoniac  healed  there       

Simon' s  wife' s  mother  healed 

First  Circuit  round  Galilee 

Healing  a  leper 

Healing  the  paralytic 

Journey  to  Jerusalem  to  2d  Passover.  . 
Pool  of  Bethesda.     Power  of  Christ. . . . 

Plucking  ears  of  corn  on  Sabbath 

The  withered  hand.    Miracles 

Matthew  the  Publican 

"Thy  disciples  fast  not" 

Jairus's  daughter.     Woman  healed  — 

Blind  men,  and  demoniac 

The  Sermon  on  the  Mount 

The  Centurion's  servant 

The  widow's  son  at  Nain 

Messengers  from  John 

Woe  to  the  cities  of  Galilee 

Call  to  the  meek  and  suffering 

Anointing  the  feet  of  Jesus    

Second  Circuit  round  Galilee 

Parable  of  the  Sower 

"  "      Candle  under  a  Bushel.. 

"  "      Growth  of  Seed 

"  "      Wheat  and  Tares 

"  "      Grain  of  Mustard  Seed.. 

"  "      Leaven 

On  teaching  by  parables 

Wheat  and  tares  explained 

The  treasure,  the  pearl,  the  net 

Conditions  of  following  Christ 

Christ  stills  the  storm  

Demoniacs  in  land  of  Gadarenes 

Healing  of  Demoniac  and  discourse  I 
thereon ) 


Machserus. 
GaUlee. 


Jerusalem. 
Galilee. 


Sea  of  Galilee 
Galilee. 


4:12;  14: 
4 :  12. 

4 :  13-22. 

8  :  14r^i7. 
4 :  23-25. 
8 :  1-4. 

9  :  1-8. 


12  :  1-8. 
12  :  9-21. 
9  :  9-13. 
9  :  14-17. 
9:18-26. 
9 :  27-34. 
5:lto7:2 
8  :  5-13. 

11  :  2-i9. 
11  :  20-24. 
11 :  25-30. 


13 : 1-23. 


13  :  24-30. 
13  :  31,  32. 
13  :  33. 

13 :  34,  35. 
13  :  36-43. 
13  :  44-52. 

8  :  19-22, 

8:2^8-^'4. 
12 :  22-45. 


A.D.  28,  TO  Summer,  a.d.  29. 
:  14  ;  6  :  17.  3  :  19, 
:  14,  15- 


16-20. 
:  21-28. 
;  29-34. 
:  35-39. 


2  :  23-28. 

3  :  1-12. 
2  :  13-17. 

2  :  18-22. 

5 :  21-43. 

3  :  13-19- 


4  :  30-32. 
4  :  33,  34- 


4 :  35-41. 


5  :  1-11. 

4  :  31-37- 
4  :  38-41. 

4  :  42-44- 

5  :  12-16. 

5  :  17-26. 

6  :  1-5." 

6  :  6-1 1. 
5  :  27-32. 
5  :  33-39- 
8  :  40-56. 

6 :  12-49. 

7  :  i-io. 

7  :  18-^'5. 


7  :  36-50. 

8  :  1-3. 


9 :  57-62. 

8  :  22-25. 
8  :  26  39. 
[I  :  14-26. 


1  :  35-40. 
1  :  41,  42. 
1 :  43-51. 

2:1-11. 

2 :  12-22. 

2:23to3:21. 

3  :  22-36. 
4 : 1-42. 


3:24. 

4 :  43-45. 
4 :  46-54. 


t;h,. 


4 :  46-54. 


*  This  chronology  assumes,  with  Andrews,  that  Christ  was  bom  B.C.  4.    See  Matt.  1  :  18,  note.    It  follows  Andrews,     Life  of  oar  Lord." 


TABULAR  HAEMONY  OF  THE  FOUR  GOSPELS. 

MINISTRY  AT  GALILEE— Continued. 


45 


His  mother  and  his  brethren Galilee. 

Reception  at  Nazareth 

Tkird  Circuit  round  Galilee 

Sending  forth  the  Twelve 

Herod's  opinion  of  Jesus 

Death  of  John  the  Baptist Machaerus. 

Approach  of  Passover  (3d) Galilee. 

Feeding  of  the  five  thousand 

Walking  on  the  sea 

Peter's  attempt  to  walk  on  the  sea.. 

Miracles  in  Gennesaret 

The  bread  of  life 

The  unwashen  hands 

IV.  PERIOD  OF  RETIREMENT. 


The  Syro-Phcenician  woman. 

Miracles  of  healing 

Feeding  of  the  four  thousand. 

The  sign  from  heaven 

The  leaven  of  the  Pharisees. . 

Blind  man  healed 

Peter's  profession  of  faith 

The  Passion  foretold . . 

The  Transfiguration 

Elijah 

The  lunatic  healed 

The  Passion  again  foretold  . . . 
Fish  caught  for  the  tribute ... 

The  little  child 

One  casting  out  devils 

Offences 

The  lost  sheep 

Forgiveness  of  injuries , 

Binding  and  loosing 

Forgiveness.     Parable 

"  Salted  with  fire  " 

Fire  firom  heaven 


Phoenicia. 
Galilee. 


12  :  46-50. 

13  :  53-58. 

9 :  35-38. 
10  to  11:1. 
14:1,2 
14 :  3-12. 

14 :  13-21. 
14 :  22-28. 
14 :  28-32. 
14 :  34-36. 

15  :  1-20. 

From  Summer, 
15  :  21-28. 
15  :  29-31. 

15  :  32-39. 

16  :  1-4. 
16  :  5-12. 


14-16. 
17-29. 


9  :  1-6. 
9  :  7-9- 


16 :  13-20. 
16 :  21-28. 
17  :  1-9. 
17  :  10-13. 
17  :  14-21. 
17  :  22,  23. 

17  :  24-27. 

18  :  1-5. 


10-14. 
15-17. 
18-20. 
21-35. 


Going  to  Jerusalem 

Discussions  at  Feast  of  Tabernacles 

Woman  taken  in  adultery 

Dispute  with  the  Pharisees 

The  man  born  blind 

The  good  Shepherd 

Feast  of  Dedication 


Samaria. 
V.  MINISTRY  IN  JUDEA 
Jerusalem, 


6  :  53-56. 

7  :  i-23. 

.D.  29,  TO  Fall,  a.d.  29. 
:  24-30. 
:  31-37. 
:l-9. 

:  10-13. 
:  14-21. 
:  22-20. 
:  27-29. 
:  30  to  9  : 
:  2-10. 


:  14-29. 
:  30-32. 

:Ml. 

:  42-48. 


9  :  37-42. 
9  :  43-45. 

9  :  46-48. 
9  :  49,  50. 
17  :  1,2. 


9:51-56. 

From  Oct.  to  Dec,  a.d.  29. 


VI.  MINISTRY  IN  PEREA 

Beyond  Jordan Perea. 

The  Seventy  disciples 

The  Good  Samaritan 

Mary  and  Martha 

Discourses  of  Jesus :  time  and  occa-  \ 
sion  uncertain f 

Woman  healed  on  Sabbath 

"  Are  there  few  that  be  saved  ?  " 

Warning  against  Herod 

Instructions  at  a  Pharisee's  house 

Following  Christ  with  the  Cross 

Parables  of  Lost  Sheep,  Piece  of| 
Money,  Prodigal  Son,  Unjust  Stew-  V 
ard,  Rich  Man  and  Lazarus ) 

Forgiveness  and  faith 

The  ten  lepers 

How  the  kingdom  cometh 

Parable  of  the  Unjust  Judge 

"  "       Pharisee  and  Publican . . 

Divorce 

Infants  brought  to  Jesus 

The  rich  man  inquiring 

Promises  to  the  disciples 

Laborers  in  the  vineyard 

Raising  of  Lazarus 

Meeting  of  the  Sanhedrim 

Christ  in  Ephraim 

Death  of  Cnrist  foretold 

Request  of  James  and  John 

Blind  man  at  Jericho 

Zaccheus 

Parable  of  the  Ten  Pounds 


wj  3    g    g  2 


Bethany. 

Jerusalem. 

Judea. 


Jericho. 


From  Dec,  a.d.  29,  to  March,  a.d.  30. 


10  :  1-24. 
10  :  25-37. 
10  :  38-42. 
i  11  :  37  to 
1  13  :  9. 
13  :  10-17. 

13  :  22-30. 
13 :  31-35. 
14 :  1-24. 
14 :  25-35. 


1-12. 
13-15. 


27-30. 
1-16. 


20  :  17-19. 
20  :  20-28. 
20  :  29-34. 


13-16. 
17-27. 
28-31. 


32-34. 
35-45. 
46-52. 


chs.  15, 16. 
17  :  1-10. 

17  :  11-19. 

17  :  20-37. 

18  :  1-8. 
18  :  9-14. 

18  :  15-17. 
18  :  18-27. 
18  :  28-30. 


18  :  31-34. 


35-43. 

1-10. 

11-28. 


6:4. 
6  :  1-15. 
6  :  16-21. 


6  :  22-65. 


6 :  66-71. 


7  : 1-10. 
7 :  11-53. 

8  :  1-11. 

8  :  12-59. 

9  :  1-41. 
10  :  1-21. 
10 :  22-39. 

10 :  40-42. 


11  :  1-44. 
11 :  45-53. 
11 :  54-57. 


46  TABULAE  HAEMONY  OF  THE  FOUE  GOSPELS. 

VII.    PASSION  WEEK.    From  Sunday,  2  April,  to  Friday,  7  April,  a.d.  30. 


Christ  enters  Jerusalem 

Cleansing  of  the  Temple  (2d) . 

The  barren  fig-tree 

Pray,  and  forgive 

"  By  what  authority,"  etc 


Jerusalem. 


Parable  of  the  Two  Sons 

"         "        Wicked  Husbandmen 
"         "        Wedding  Garment  .. 

The  tribute-money 

The  state  of  the  risen 

The  great  Commandment 

David's  Son  and  David's  Lord 

Against  the  Pharisees 

The  widow's  mite 

Greeks  visit  Jesus.    Voice  from  heaven 

Reflections  of  John 

Christ's  second  coming 

Parable  of  the  Ten  Virgins , 

"         "        Talents 

The  last  Judgment 

The  anointing  by  Mary 

Plot  against  Jesus  and  Lazarus 

Last  Passover  (4th).    Jews  conspire  , 

Judas  Iscariot 

Paschal  Supper 

Contention  of  the  Apostles 

Peter's  fall  foretold 

Last  Discourse 

The  prayer  of  Christ 

Gethsemane 

The  betrayal 

Before  Caiaphas.    Peter's  denial 

Bef  jre  the  Sanhedrim 

Before  Pilate 

The  Traitor's  death 

Before  Herod 

Accusation  and  condemnation 

The  daughters  of  Jerusalem 

The  Crucifixion 

The  penitent  thief 

Darkness  and  other  portents 

The  by-standers 

The  side  pierced 

The  burial . 


Bethany. 
Jerusalem. 


The  guard  of  the  sepulchre,, 


21  :  17-22. 

21:"  23-27. 
21 :  28-32. 

21  :  33-46. 

22  :  1-14. 
22 :  15-22. 
22  :  23-33. 
22 :  34-40. 
22 :  41-46. 
23 :  1-39. 


24 : 1-51. 
25  :  1-13. 
25  :  14-30. 

25  :  31-46. 

26  :  6-13. 

26:1-5. 

26 :  14-16. 
26 :  17-30. 

26 :' 31-35. 


26 :  36-46. 
26  :  47-56. 
(  26  :  57,  58 
I     69-78. 

26  :  59-68. 
1  27  :  1,  2, 

I     ll-i4. 

27  :  3-10. 

27 :  15-26. 

27 :' 27-50. 

27  .■45-53. 
27  :  54-56. 

27:57-61. 
127:62-66; 
128:11-15. 


II  :  15-18. 
j  11 :  12-14, 

20-23. 
11 :  24r26. 


12  :  13-17. 
12  :  18-27. 
12  :  28-34. 
12  :  35-37- 
12  :  38-40. 

12 :  41-44. 


14  :  32-42. 

14  :  43-52. 

14  :  53,  54, 

66-72. 

14  :  55-65. 

15  :  1-5- 


15  :  6-^5- 
15  :  16^37. 


IS  :  38-41. 
15  :  39-41. 


19 :  29-44. 

19  :  45-48. 


20  :  41-44. 

20  :  45-47. 

21  :  1-4. 


7  :  36-50- 

22  :  I,  2. 

22  :  3-6. 

22:7-23, 
22 :  24-30. 

22  :  31-39. 

22  :  40-46. 
22  :  47-53. 
22  :  54-62. 

22  :  63-71. 

23  :  1-3. 

23  :'4;il. 

23  :  13-25- 
23  :  26-32. 

2I ;  Was. 

23  :  44-46. 
23  :  47-49- 

23  :  50-56. 


VIII.    THE  RESURRECTION.    From  9  April  to  18  May, 

The  Resurrection I  Jerusalem.  28  :  1-10 

Disciples  going  to  Emmaus Jer.  Emmaus. 


Appearances  in  Jerusalem. 

At  the  Sea  of  Tiberias 

On  the  Mount  in  Galilee. 


Unrecorded  Works. 
Ascension 


Jerusalem. 
Galilee. 


(?) 
Bethany. 


28 :  16-20. 


16  :  i-ii. 

16  :  12,  13. 

16  :  14-18. 


16  :  19, 


24 :  13-35. 
24 :  36-49. 


24 :  50-53. 


The  Gospel 

ACCORDING  TO 

MATTHEW 

WITH 

NOTES    AND    COMMENTS. 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO    MATTHEW. 


INTRODUCTION. 


By  whom  written.  The  testimony  of  an- 
tiquity is  unanimous  that  the  Gospel  of  Matthew 
was  written  by  the  apostle  whose  name  it  bears.* 
Its  characteristics  are  such  as  one  might  expect 
from  the  writer.  He  was  a  publican  or  tax- 
gatherer  by  profession,  and  was  thus  trained  to 
orderly  and  methodical  habits  of  thought ;  and 
of  all  the  Gospels  his  is  the  most  orderly  and 
systematic  In  its  arrangement.  He  gives  more 
fully  than  any  other  writer  the  public  discourses 
of  our  Lord.  Thus  it  is  that  we  find  in  Matthew 
by  far  the  fullest  accounts  of  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount,  the  apostolic  commission,  the  discourse 
on  blasphemy  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  on  the 
duties  of  the  disciples  to  forgive  one  another,  and 
the  whole  series  of  invectives  against  the  Phari- 
sees, as  well  as  the  parables  by  the  sea  and  those 
that  are  prophecies  of  the  destruction  of  the 
Jewish  nation. t 

Original  language.  But  though  the  au- 
thorship of  the  Gospel  was  never  called  in  question 
until  the  last  century,  and  is  as  well  established 
as  that  of  any  ancient  book,  it  is  not  certain  that 
we  possess  this  Gospel  in  its  original  form.  The 
testimony  of  the  early  Church  is  unanimous  that 
Matthew  wrote  originally  in  the  Hebrew  lan- 
guage ;  and  some  confirmation  is  lent  to  this 
opinion  by  the  fact  that  there  are  indications 
that  he  wrote  his  Gospel  with  special  reference 
to  exerting  his  influence  upon  the  Jews,  and 
from  the  statement  of  at  least  one  of  the'  fathers 
that  he  belonged  to  the  Jewish  party  in  the 
Christian  Church.  On  the  other  hand,  doubt  is 
thrown  over  this  opinion,  both  by  an  examination 
of  the  statements  of  the  fathers,  and  by  a  consid- 
eration of  peculiar  forms  of  language  employed 
in  the  Gospel  itself.  The  question  is  unsettled, 
the  best  scholars  not  agreeing  in  their  judgment 
concerning  it.    If  there  was  a  Hebrew  original, 


*  For  account  of  his  life  see  Commentary,  p.  111.    For 
some  account  of  this  testimony  see  Intro.,  pp.  16-19. 
t  Matt.,  chaps.  5-7;  10-18 :  21-25. 


it  disappeared  at  a  very  early  age.  The  Greek 
Gospel  which  we  now  possess  was,  it  is  almost 
certain,  written  in  Matthew's  lifetune,  and  it  is 
not  at  all  improbable  that  he  wrote  the  Gospel  in 
both  the  Greek  and  Hebrew  languages. 

Time  of  composition.  There  are  no  data 
for  determining  with  accuracy  the  exact  time 
when  it  was  written.  The  testimony  of  the  early 
church,  however,  is  unanimous  that  it  was  the 
first  written  of  the  Gospels  ;  and  this  is  confirmed 
indirectly  by  the  fact  that  in  all  copies  of  the 
N.  T.,  and  in  all  translations,  this  Gospel  has 
been  placed  first.  It  was  probably  composed 
about  the  middle  of  the  first  century. 

Object.  Whether  originally  written  in  the  He- 
brew language  or  not,  it  is  reasonably  certain  that 
it  was  written  originally  for  Jewish  readers.  The 
ancient  opinion  that  Matthew  wrote  in  Hebrew 
indicates  this,  and  the  inference  is  confirmed  by 
its  character.  "We  have,"  says  Dean  Alford, 
"fewer  interpretations  of  Jewish  customs,  laws, 
and  localities  than  in  the  two  other  Gospels. 
The  whole  narrative  proceeds  more  upon  a  Jewish 
view  of  matters,  and  is  concerned  more  to  estab- 
lish that  point,  which  to  a  Jewish  convert  would 
be  most  important — that  Jesus  was  the  Messiah 
prophesied  in  the  Old  Testament.  Hence  the  com- 
mencement of  his  genealogy  from  Abraham  and 
David ;  hence  the  frequent  notice  of  the  neces- 
sity of  this  or  that  event  happening,  because  it  was 
so  foretold  by  the  prophets ;  hence  the  constant 
opposition  of  our  Lord's  spiritually  ethical  teach- 
ing to  the  carnal  formalistic  ethics  of  the  Scribes 
and  Pharisees." 

Characteristics.  Of  these  I  have  already  in- 
cidentally spoken.  His  diction  is  the  Hebraistic 
Greek  of  the  Septuagint ;  his  external  character  as 
a  writer  is  order,  method,  and  simplicity  ;  his  view 
of  Jesus  Christ  is  of  him  as  the  Messiah-King, 
come  to  establish  on  the  earth  the  Kingdom  of 
God ;  and  of  that  kmgdom  he  affords  the  most 
perfect  delmeation  in  his  report  of  the  Sermon 
on  the  Mount  and  the  Parables  by  the  Sea, 


From  Monteith's  Comprehensive  Geography. 


GAZETTEER. 


Bethany  {how^e  or  place  of  dates).  A  well- 
known  village  about  3  miles  from  Jerusalem, 
on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Mt.  of  Olives.  Matt. 
21  :  17;  26  :  6-13 ;  Mark  11  :  1,  11,  13 ;  14  :  3-9  ; 
Luke  19  :  39 ;  3i  :  50,  51 ;  John  11  : 1-46 ;  11  :  18. 

Bethlehem  (house  of  bread)  a  village  5  miles 
south  of  Jerusalem  and  east  of  the  road  to 
Hebron.  It  occupies  part  of  the  summit  and 
sides  of  a  narrow  ridge  which  shoots  out  east- 
ward from  the  central  chain  of  the  Judean 
mountains,  and  breaks  down  abruptly  into  deep 
valleys  on  the  north,  south,  and  east.  The  village 
at  the  present  time  contains  about  500  houses. 
Gen.  35  :  19  ;  Ruth  1  :  19  ;  1  Sam.  16  :  4  ;  3  Sam. 
23  :  15-17  ;  Matt.  3  : 1-18 ;  Luke  3  : 1-30. 

Bethphage  {house  of  unripe  figs).  A  village  on 
the  road  between  Jericho  and  Jerusalem,  and  near 
to  Bethany,  but  whether  east  or  west  of  it  is  not 
known.    Matt.  31  : 1 ;  Mark  11  : 1 ;  Luke  19  :  39. 

Bethsaida  {house  offish).  A  town  of  Galilee, 
on  the  shore  of  the  Lake  of  Gennesaret.  Some 
scholars  suppose  two  towns  of  the  same  name. 
This  is  an  improbable  and  unnecessary  hypoth- 
esis. See  note  on  Mark  6  :  45.  Bethsaida  Julias, 
the  only  one  known  to  have  existed,  was  on  the 
north  shore  of  the  sea,  near  the  mouth  of  the 
river  Jordan.  Matt.  11  :  31 ;  Mark  6  :  45  ;  Luke 
9  :  10  ;  10  :  13  ;  John  1  :  44 ;  13  :  21. 

Caesarea  Philippi.  A  city  about  4  miles 
east  of  Dan,  the  Hazor  and  Baal-Gad  of  Josh. 
11  :  10,  17.  Its  ruins  are  found  in  the  little  village 
of  Banias.     Matt.  16  :  13,  note. 

Cana  {reedy).  A  village  in  the  hUl  country  of 
Galilee,  about  9  miles  north  of  Nazareth,  and 
about  6  or  8  hours  from  Capernaum.  John 
3  : 1-11,  notes ;  4  :  46-54  ;  31  :  3. 

Capernaum.  A  city  on  the  sea  of  Galilee, 
the  centre  of  Christ's  missionary  operations 
throughout  Galilee.  Its  site  is  involved  in  un- 
certainty ;  probably  it  is  to  be  identified  with 
Tell-Hum,  an  uninhabited  ruin.  Matt.  8  :  5,  14 ; 
9  : 1,  9 ;  Mark  1  :  16,  17,  31,  33  ;  Luke  5  :  37  ; 
7  : 1,  8 ;  John  6  :  59. 

Choraziu  {district  of  Zin).  A  town  of  Galilee. 
The  site  is  uncertain,  but  recent  researches  tend 
to  identify  it  with  Kerazeh,  two  miles  north  of 
Tell-Hum.     Matt.  11  :  31 ;  Luke  10  :  13. 

Dalmanutha  {branch).  A  village  on  the 
western  shore  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  perhaps  iden- 
tical with  Magdala.    Mark  8  :  10,  note. 

Dead  Sea.  CaUed  the  Salt  Sea,  The  Sea,  The 
Sea  of  the  Plains,  i.  e.,  the  Arabah,  the  East  Sea, 
Asphaltic  Lake,  and  Sea  of  Sodom.  The  Arabs 
terra  it  Bahr  Lut,  the  "  Sea  of  Lot."  It  is  of  an 
elongated  oval  shape,  broken  by  a  peninsula  which 
projects  from  the  eastern  shore,  near  its  southern 


end,  and  virtually  divides  the  expanse  of  the  water 
into  two  portions.  It  is  about  46  miles  long  by 
10  miles  wide  in  the  widest  part ;  its  area  is  about 
350  square  geographical  miles.  The  northern 
portion  is  of  great  depth,  the  southern  is  shallow. 
The  sea,  m  its  present  extent,  covers  what  was 
once  the  Vale  of  Siddim. 

Decapolis  {of  ten  cities).  A  region  in  the 
north-eastern  part  of  Palestine,  near  the  Sea  of 
Galilee.    Matt.  4  :  35,  note. 

Emmaus.  A  village,  site  unknown,  6  or  8 
miles  from  Jerusalem.    Luke  34  :  13-35. 

Enon.  The  place  where  John  baptized.  Its 
location  is  uncertain.  Robinson  places  it  near 
the  north-eastern  border  of  Judea,  in  the  vicinity 
of  Samaria.    John  3  :  33. 

Ephraim.  A  city  described  as  near  the  wil- 
derness ;  that  is,  perhaps,  the  wild  hiU  country 
north-east  of  Jerusalem.    John  11  :  54. 

Gadara.  A  Roman  town  south-east  of  Tibe- 
rias, giving  name  to  the  country  of  the  Gadarenes. 
Matthew  8  :  38,  note ;  Mark  5:1;  Luke  8  :  36. 

Galilee  (cirrfe).  A  name  originally  confined 
to  a  little  "circuit"  of  country  round  Kadesh- 
Napthali,  in  which  were  situated  twenty  towns 
given  by  Solomon  to  Hiram,  King  of  Tyre.  In 
Christ's  time,  it  embraced  the  whole  northern 
section  of  Palestine,  including  the  ancient  terri- 
tories of  Issachar,  Zebulun,  Asher,  and  Naphtali. 
It  extended  from  the  Mediterranean  to  the  Jordan 
Valley,  and  from  the  base  of  Mt.  Carmel  and  the 
hills  of  Samaria,  to  Phoenicia  and  the  Lebanon 
range.  Remains  of  splendid  synagogues  still  exist 
in  many  of  the  old  towns  and  villages,  showing 
that  from  the  second  to  the  seventh  century  the 
Jews  were  as  prosperous  as  they  were  numerous. 
Josh.  30  :  7 ;  1  Kings  9:3;  Matt.  4  :  15  ;  Mark 
14  :  70  ;  Luke  17  :  11 ;  John  1  :  46  ;  7  :  53.  See 
Matt.  3  :  23,  note. 

Galilee,  Sea  of.  CaUed  also  Sea  of  Gen- 
nesaret, of  Chtnnereth  or  Chinneroth,  and  the 
Lake  of  Tiberias.  For  map  and  description,  see 
Mark  1  :  30,  note. 

Jericho.  An  ancient  city  of  the  Canaanites, 
situated  in  the  vaUey  of  the  Jordan,  at  the 
entrance  of  two  passes  through  the  hUls, — one  to 
Jerusalem,  the  other  to  Ai  and  Bethel.  It  is 
called  in  Judges  1  :  16;  3  :  13,  "City  of  Palm 
Trees."  The  N.  T.  Jericho  was  3  miles  from  the 
fountain  of  Elisha,  the  present  Ain-es- Sultan. 
Josh.2:l-21;6:l;  2Sam.  10:5;  lKingsl6:34; 
3  Kings  3  : 1-33 ;  Ezra  3  :  34;  Neh.  3  :  3 ;  7  :  36 ; 
Jer.  39  : 5 ;  53 : 8 ;  Matt.  30  :  29-34 ;  Mark  10 :  46- 
53 ;  Luke  10  :  30-37  ;  18  :  35,  43  ;  19  : 1-10. 

Jerusalem.  A  city  built  on  a  promontory  of 
rock  that  juts  out  from  the  table-land  of  Judea. 


GAZETTEER. 


Deep  but  narrow  gorges  separate  it  from  sur- 
rounding hills.  It  is  25  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  Mediterranean  Sea,  and  3600  feet  above  the 
valley  of  the  Jordan.  A  valley  divides  its  rocky 
foundation  into  two  hills,  and  the  city  itself  into 
an  upper  and  lower  town.  Josh.  18  :  28  ;  Judg. 
1  :  8 ;  2  Sam.  5:6-9;  1  Kings  3  : 1 ;  2  Chr.  25  : 
23, 24 ;  Neh.,  chaps.  2-«  ;.  2  Kings  24  :  10-10  ;  25. 
For  map,  see  Matt.,  ch.  26,  p.  257. 

Jordan.  The  only  considerable  river  of 
Palestine.  It  rises  in  the  Lebanon  range,  flows 
for  six  miles  through  a  marshy  plain,  enters 
the  waters  of  Merom,  thence  descends  about 
nine  miles  to  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  falling  in  that 
distance  about  600  feet ;  after  quitting  this  lake 
at  its  southern  extremity  it  becomes  a  headlong 
torrent,  widening  in  its  course,  with  many  a 
precipitous  fall  through  a  strange,  lonely  valley, 
occupying  in  its  serpentine  course  200  miles  in 
traversing  a  direct  line  of  not  over  60  ;  and  finally 
empties  into  the  Dead  Sea,  1316  feet  below  the 
Mediterranean  sea  level.  From  the  Sea  of  Galilee 
to  the  Dead  Sea,  it  descends  nearly,  if  not  quite, 
700  feet.  Its  width  varies  from  70  feet,  at  its 
entrance  into  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  to  180  yards  at  its 
entrance  into  the  Dead  Sea.  For  some  of  the 
historical  events  connected  with  the  Jordan,  see 
Josh,  chaps.  3,  4 ;  Judg.  8:4;  10  :  9 :  2  Sam. 
3:  29;  17:  22;  19:15-39;  2  Kings  3  :  7-14 ;  5: 
10-14 ;  6  :  2-7 ;  Matt.  3  :  6,  13 ;  Mark  1  :  5,  9, 

Judea.  This  name  is  now  frequently  applied 
to  the  whole  of  the  Holy  Land,  more  generally 
designated  as  Palestine.  Properly  speaking, 
however,  it  only  signifies  one  of  the  three  prov- 
inces into  which  Palestine,  west  of  the  Jordan, 
was  divided  at  the  time  of  Christ — Galilee,  Sa- 
maria, Judea.  The  province  of  Judea  comprised 
the  territories  of  Judah,  Benjamin,  Simeon,  and 
parts  of  Dan,  from  the  Jordan  to  the  Mediter- 
ranean ;  it  extended  from  the  wilderness  on  the 
south  to  Shiloh  on  the  north,  running  up,  how- 
ever, on  the  sea-coast  west  of  Samaria  to  a  point 
north  of  Caesarea.  After  the  disgrace  of  Arche- 
laus,  A.D.  6,  Judea  was  attached  to  the  Roman 
province  of  Syria  ;  the  procurator,  subordinate  to 
the  Governor  of  Syria,  residing  at  Caesarea. 

Machserns.    See  Matt.  11 :  3,  note. 

Magdala.  A  town  on  the  Sea  of  Galilee, 
identified  with  the  modem  el-Mejdel,  a  little  north 
of  Tiberias.     Matt.  15  :  39 ;  Mark  8  :  10,  note. 

Nain.  A  city  mentioned  only  in  Luke  7  :  11. 
Its  remains  lie  on  the  south  side  of  the  Little 
Hermon,  two  or  three  hours'  distance  from  Naza- 
reth, on  the  road  to  Jerusalem. 

Nazareth.  A  town  situated  in  a  beautiful  val- 
ley about  five  miles  west  of  Tabor.  The  modern 
town  is  supposed  to  have  been  built  upon  the 
ancient  site ;  it  has  a  population  of  3120  persons. 
Matt.  2  :  22,  23,  note  ;  Luke  3  :  39  ;  4  :  16. 

Palestine.    This  name  is   now  universally 


applied  to  the  country  formerly  inhabited  by  the 
Jewish  people,  though  in  the  Bible  it  has  other 
names,  as  Canaan,  Land  of  the  Hebrews,  Land 
of  Judea,  Land  of  Promise,  Land  of  Jehovah, 
and  sometimes  simply  The  Land.  In  size  and 
shape  Palestine  does  not  differ  widely  from  the 
State  of  Vermont ;  its  length  is  about  180  miles, 
its  average  breadth  65.  But  its  variety  of  cli- 
mate, productions,  and  geographical  features 
have  no  parallel  in  any  section  of  equally  limited 
area  on  the  American  continent.  By  its  physical 
features  it  is  divided  into  three  long  and  narrow 
parallel  sections- -the  valley  of  the  Jordan,  the 
hill  country  of  Central  Palestine,  and  the  rich 
and  fertile  lowlands  which  border  on  the  Medi- 
terranean. On  the  north  the  hiUs  rise  into 
mountains,  reaching,  in  the  Lebanon  and  Anti- 
Lebanon,  a  height  of  from  6000  to  8000  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  ocean.  In  the  south 
they  drop  down  into  the  level  plains  of  the  des- 
ert, while  the  waters  of  the  Dead  Sea  are  1316 
feet  below  the  Mediterranean.  Politically,  at 
the  time  of  Christ  Palestine  was  divided  into 
four  sections  —  Judea,  Samaria,  Galilee,  and 
Perea.    See  Luke  3  : 1,  note  and  map. 

Perea  {beyond).  The  region  east  of  the  river 
Jordan,  including  Bashan  and  Gilead,  because 
lying  beyond  the  river  Jordan,  so  called ;  in  mod- 
ern literature  it  is  often  entitled  the  trans- 
Jordanic  region.  In  the  time  of  Christ  it  was 
fertile  and  populous,  and  inhabited  by  a  mixed 
population,  partly  Roman,  partly  Jewish.  It  is 
said  that  the  Jordan  valley  alone  contains  the  ruins 
of  127  villages.  Most  of  the  events  and  incidents 
in  Luke,  chaps.  10-18,  occurred  in  this  district. 

Salini.    Site  unknown. 

Samaria.  The  province  of  Samaria  once 
included  all  of  Palestine  north  of  Judea.  That 
portion  east  of  the  Jordan  which  originally  be- 
longed to  it  was  taken  away  by  the  kings  of 
Assyria;  then  the  northern  portion,  Galilee, 
shared  the  same  fate  ;  and  Samaria  was  reduced 
to  the  dimensions  which  it  possessed  in  the  time 
of  Christ.  1  Chron.  5  :  26 ;  2  Kmgs  15  :  29 ; 
Luke  9  :  51-56 ;  10  :  25-37  ;  John  4  :  39-43. 

Sidon,  or  Zidon.  An  ancient  city  of  Phoeni- 
cia, about  20  miles  north  of  Tyre,  and  nearly  40 
miles  south  of  Beirut.    See  Matt.  11  :  21,  note. 

Sychar.  A  celebrated  city  of  Palestine  ;  called 
also  Sichem,  Shechem,  and  Sychem.  The  mod- 
em town  is  called  Nablous,  and  contains  about 
8000  inhabitants.  It  is  beautifully  located  in  a 
fertile  valley  between  Mt.  Ebal  and  Gerizim, 
about  seven  miles  south  of  Samaria.  Gen.  23  : 
18-20 ;  Josh.  24  : 1-23,  32  ;  Judges  9  ;  1  Kings 
12  : 1-35 ;  2  Chron.  10  ;  Jer.  41  :  5  ;  John  4  :  5. 

Tyre.  A  commercial  city  of  Phoenicia,  on 
the  eastern  shore  of  the  Mediterranean.  Its  pres- 
ent population  numbers  between  3000  and  4000, 
the  half  being  Christians.    See  Matt.  11 :  21,  note. 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO 


MATTHEW. 


T 


CHAPTER    I. 

HE  boDk  of  the  generation^  of  Jesus  Christ,  the 
son  of  David,"  the  son^  of  Abraham. 


2  Abraham''  begat  Isaac  ;  and  Isaac''  begat  Jacob  ; 
and  Jacobf  begat  Judas  and  his  brethren  ; 

3  And  Judas  begat  Phares^  and   Zara  of  Thamar  ; 
and  Phares  begat  Esrom  -^  and  Esrom  begat  Aram  ;' 


a  Luke  3  :  23,  &c b  ch.  22  :  45  ;  Ps. 


..e  Gen.  25:  26 f  Gen. 


1  : 1-17.  THE  GENEALOGY  OF  JESUS  CHRIST.-The 
Old  Testament  prepares  for  the  New.— Christ 
IS  the  consummation  of  Jewish  history.— Har- 
lots (Kahab,  Thamar,  Bathsheba)   share  in  the 

PREPARATION    FOR    HIS    COMIN(i. — JeW  AND  GeNTILE, 

saint  and  sinner  (Abraham,  Ruth,  and  Rahab) 
abe   among  his  ancestors  ;    thus  the  lowliest 

ancestry  PREPARES  FOR  THE  NOBLEST  BIRTH.— ThE 
SON    OF  A    PEASANT,  TBCB  SON  OF    DaVID,  THE  SON  OF 

God  are  all  one.— God  preserves  for  his  pur- 
pose THE  PIOUS  FAMILY.  "  It  MAY  GO  DOWN,  BUT 
NOT  GO  out;  it  stands  BECAUSE  IT  WITHSTANDS." 

1.   The  book  of  the  generation,  i.  e.,  the 

genealogical  register  of  Jesus  Christ.  This  is  the 
title  of  the  first  seventeen  verses  of  this  chapter, 
not  of  the  whole  Gospel  as  has  sometimes  been 
supposed.  It  was  customary  for  the  Jewish  fam- 
ilies to  keep  with  care  records  of  their  pedigree. 
Among  the  Jews  the  land  was  divided  among  the 
tribes,  and  according  to  families,  the  monarchy 
and  the  priesthood  were  both  hereditary ;  and 
these  facts  gave  to  such  genealogical  registers  of 
the  Jewish  families  a  peculiar  value.  Instances 
of  such  records  are  afforded  by  Gen.  5:1;  3-32 ; 
3.5  :  23-26.  First  Chronicles  is  full  of  such  gene- 
alogies. These  records  were  revived  at  the  time 
of  the  restoration,  and  the  re-settlement  of  the 
land  of  Israel  under  Ezra  and  Nehemiah,  and  the 
allotment  of  priestly  and  other  ofHces  was  appa- 
rently determined  according  to  them  (Ezra,  chaps.  2, 
8  i  Neh.,  chaps.  7, 10,  is).  Son  of,  L  €.,  descendant  of. 
The  term  son  is  frequently  used  in  Scripture  in  this 
enlarged  sense.  The  Messiah  promised  by  the 
prophets  was  to  be  a  son  of  David  (jer.  23:  b;  Ps. 
i3.' :  10,  n),  and  the  chief  object  of  this  genealog- 
ical register  of  Jesus  Christ  appears  to  have  been 
to  show  the  Jews  that  he  was  a  descendant  of 
David,  and  a  child  of  Abraham,  and  so  fulfilled 
the  prophecies  respecting  the  Messiah. 

Another  genealogical  register  is  given  in  Luke 
3  :  23-28.  The  wide  differences  between  them 
have  occasioned  biblical  students  some  difficulty. 
Luke  gives  the  whole  record  from  Adam  ;  Mat- 
thew begins  at  Abraham,  and  omits  many  names 
which  appear  in  the  O.  T.  history.  Such  omis- 
sions of  unimportant  names  in  the  genealogical 
register  are,  however,  common.  But  between 
David  and  Joseph  the  two  lists  are  almost  en- 


tirely different.  This  is  a  more  serious  difficulty. 
Without  entering  here  into  a  full  explanation  of 
the  difficulty  and  its  solutipn,  for  which  the 
reader  must  be  referred  to  the  treatises  which 
have  been  written  on  the  subject,  it  must  suffice 
to  say :  1st.  That  both  genealogies  were  undoubt- 
edly taken  from  the  public  registers,  that  of 
Luke  probably  from  the  record  made  out  for  the 
purpose  of  the  census  ordered  by  Augustus,  and 
referred  to  in  Luke  2  : 1,  3.  2d.  That  both  are 
unquestionably  the  genealogy  of  Joseph  :  gene- 
alogies of  women  were  unknown  to  the  Jews, 
and  a  careful  comparison  of  the  two  refutes  the 
old  hypothesis  that  one  is  the  genealogy  of  Jo- 
seph, and  the  other  of  Mary.  3d.  That  David 
had  four  sons  by  Bathsheba,  and  that  Luke  traces 
the  genealogy  from  Nathan,  one  of  these  four 
sons  (Luke  3 ;  3i),  whUc  Matthew  traces  it  from 
Solomon,  another  son,  and  the  inheritor  of  his 
father's  throne.  Thus  Matthew's  register  shows 
the  regal  descent  of  Jesus  Christ  from  David 
through  Solomon,  and  his  consequent  right,  so 
to  speak,  to  sit  on  the  throne  of  his  father  David 
— while  Luke  gives  his  natural  and  actual  de- 
scent through  Nathan,  and  the  two  come  togeth- 
er at  Salathiel.  4th.  That  it  is  probable  that 
Mary  was  the  cousin  of  Joseph,  her  husband  ;  so 
that  in  point  of  fact,  though  not  in  form,  both 
genealogies  are  hers  as  well  as  his.  5th.  That 
the  fact  that  Jesus  was  a  descendant  of  David 
does  not  rest  alone  upon  the  testimony  of  these 
genealogies.  Psalm  133  :  11 ;  Luke  1  :  33 ;  Rom. 
1  :  3  show  very  clearly  that  Mary  also  was  of  the 
family  of  David.  The  reason  why  Jesus  is  shown 
to  be  of  the  family  of  DaVid,  by  tracing  his  de- 
scent through  Joseph,  his  putative  father,  and 
not  through  Mary,  his  real  mother,  is  to  be  found 
in  the  fact  that  the  Jews  would  not  have  recog- 
nized any  fulfillment  of  the  ancient  prophecy  ia 
a  genealogy  through  the  mother,  which  that  age 
never  recognized. 

2-6.  Judas,  Greek  form  of  patriarch  Judah, 
eldest  son  of  Jacob,  and  progenitor  of  the  tribe 
of  Judah,  to  which  Jesus  Christ  belonged. 
From  his  name  come  the  words  Judea  and  Jews. 
Phares  and  Zara,  same  as  Pharez  and  Zarah 
(Genesis  38 ;  29,  so).     The  Tcst  of  the  geuealogj  to 


54 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  L 


4  And  Aram  begat  Aminadab  ;  and  Aminadab  begat 
Naasson ; '  and  Naasson  begat  Salmon  -^ 

5  And  Salmon  begat  Booz  of  Rachab ;'  and  Booz 
begat  Obed"  of  Ruth  ;  and  Obed  begat  Jesse  ; 

6  And  Jesse  begat  David"  the  king  ;  and  David  the 
king  begat  Solomon"  of  her  i/tat  had  been  the  wife  of 
Urias  : 

7  And  Solomon  begat  Roboam  ;p  and  Roboam  begat 
Abia  ;  and  Abia  begat  Asa  ; 

8  And  Asa  begat  Josaphat ;  and  Josaphat  begat  Jo- 
ram  :  and  Joram  begat  Ozias  ; 

9  And  Ozias  begat  Joatham  ;  and  Joatham  begat 
Achaz  :  and  Achaz  begat  Ezekias  ; 

10  And  Ezekiasi  begat  Manasses  ;  and  Manasses  be- 
gat Amon  ;  and  Amon  begat  Josias  ; 

11  And  Josias  begat  Jechonias  and  his  brethren, 
about  the  time  they  were  carried  away  to  Babylon  ; 


12  And  after  they  were  brought  to  Babylon,  Jecho- 
nias begat  Salathiel :'  and  Salathiel  begat  Zorobabel  f 

13  And  Zorobabel  begat  Abiud  ;  and  Abiud  begat 
Eliakiin  ;  and  Eliakim  begat  Azor  ; 

14  And  Azor  begat  Sadoc  ;  and  Sadoc  begat  Achim  ; 
and  Achim  begat  Eliud  ; 

15  And  Eliud  begat  Eleazar ;  and  Eleazar  begat 
Matthan  ;  and  Matthan  begat  Jacob  ; 

16  And  Jacob  begat  Joseph  the  husband  of  Mary, 
of  whom  was  born  Jesus,  who  is  called  Christ. 

17  So  all  the  generations  from  Abraham  lo  David  are 
fourteen  generations  ;  and  from  David  until  the  carry- 
ing away  into  Babylon  are  fourteen  generations  ;  and 
from  the  carrying  away  into  Babylon  unto  Christ  are 
fourteen  generations. 

18  Now  the  birth'  of  Jesus  Christ  was  on  this  wise  : 
When  as  his  mother  Mary  was  espoused  to  Joseph, 


David  is  the  same  as  that  in  Ruth  4  :  18-23,  ex- 
cept that  the  Greek  and  Hebrew  forms  are  dif- 
ferent, as  Aram  for  Oram,  and  Booz  for  Boaz, 
&c.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  Ruth  was  a 
Moabite,  and  that  thus,  in  the  very  genealogy  of 
Christ,  there  is  implied  a  rebuke  of  the  Jewish 
pride  of  birth  and  disdain  of  the  Gentile  world. 
Boaz,  too,  is  declared  to  be  the  son  of  Rachab, 
i.  e.,  probably  Rahab  the  harlot  (josh.  ch.  2),  who 
was  also  a  GentUe,  and  whose  name,  as  well  as 
that  of  Bathsheba,  and  Thamar,  appears  to  be 
inserted  here  for  the  purpose  of  rebuking  that 
form  of  Phariseeism  which  visits  the  sins  of  the 
mother  on  the  children.  Four  women  are  men- 
tioned in  this  genealogy  ;  of  whom  three  are  de- 
scribed in  the  sacred  history  as  unchaste  at  one 
time  in  their  lives,  though  apparently  subse- 
quently repentant. 

7-11.  These  verses  give  the  regal  succession 
from  the  accession  of  Solomon  to  the  captivity  of 
the  Jews  in  Babylon.  Some  confusion  is  pro- 
duced by  the  fact  that  the  form  of  the  names  is 
changed  from  the  Hebrew  to  the  Greek.  If  we 
change  them  back  to  their  Hebrew,  i.  e.,  to  their 
O.  T.  forms,  they  wUl  read  thus  :  Solomon,  Reho- 
boam,  Abijah,  Asa,  Jehosaphat,  Jehoram  (there 
were  two  kings  of  this  name,  one  the  son  of 
Ahab,  and  king  of  Israel,  the  other  the  son  of 
Jehosaphat  and  king  of  Judah),  Uzziah,  Jotham, 
Ahaz,   Hezekiah,   Manasseh,   Amon,    Josiah    (1 

ChrOD.  3  :  15,  lo). 

12.  Jechonias  begat  Salathiel.  Jeremiah 
(22 :  so)  prophesied  that  Jechonias  should  be 
"  childless,  a  man  that  shall  not  prosper  in  his 
days  ;  for  no  man  of  his  seed  shall  prosper,  sit- 
ting upon  the  throne  of  David,  and  ruling  any 
more  in  Judah."  This  prophecy  may  be  under- 
stood to  mean,  however,  not  that  he  should 
have  no  offspring,  but  that  he  should  have  none 
to  succeed  him  on  the  throne,  as  Alford  inter- 
prets it ;  or  it  may  be  that  Salathiel,  though  not 
his  son,  but  the  son  of  Neir,  and  so  a  descendant 
of  David  through  Nathan  (Luke  3 :  27),  was  adopted 
as  the  heir  of  Jechonias,  as  Lord  Hervey  sup- 


poses (see  art.  on  Salathiel  in  Smith's  Bib.  Diet.). 
Zorobabel,  probably  the  natural  son  of  Pedaiah, 
Salathiel' s  brother  (1  chron.  3 :  19),  but  adopted  by 
his  uncle  Salathiel  and  succeeding  him  as  head 
of  the  house  of  Judah. 

12-17.  These  verses  give  the  genealogy 
from  the  time  of  the  Babylonian  captivity  to  the 
birth  of  Christ.  A  similar  register  is  given  in 
1  Chron.  3  :  19-24,  and  some  of  the  persons  here 
mentioned  are  also  mentioned  in  Luke.  The 
difEerence  in  the  statements  appears  at  first  to 
be  considerable  ;  but  they  are  all  due,  probably, 
to  the  omission  from  one  or  the  other  of  the 
genealogies  of  names  deemed  unimportant,  or  to 
a  difference  in  the  form  of  word  employed  for 
the  same  name,  or  to  the  employment  of  different 
names  for  the  same  person ;  thus  Hannaniah 
(chron.)  and  Joanna  (Luke)  are  the  same  name,  as 
also  probably  are  Abiud  (Matt.),  Juda  (Luke),  and 
Hadaiah  (chron.). 

16.  Jacob  begat  Joseph.  Luke  says  that 
Joseph  was  the  son  of  HeU ;  while  both  Luke 
and  Matthew  agree  in  representing  Joseph's 
grandfather  as  Matthan  or  Matthat.  Jacob  and 
Heli  were  accordingly  brothers.  By  Jewish 
law  even  if  a  man  died  without  issue,  his  broth- 
er was  required  to  marry  his  widow,  and  the 
first-born  succeeded  to  the  rights  of  the  child- 
less husband  (Deut.  25 :  s-io) ;  Jacob  and  Heli  prob- 
ably married  in  succession  the  same  wife  accord- 
ing to  this  law,  and  Joseph,  who  was  the  true 
son  of  one,  was  also  legally  the  son  and  heir  of 
the  other. 

17.  So  all  the  generations are 

fourteen.  In  counting  these  tables  the  first 
person  is  twice  counted  ;  once  as  the  beginning 
of  a  table,  and  once  as  the  end  of  the  preced- 
ing table.  Thus  Abraham  is  the  first,  and  David 
the  last  in  the  first  fourteen,  David  is  the  first 
and  Josiah  the  last  in  the  second  fourteen,  and 
Josiah  is  the  first  and  Joseph  the  last  in  the 
third. 

1  :  18-25.     THE    BIETH    OF    JESUS.  —  See   Note 


[Oh.  I. 


MATTHEW. 


55 


before  they  came  together,  she  was  found  with  child 
of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

19  Then  Joseph  her  husband,  being  a  just  man,  and 
not  willing  to  malic  her  a  public  example,  was  minded" 
to  put  her  away  privily. 

20  But  while  he  thought  on  these  things,  the  angel 
of  the  Lord  appeared  unto  him  in  a  dream,''  saying, 
Joseph,  thou  son  of  David,  fear  not  to  take  unto  thee 


Mary  thy  wife ;  for  that  which  is  conceived  in  ner  is  of 
the  Holy  Ghost. 

21  And  she  shall  bring  forth  a  son,  and  thou  shalt 
call  his  name  JESUS :  for  he  shall  save"  his  pet^le 
from  their  sins. 

22  Now  all  this  was  done,  that  it  might  be  fulfilled 
which  was  spoken  of  the  Lord  by  the  prophet,"  say- 
ings 


'  Job  33  :  15,  17 w  Acts  6:  31;  13:23,38 x  Isa.  1  :  14. 


BELOW  ON  Names  of  Jesus  ;    and  on  the  Incarna- 
tion BEE  Notes  on  John  1. 

18.  Now  the  birth  of  Jesus  Christ.  Ac- 
cording to  the  chronology,  which  regulates  our 
present  system  of  dates,  Jesus  was  born  in  the 
year  of  Rome  754,  and  in  the  first  year  of  the 
present  system  of  reckoning,  i.  e.,  a.d.  1.  But  it 
is  now  generally  agreed  that  this  places  his  birth 
some  years  too  late.  Herod  died  in  the  year  of 
Rome  750,  i.  e.,  B.C.  4.  Jesus  was  bom  during 
the  lifetime  of  Herod,  and  certainly  within  less 
than  two  years  previous  to  his  death  (Matt.  2 :  le), 
i.  e. ,  between  the  years  of  Rome  748  and  750,  or 
between  6  and  4  b.c.  The  time  of  year  of  his 
birth  is  entirely  unknown.  There  is  no  reason 
for  supposing  it  to  have  occurred  on  the  25th  of 
December ;  that  month  was  fixed  upon  for  the 
commemoration  of  his  birth  (in  the  sixth  cen- 
tury) for  the  purpose  of  drawing  ofE  heathen 
converts  from  the  heathen  festivities.  (See  Ab- 
ioWs  Poindar  Meligious  Dictionary,  article  Christ- 
mas.) In  this  wise,  i.  e.,  the  circumstances 
attending  his  birth  were  as  follows.  £.spoused. 
Among  the  ancient  Jews  the  espousal  or  be- 
trothal, answering  to  our  modem  marriage  en- 
gagement, was  a  formal  and  solemn  contract, 
almost  as  much  so  as  the  subsequent  wedding 
itself.  It  was  ratified  on  both  sides  with  oaths 
by  the  parties  or  their  representatives.  After 
betrothal  the  woman  was  considered  to  a  certain 
extent  a  wife  ;  the  contract  could  only  be  set 
aside  by  a  solemn  renunciation  of  it,  answering 
to  a  divorce;  and  if,  after  the  betrothal,  the 
woman  was  guilty  of  infidelity,  she  was  consid- 
ered guilty  of  adultery,  exactly  as  if  the  marriage 
had  taken  place  (Ezek.  le :  8 ;  Deut.  22 :  23, 24).  Came 
together.  The  woman  continued  to  live  at  her 
father's  house  prior  to  the  marriage,  which  was 
completed  by  a  public  bringing  of  the  woman  to 
the  home  of  her  husband.  Before  this  was  ac- 
complished, and  Joseph  and  Mary  had  begun  to 
live  together  as  man  and  wife,  she  was  found  to 
be  with  child. 

19.  Joseph,  her  husband,  so  called,  and 
80  in  some  sense  regarded,  though  they  were  as 
yet  unmarried  (comp.  Gen.  29 :  21 ;  Deut.  22 :  24).  Being 
just,  i.  e.,  haying  a  character  such  as  rendered 
Mm  unwilling  to  pass  by  what  he  deemed  a  fla- 
gitious offence  against  good  morals  and  the  law 
of  God ;  And  yet  not  willing  to  make  her 
a  public  example,  being  also  kind  and  merci- 


ful, and  probably  greatly  attached  to  her  despite 
what  he  supposes  to  be  her  sin.  Intended  to 
put  her  away  privately.  According  to  the 
original  he  not  merely  thought  of  doing  so,  but 
had  resolved  to  do  so.  By  Jewish  law  the  husband 
was  final  judge  in  all  cases  in  which  his  wife  was 
suspected  of  infidelity,  so  far  at  least  that  he 
might  himself  annul  the  marriage,  provided,  how- 
ever, he  gave  her  a  bill  of  divorcement,  setting 
forth  the  reasons  for  his  course.  This  must  be 
in  writing,  and  by  the  rabbinical  law  was  re- 
quired to  be  given  to  her  in  the  presence  of  at 
least  two  witnesses — {Lightfoot).  This,  however, 
apparently  involved  her  in  no  condemnation, 
since  she  might  in  that  case  marry  again  (oeut.  24 : 
1-4).  But  she  could  not  be  proceeded  against 
criminally  without  a  trial ;  in  such  case,  if  found 
guilty  of  adultery,  she  was  put  to  death  by  ston- 
ing (Deut.  22 :  22-24).  Joseph  proposed  not  to  bring 
any  criminal  complaint  against  Mary,  but  simply 
to  give  her  a  writing  of  divorcement  under  the 
provision  of  the  former  of  these  two  laws,  and  so 
separate  from  her.  On  these  provisions  of  di- 
vorce, and  their  bearing  on  the  questions  of  mar- 
riage and  divorce,  we  comment  elsewhere  (Matt. 

19  :  3-9). 

20.  Take  unto  thee  Mary,  thy  wife,le., 

Take  Mary  to  be  thy  wife  ;  do  not  fear  to  com- 
plete the  marriage  relation  begun  by  the  be- 
trothal For  that  which,  etc.  See  on  Luke 
1  :  30,  etc.  Jesus,  same  as  Joshua.  The  name 
of  Joshua  is  rendered  Jesus  once  in  Acts  7 :  45, 
and  once  in  Hebrews  4  :  8.  See  below  on  the 
names  of  Jesus. 

22,  23.  Now  all  this  was  done,  etc., 
The  prophecy  referred  to  is  to  be  found  in  Isaiah 
7  :  14-16.  About  740  B.C.,  Ahaz  being  king  of 
Judah,  an  invasion  was  threatened  by  the  com- 
bined armies  of  Syria  and  Israel.  Ahaz  was 
alarmed,  and  determined  to  call  in  aid  from  As- 
syria for  his  defence.  God  promised  deliverance 
to  Judah,  and  invited  Ahaz  to  ask  a  sign  in  con- 
firmation. This  Ahaz  declined  to  do.  Isaiah 
then,  under  divine  inspiration,  uttered  a  proph- 
ecy, which  is  confessedly  somewhat  enigmatical, 
and  which  Henderson  renders  as  follows.  The 
reader  will  do  well  to  compare  this  translation 
with  that  of  our  English  Bible. 

Behold,  the  virgin  shall  conceive  and  bear  a  son ; 
And  shall  call  his  name  Immanuel. 


56 


MATTHEW. 


Ch.  I] 


23  Behold,  a  virgin  shall  be  with  child,  and  shall 
bring  forth  a  son,  and  they  shall  call  his  name  Emman- 
uel ;  which  being  interpreted  is,  Gody  with  us. 

24  Then  Joseph,  being  raised  from  sleep,  did  as  the 


angel  of  the  Lord  had  bidden  him,  and  took  unto  him 
his  wife  •. 

25  And  knew  her  not  till  she  had  brought  forth  her 
first-born'  son :  and  he  called  his  name  JESUS. » 


Butter  and  honey  shall  he  eat, 
When  he  shall  know  to  reject  what  is  evU, 
And  to  choose  what  is  good. 
But  before  the  youth  shall  have  knowledge 
To  reject  what  is  evil  and  to  choose  what  is  good. 
The  land,  which  thou  destroyest  [Eng.  vers,  abhor- 
rest],  shall  be  forsaken  by  both  its  kings. 

Shortly  after  uttering  this  prophecy  Isaiah  had 
a  child  by  one  who  was,  at  the  time  of  the  proph- 
ecy, a  virgin,  and  the  declaration  was  then  made 
by  God  (Isaiah  8 : 1-4)  that  before  tliis  son  should 
be  able  to  cry,  "My  father  and  my  mother,"  the 
riches  of  Damascus  and  the  spoil  of  Samaria 
shotild  be  taken  away  before  the  king  of  Assyria 
(Isaiah  8 : 1-4).  Ahaz  carried  out  his  contemplated 
plan,  secured  the  aid  of  the  king  of  Assyria,  and 
by  doing  so  repelled  the  invaders.  Damascus, 
the  capital  of  Syria,  was  taken,  and  Rezin  was 
slain.  Shortly  after  Samaria  was  besieged  by  the 
same  Assyrian  king,  and  Israel  was  carried  away 
captive.  Thus,  some  years  before  the  maturity  of 
Isaiah's  son,  both  the  allied  nations,  leagued 
against  Judah,  were  effectually  destroyed  (2  Kings 

16-17  :  6). 

There  are  two  explanations  of  Isaiah's  prophr 
ecy.  One  is  that  he  referred  to  the  birth  of  his 
own  son,  Mahershalalhashbaz  ;  that  his  declara- 
tion should  be  translated  as  in  our  Bible,  "  the 
land  that  thou  abhorrest  shall  be  forsaken  of  both 
her  kings ;"  and  that  this  prophecy  was  literally 
fulfilled  by  the  destruction  of  Damascus  and  the 
death  of  Rezin,  and  by  the  destruction  of  Sama- 
ria and  the  captivity  of  Israel,  as  recorded  in 
2  Kings  16  and  17.  According  to  this  view  Isaiah 
did  not  himself  have  in  mind  the  future  birth  of 
the  Messiah,  though  the  birth  of  his  own  son, 
and  the  consequent  deliverance  of  Israel,  was 
itself  a  prophecy  of  a  greater  deliverance  to 
come,  just  as  the  raising  of  the  brazen  serpent  in 
the  wilderness  was  prophetic  of  the  crucifixion 
of  Christ.  The  other  view  is  that  the  prophecy 
of  Isaiah  was  not  intended  as  a  sign  of  deliver- 
ance but  was  a  rebuke  to  Ahaz  for  persisting  in 
his  appeal  to  the  king  of  Assyria ;  that  the  proph- 
ecy should  be  translated  as  Henderson  translates 
it  in  the  passage  quoted  above  ;  that  by  it  God 
declared  to  Ahaz  that  though  temporary  relief 
should  come,  yet  the  end  of  the  Jewish  nation 
was  not  far  off,  and  that  before  the  Messiah, 
long-promised  and  long-expected,  should  come 
to  years  of  maturity,  the  land  which  Ahaz  by  his 
wickedness  corrupted  and  destroyed,  *.  e.,  the 
land  of  Canaan,  Jehovah's  land,  should  be  for- 
saken of  both  her  kings,  discrowned  and  subject- 


ed to  a  foreign  power.  This  in  fact  occurred : 
for,  at  the  time  of  the  birth  of  Jesus,  Herod  was 
nominally  king  of  the  Jews,  and  after  Herod's 
death,  Archelaus,  his  son,  reigned  in  his  stead ; 
but  in  the  12th  year  of  our  Lord,  the  very  year 
in  which  he  evinced  his  wonderful  discrimi- 
nation by  disputmg  with  the  elders  in  the  temple 
(Luke  2 :  42-46),  Archelaus  was  banished,  and  Judea 
was  reduced  to  a  Roman  province.  The  former 
of  these  two  interpretations  is  the  more  common 
one ;  the  latter  appears  to  me  to  consort  best 
with  the  original  prophecy,  and  its  divine  fulfill- 
ment by  the  birth  of  Jesus  Christ.  It  seems  not 
reasonable,  on  the  one  hand,  to  unagine,  as  some 
have  done,  that  the  birth  of  Jesus  Christ  was  fore- 
told by  Isaiah  as  a  sign  for  the  purpose  of  assuring 
Ahaz  of  national  deliverance,  when,  in  fact,  the 
deliverance  preceded  the  sign  over  seven  centu- 
ries ;  nor  consonant  with  the  direct  declaration 
of  Matthew  that  the  birth  of  Jesus  fulfilled  this 
prophecy,  if,  in  fact,  the  prophecy  had  only  an 
indirect  reference  to  it ;  nor  does  the  birth  of  a 
child,  who  does  not  appear  to  have  been  called 
Immanuel,  by  a  woman  who  was  not  at  the  time 
a  virgin,  appear  to  be  a  real  fulfillment  of  the 
proi^hecy ;  nor  does  it  seem  reasonable  to  sup- 
pose that  God  would  encourage  Ahaz  in  going  on 
with  his  appeal  to  Assyria,  a  heathen  ally,  to 
whom  he  gave  "the  silver  and  gold  that  was 
found  in  the  house  of  the  Lord"  (2 Kings le : s) ; 
while  it  entirely  accords  with  the  circumstances 
of  the  case  to  understand  that  the  prophecies  of 
Isaiah  7  :  li-lG  and  8  :  1^  are  distinct  prophe- 
cies, the  latter  a  declaration  that  Judah  shall  be 
delivered  speedily  from  Syria  and  Israel;  the 
former  that  immediately  subsequent  to  the  birth 
of  the  long-anticipated  Messiah  the  entire  land, 
Israel  and  Judah,  should  be  deprived  of  its  na- 
tional glory,  its  kings  discrowned,  and  itself  re- 
duced to  a  subject  province.  Actual  history  ful- 
fils both  prophecies,  if  thus  understood,  and  thus 
gives  to  this  interpretation  an  additional  confir- 
mation. 

24.  Then  Joseph  took  unto  him  his 
wife ;  perhaps  so  as  to  preclude  suspicion  at- 
taching to  her ;  perhaps  to  convince  her  that  no 
suspicion  lingered  in  his  own  mind.  It  was,  at 
all  events,  a  strong  attestation  of  his  belief  in  the 
divine  message.  Knew  her  not  tiJl  she  had 
brought  forth  her  first-born  son.  Certainly 
there  is  nothing  in  this  verse  to  imply  the  perpet- 
ual virginity  of  Mary.  There  is  some  doubt 
whether  the  word  first-born  belongs  here. 
Alford  thinks  not,  and  suggests  that  it  was  bor- 


Oh.  II.] 


MATTHEW. 


57 


CHAPTER    II. 

NOW  when  Jesus  was  born  in  Bethlehem  of  Judaea 
in  the   days  of  Herod  the  king,  behold,  there 
came  wse  men  from  the  east  to  Jerusalem, 


2  Saying,  Where  is  he  that  is  born''  King  of  the 
Jews  ?  for  we  have  seen  his  star"^  in  the  east,  and  are 
come  to  worship''  him. 

3  When  Herod  the  king  had  heard  these  things^  he 
was  troubled,  and  all  Jerusalem  with  him. 


:  Num.  24  :  17  ;  Isa.  60  :  3 djohn  5  :  23. 


rowed  from  Luke  2  :  7.  The  phrase  seems  to 
imply  that  she  had  other  children,  a  question 
elsewhere  considered  (Matt.  13 ;  55). 

The  Names  of  Jesus. — It  was  the  Hebrew 
custom  to  give  names  possessing  a  special  signi- 
fication (Gen.  27 :  36  J  Exod.  2 :  lo) ;  and  somctimes  to 
change  the  name  as  an  indication  of  a  change  of 
character.  Thus  Abram  {high  father)  was 
changed  to  Abraham  {father  of  a  multitude),  and 
Jacob  (su2}planter),  to  Israel  (a  prince  of  Ood). 
Names  given  by  parents  might  of  course  be 
meaningless,  or  might  prove  inappropriate,  as 
Absalom  {father  of  peace),  and  Rehoboam  {liber- 
ator). The  names  of  Jesus  were  given  by  God 
with  the  distinct  recognition  of  their  significance, 
and  are  therefore  important  indications  of  his 
character  and  work.  Each  of  his  three  names, 
Christ,  Emanuel,  Jesus,  are  symbols  of  truths 
respecting  him  and  his  relations  to  us. 

Christ,  is  a  Greek  word  corresponding  to 
Messiah,  which  is  Hebrew.  Both  mean  the 
"Anointed  One,"  and  both  are  titles  rather  than 
names.  The  original  in  the  0.  T.  is  sometimes 
translated  Messiah,  sometimes  the  Anointed ;  and 
is  applied  to  the  high  priests  and  to  kings  (Lev.  4 : 3, 

5,16;  1  Sam.  12;3,6;  16:6;  2 Sam.  1 :  14  ;  Ps.  18  :  60;  28:8;  Is.45:  l). 

Kings  were  not  always  anointed,  but  the  essential 
element  in  the  inauguration  ceremonies  of  the 
high  priest  was  anointing,  and  he  was  emphat- 
ically the  "Anointed"  to  the  Jews,  as  to  the 
Romanist  the  pope  (i.  e.  papa)  is  emphatically 
the  Holy  Father.  The  reiterated  declaration  of 
the  prophets  that  redemption  should  come 
through  the  Messiah  (Anointed  One),  was  equiv- 
alent to  a  declaration  that  it  should  come 
through  a  Great  High  Priest ;  and  the  high  priest 
himself  was  a  perpetual  and  living  prophecy 
of  the  coming  of  such  a  deliverer.  To  us  Jesus 
is  the  Christ,  the  Messiah,  the  Anointed  One,  i.  e. 
the  one  whom  God  has  anointed  to  be  our  Great 
High  Priest,  through  whom  we  have  access 
"  with  boldness  to  the  throne  of  grace  "  (ueb.  i:9; 

4  :  14-16  ;  ch.  s). 

Emanuel  or  Immanuel  is  a  Hebrew  term 
signifying  "God  with  us."  The  heathen  relig- 
ions generally  represent  God  as  afar  off  or  un- 
known (Acts  17 :  23).  Natural  religion  also  repre- 
sents him  as  the  "Unknown"  and  "Unknow- 
able." "  The  soul  cannever  find  the  soft  bosom 
of  the  mother  in  whose  heart  it  can  nestle." — (0. 
B.  Frothmgham.)  "It  is  alike  our  highest  wis- 
dom and  our  highest  duty  to  regard  that  through 
which  all  things  exist  as  the  '  Unknowable.'  " — 


{Herbert  Spencer.)  Christianity  represents  him 
as  our  Shepherd,  our  Guardian,  our  Guide, 
our  constant  Companion,  our  supreme  Comfort- 
er in  sorrow,  our  strength  in  temptation,  Im- 
manuel, God  with  us.  It  represents  him  in  the 
0.  T.  a  Guide  and  a  Deliverer  (Ps.  is :  23;  ps.  104, 105, 
107) ;  in  the  N.  T.  a  "  God  manifest  in  the  flesh  " 

(John  1  :  14 ;    1  Tim.  3:16;    Heb.  1  :  3.     Compare  Phil.  2  :  6-ll)  ; 

and  in  the  daily  experience  of  the  Christian  he 
is  disclosed  as  a  God  with  us  here  and  now,  be- 
cause he  dwells  with  us  and  in  us,  unknown  to 
the  intellect  but  known  to  the  heart  (Matt.  5:8; 

John  14 :  16-20  ;  and  see  John  14  and  IS  throughout ;  and  compare  Gal. 
2  :  20,  and  similar  passages). 

Jesus  is  a  Hebrew  term,  signifying  help,  de- 
liverance, salvation.  It  is  a  modification  of  the 
name  Joshua,  which  is  itself  an  abbreviation  of 
Jehosua,  i.  e.,  Jehovah  his  help  (Numb,  is :  i6;  i  chron. 
7 :  27).  Its  meaning  is  interpreted  by  the  angel  in 
verse  21,  "For  he  shall  save  his  people  from 
their  sins ;  "  observe,  not  from  the  consequences 
of  their  sins,  but  from  their  sins,  i.  e.,  from  the 
power  and  dominion  of  sin  itself  (pbii.  4:13;  Rom.  7 : 
25 ;  8 :  27 ;  Eph.  6:11,  &c.,  &c.).  This  he  does  bccausc  as 
our  Messiah,  i.  e.  our  high  priest,  he  takes 
away  the  burden  of  the  past,  and  as  our  Imman- 
uel, i.  e.  God  with  us,  he  gives  strength  in  the 
present,  and  assurance  of  victory  in  the  future. 
Thus  the  three  names  of  our  Saviour — Christ, 
"the  anointed  high  priest ;  "  Immanuel,  "God 
with  us  ;"  and  Jesus,  "he  that  saves" — embody 
the  great  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  that  he  makes 
atonement  for  the  past,  is  our  companion  in  the 
present,  and  so  delivers  us  from  the  power  of  sin 
now,  and  its  penalty  hereafter. 

2  :  1-12.  VISIT  OF  THE  MAGI.  The  light  of  na- 
ture IS  BUT  STARLIGHT. — I-T  LEADS  HONEST  INQUmERS 

TO  Christ  by  first  leading  them  to  the  Script 
URE.— He  who  follows  what  light  he  has  will  be 
GIVEN  more  light.— The  heathen  enter  the  KrNG- 
DOM  OF  Christ  before  the  Scribes  (Matt.  8  :  11 
12).— God  adapts  his  TEAcurNG  to  the  learner 
he  teaches  the  Magi  bt  the  stars,  the  ScBmES 
BY  THE  Scriptures.— It  is  better  to  believe  the 

TEACHING  OP  nature  AND  OBEY  IT,  THAN  TO  BE- 
LIEVE THE  TEACHING  OF  THE  SCRIPTURE  AND  DIS- 
OBEY IT.— Herod  is  an  example  of  an  unbelieving 

BELIEVER  ;  HE  BELIEVES  THE  SCRPPTURE,  BUT  "  HOLDS 
IT    IN    UNRIGHTEOUSNESS,"    AND    WRESTS     IT     TO     HIS 

OWN  HUBT  (Rom.  1  :  18  and  note  ;  2  Pet.  3  :  16).— The 

SCROES    POINT  TO   CHRIST  AND   YET  ARE    CAST-AWAY 

(1  Cor.  9  :  27).— The  near  are  sometimes  afar  off; 

AND  the  afar  off  NEAR.- THE  MAGI  SAW  THE  STAR, 
AND  REJOICED  ;     HeROD   HEARD  OP  ChBIST,  AND  WAS 


58 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  IL 


BETHLEHEM. 

Looking  west  from  the  Convent  of  the  Nativity. 


TROUBLED  (1  Kings  18 :  17;  Matt.  10  :  34).    Does  the 

COMING  of  ChBIST  give  TOU  jot  OB  TROUBLE? 

1.    Now   when    Jesus  was    born.     The 

evangelist  passes  over  the  intervening  results 
and  the  account  of  Christ's  birth,  and  the  rea- 
sons which  had  led  his  parents  to  Bethlehem, 
all  of  which  are  given  in  Luke  3  : 1-30,  Beth- 
lehem of  Judea.  A  village  five  miles  south  of 
Jerusalem.  Its  name  Beth-lehem  {house  of  bread) 
was  due  to  the  fertility  of  the  adjacent  corn- 
fields. The  modem  village  contains  about  five 
hundred  houses,  a  famous  convent,  within  which 
is  a  large  rock-hewn  cave  which  the  monks  point 
out  as  the  manger  where  Christ  was  born.  Over 
this  cave  stands  the  Basilica  built  by  St.  Helena 
A.D.  325-337,  in  honor  of  Christ,  the  oldest  mon- 
ument of  Christ  existing  in  the  world.  Bethle- 
hem is  one  of  the  oldest  towns  in  Palestine,  and 
has  a  sacred  history.  Near  it  is  the  tomb  where 
Jacob  buried  Rachel.  The  supposed  site  is  still 
shown  to  travelers.  In  the  adjoining  fields  Ruth 
gleaned  for  grain  and  gained  a  husband.  Here 
David  was  born  and  anointed  king  (oen.  35 ;  le,  19 ; 

Ruth  1  :  19;  1  Sam.  16:  1-13;  2  Sam.  23  :  16-17).       And  here, 


m  the  fourth  century  after  Christ,  Jerome,  flee- 
ing from  persecution,  accomplished  the  great 
work  of  his  life,  the  "Vulgate,"  the  translation 
of  the  Scriptures  into  Latin,  the  accepted  ver- 
sion of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  It  is  called 
Bethlehem  in  Judah  or  Bethlehem-Judah  (Judg. 
17 : 7,8,9;  1  Sam.  17 :  is),  to  distinguish  it  from  anoth- 
er Bethlehem  in  the  tribe  of  Zebulun  near  the 
sea  of  Galilee  (josh.  19 :  15).  It  was  also  called 
Ephrath,  the  fruitful  (cen.  35 :  i9;  48 : 7),  or  Ephratah 

(Micah  6  :  s).  " 

Herod  the  king.  Herod  is  the  name  of  a 
family  which  plays  an  important  part  in  the  his- 
tory of  Palestine.  Seven  of  that  name  are  men- 
tioned in  the  N.  T.,  as  follows  : 

I.  Herod  the  Great. 

II.  Herod  Archelaus.  He  was  a  son  of  Herod 
the  Great,  was  made  by  his  father's  will  one  of 
his  heirs ;  the  will  was  confirmed  by  Augustus 
Cassar,  and  Herod  Archelaus,  with  the  title  of 
monarch,  received  the  one-half  of  his  father's 
dominions,  viz.,  Judea,  Samaria,  and  Idumea, 
with  the  cities  of  Joppa  and  Caesarea.  He  is  the 
Herod  referred  to  below  in  ver.  32. 


Ch.  IL] 


MATTHEW. 


59 


in.  Herod  Antipas,  another  son  of  Herod  the 
Great,  and  by  his  father  appointed  tetrarch  of 
Galilee  and  Perea.  His  ilUeit  marriage  to  Hero- 
dias,  wife  of  his  half-brother  Philip,  was  rebuked 
by  John  the  Baptist ;  the  rebuke  led  to  the  lat- 
ter's  execution.  He  was  the  Herod  before  whom 
our  Lord  was  sent  by  Pilate  during  the  Passion 
week  (Luke  23 : 7).  For  some  account  of  his  life 
and  character  see  Matt,  li  :  1,  note. 

IV.  Herod  PhiUp  I,  known  in  the  N.  T.  as 
Philip,  a  third  son  of  Herod  the  Great,  the  first 
and  lawful  husband  of  Herodias,  and  the  father 
of  Salome  (Matt.  14 : 3,  e).  He  must  not  be  con- 
founded with  the  tetrarch  Philip.  Owing  to  his 
mother's  treachery  he  was  excluded  from  all 
share  in  his  father's  possessions  and  lived  in  a 
private  station. 

V.  Herod  Philip  II,  a  fourth  son  of  Herod  the 
Great  and  made  tetrarch  of  Batanea,  Traehonitis, 
Auranitis  and  some  parts  about  Jamnia.  His 
territory  lay  east  of  Galilee  and  north  of  Perea. 

*He  was  the  founder  of  Csesarea  Philippi,  and 
made  a  new  city,  which  he  called  Julius,  out  of 
Bethsaida,  on  the  northern  shore  of  the  Sea  of 
Galilee.  He  married  Salome,  the  daughter  of 
Herod  Philip  I  and  Herodias.  He  was  by  far  the 
best  of  the  ruling  sons  of  Herod  the  Great ;  is 
referred  to  in  the  N.  T.  only  in  Luke  3  : 1. 

VI.  Herod  Agrippa  I,  a  grandson  of  Herod  the 
Great.  He  is  the  Herod  mentioned  in  Acts 
13  : 1-3,  33.    See  notes  there. 

VII.  Herod  Agrippa  II,  a  son  of  Herod  Agrip- 
pa I.  In  A.D.  53,  he  was  made  ruler,  with  the 
title  of  king,  of  northern  Palestine,  the  previous 
dominions  of  Philip  and  Lysanias.  He  is  the 
Agrippa  before  whom  Paul  was  tried  (Acta  25 :  13, 
22,  23 ;  26 :  27,  28).  Scc  notes  there  for  life  and 
character.  There  were  other  members  of  the 
Herodian  family,  but  these  are  the  only  ones 
mentioned  in  the  N.  T. 

The  Herod  here  referred  to  is  the  father, 
Herod  misnamed  the  Great,  the  second  son  of 
Antipater,  an  Idumean,  appointed  procurator  of 
Judea  by  Julius  Caesar,  b.c.  47,  and  subsequently 
receiving  the  title  of  "King  of  Judea  "  from  the 
Roman  Senate.  He  possessed  energy  of  char- 
acter, but  an  unscrupulous  ambition,  and  was 
remorselessly  cruel.  He  was  made  governor  of 
Galilee  at  the  early  age  of  fifteen,  and  distin- 
guished himself  by  his  campaign  against  the 
brigands  who  infested  the  mountains.  He  trans- 
ferred his  allegiance  without  scruple  from  Cassius 
to  Antony,  and  from  Antony  to  Caesar,  as  in 
succession  they  secured  the  possession  of  the 
political  power  of  Rome.  By  Antony's  influence 
he  was  made  king  of  Judea,  and  on  Antony's 
fall  was  confirmed  in  his  position  by  Caesar.  He 
rebuilt  the  temple  in  great  magnificence  in  Jeru- 
salem, which  is  consequently  known  in  history 
as  Herod's  Temple,  to  distinguish  it  from  Sol- 


omon's Temple  ;  he  also  constructed  another  on 
Mt.  Gerizim  for  the  Samaritans  and  established 
heathen  worship  in  Caesarea  for  the  Romans.  Ey 
nature  jealous  and  suspicious,  a  terrible  distem- 
per, which  finally  brought  his  wretched  life  to  a 
more  wretched  end,  aggravated  the  asperities  of 
his  temper.  In  succession,  his  wife's  grandfather, 
his  wife  herself,  and  three  of  his  own  sons  were 
slain  by  his  command.  His  course  on  hearing 
that  another  "kingof  the  Jews"  was  born,  was 
quite  in  keeping  with  all  that  secular  history 
records  of  his  character.  He  died  miserably  in 
the  70th  year  of  his  age,  and  the  38th  year  of  his 
reign,  issuing  on  his  death-bed  a  characteristic 
order  for  the  massacre  of  the  courtiers  whom  he 
had  called  about  him  in  his  last  Ulness.  Thus  he 
said  he  should  secure  universal  mourning  at  his 
death.  The  events  recorded  in  this  chapter  took 
place  near  the  close  of  his  reign,  probably  during 
the  last  year. 

There  came  wise  men  from  the  east. 
Concerning  these  "wise  men"  three  questions  nat- 
urally call  for  some  answer :  (1)  Who  were  they? 
(3)  From  what  country  did  they  come  ?  (3)  How 
should  they  know  that  the  star  foretold  the  com- 
ing of  Christ  ? 

(1.)  The  original  expression  is  '■'■  Magi  from  the 
East.''''  The  term  magi  is  that  from  which  comes 
our  modern  word  "magician."  Its  etymology 
is  uncertain.  It  is  probably  derived  from  a  word 
{mogh,  priest)  found  in  the  Zend,  the  ancient 
language  in  which  the  sacred  books  of  the  Per- 
sians wei'e  written,  and  is  connected  with  a  simi- 
lar word  {mahal,  great)  in  the  Sanscrit,  from 
which  the  Latin  magnus  and  our  words  major, 
magnify,  magnificent,  etc.,  are  derived.  This 
derivation  corresponds  with  what  is  known  of 
the  magi,  who  were  the  priests  and  the  great 
men,  first  of  Media,  afterwards  of  the  Medo-Per- 
sian  empire.  The  earliest  notice,  in  Scripture,  of 
this  class  is  in  Jer.  39  : 3, 13,  where  mention  is  made 
of  Rab-mag,  which  is  probably  not  a  proper 
name,  but  a  compound  word  signifying  chief 
magi,  after  the  analogy  of  such  words  as  chief 
eunuch  and  chief  butler.  The  same  class  is  re- 
ferred to  in  Jeremiah  50  :  35,  where  our  English 
version  entitles  them  "wise  men."  But  the 
most  frequent  references  to  them  are  in  the  book 
of  Daniel.  To  this  class  Nebuchadnezzar  ap- 
pealed in  vain  for  the  exposition  of  his  dream 
(Dan.  2 : 1-13),  and  Bclshazzar  for  the  interpretation 
of  the  handwriting  on  the  wall  (oan.  s :  1-9).  Dan- 
iel himself  seems  to  have  been  in  some  measure 
identified  with  them,  intercedes  to  save  them 
from  death  (oan.  2  -.  24),  and  accepts  the  oflSce 
of  the  "master  of  the  magicians"  (Dan.  6: 11), 
which  was  probably  that  of  Rab-Mag  or  Chief- 
Magi.  The  origin  of  this  class  is  involved  in  ob- 
scurity. It  is  believed,  however,  to  have  origi- 
nally existed  in  the  Chaldean  empire,  to  have 


60 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  II. 


4  And  when  he  had  gathered «  all  the  chief  priests 
and  scribes  of  the  people  together,  he  demanded  of 
them  where  Christ  should  be  born. 


5  And  they  said  unto  him.  In  Bethlehem  of  Judsea: 
for  thus  it  is  written '  by  the  prophet ; 

6  And  thou  Bethlehem,  in  the  land  of  Juda,  art  not 


P«.  2:2 £  Micah6:2:  John  7  :  42. 


been  preserved  in  the  successive  changes  which 
wars  of  conquest  produced  in  the  political  organ- 
ization and  national  complexion  of  the  eastern 
world,  and  to  have  remained  intact,  though 
modified,  in  the  successive  Assyrian,  Median, 
and  Persian  kingdoms.  This  hypothesis  of  the 
origin  of  this  priestly  class  is  confirmed  by  the 
fact  that  in  the  O.  T.  it  is  not  unfrequently  des- 
ignated by  the  title  Chaldeans  (Dan.  2 : 4,  s,  10,  etc). 
It  certainly  was  not  of  Persian  origin,  and  it  is 
equally  certain  that  it  was  reorganized  and  re- 
formed by  contact  with  the  Persian  religion. 
Under  the  Persian  empire  the  magi  existed  in 
three  orders ;  they  wore  a  peculiar  dress ;  they 
had  direction  of  the  education  of  the  monarch, 
who,  as  the  special  privilege  of  his  rank,  was 
permitted  to  become  acquainted  with  their 
learning ;  next  to  the  king's  wives  and  eunuchs, 
they  stood  nearest  to  his  person,  and  constituted 
his  chief  counsellors  (Esther  1 :  13),  These  peculiar 
prerogatives  were  due  to  the  religious  venera- 
tion which  was  paid  to  them  (see  Dan.  2 :  46).  They 
performed  all  public  religious  rites,  were  the 
teachers  of  all  religious  truths,  and  were  re- 
garded as  the  sole  medium  of  communication 
between  the  Deity  and  his  creatures.  They 
practised  divination,  and  by  various  means — au- 
guries, dreams,  and  especially  a  study  of  the 
stars— assumed  to  read  the  destiny  of  mankind, 
and  to  interpret  the  problems  of  the  future.  It 
was  Daniel's  pre-eminent  success  in  interpreting 
the  dream  which  the  magi  could  not  interpret 
that  placed  him  at  their  head  (Dan.  2 :  47, 48).  The 
fact  that  he  accepted  this  oflSce,  and  still  more 
the  fact  that  Nebuchadnezzer  introduced  as  a 
novelty  a  golden  image  to  be  worshipped,  and 
Darius,  by  special  edict,  forbade  all  petitions  to 
god  or  man  for  thirty  days  (Dan.,  chaps.  3  and  e),  in- 
dicate that  the  magi  were  not  image-worship- 
pers, and  that  their  superstitions  were  mainly, 
or  at  least  largely,  those  of  honest  seekers  after 
truth,  having,  however,  no  other  manifestation 
of  God  than  was  afforded  them  by  nature.  In 
later  days  they  degenerated  into  mere  sooth- 
sayers and  fortune-tellers.  In  the  N.  T.,  except 
in  this  one  passage  in  Matt.,  they  appear  only  as 
impostors.  To  this  class  belonged,  or  pretended 
to  belong,  Simon  the  Sorcerer  (Acts  8 : 9-11)  and 
Bar-jesus  (Acts  13 :  b).  In  classic  history  they  are 
treated  as  a  despicable  class.  But  the  itinerant 
magi,  seeking  personal  aggrandizement  among 
the  ignorant,  by  the  use  of  an  honored  name, 
may  have  been  impostors,  and  yet  the  true  magi 
in  their  own  country,  studying  nature  as  the 


sole  revelation  given  to  them  of  an  unknown 
God,  may  have  been  honest,  honorable,  and 
learned  men,  and  sincere  seekers  after  the 
truth;  and  this  appears  to  have  been  the  case 
with  those  magi  who  followed  the  star  in  the 
East  in  their  search  for  the  Messiah.  Of  the 
later  legends  respecting  them  it  must  suffice  to 
say  that  there  is  nothing  historical  in  any  of 
them ;  the  legend  that  they  were  kings  possibly 
grew  out  of  such  passages  as  Psalms  68  :  29 ; 
73  :  10,  11,  15,  and  Isaiah  60  :  3,  which  it  is  hard- 
ly necessary  to  say  do  not  refer  to  the  worship 
and  gifts  proffered  by  the  magi  to  the  infant 
Jesus ;  the  legend  that  they  were  three  in  num- 
ber, preserved  in  song  and  in  art,  is  said  to  have 
grown  out  of  a  desire  to  find  in  their  visit  a  con-' 
firmation  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  or  to  see 
in  them  representatives  of  the  three  great  divi- 
sions of  the  human  family,  descended  from  Noah. 
During  the  middle  ages  the  bodies  of  these  magi 
were,  it  was  pretended,  discovered;  they  were 
brought  to  Constantinople,  thence  to  Milan,  and 
finally  to  Cologne,  in  whose  cathedral  the  shrine 
of  the  three  kings  is  stUl  shown  as  the  greatest 
of  its  many  treasures. 

(3;)  '■'■The  Ea^V  was  then,  as  it  now  is  with 
us,  a  very  general  term.  Probably  the  country  in- 
dicated to  the  mind  of  any  Palestinian  Jew  would 
be  the  region  stretching  forward  from  the  Jor- 
dan to  the  Euphrates.  Somewhere  in  this  gen- 
eral district  we  must  look  for  the  home  of  the 
magi  who  visited  the  infant  Jesus  ;  but  whether 
in  Arabia,  Persia,  Chaldea,  or  Parthia  cannot 
with  certainty  be  known. 

(3.)  Secular  history  affords  some  answer  to  the 
third  question — How  should  they  know  that  the 
star  foretold  the  coming  of  Christ  ?  An  opinion, 
derived  possibly  through  the  Scriptures,  pre- 
vailed throughout  the  ancient  world  that  a  Mes- 
siah would  come  at  about  this  time.  Confucius, 
in  China,  had  prophesied  the  appearance  of  such 
a  deliverer,  and  a  deputation  of  his  followers, 
going  forth  in  search  of  him,  were  the  means  of 
introducing  Buddhism  into  China.  This  belief 
is  also  recognized  by  Roman  writers,  as  Tacitus 
and  Justinius.  But  the  clearest  of  all  these 
prophecies  was  one  by  Zoroaster,  the  founder  of 
the  reformed  religion  of  Persia,  who  had  foretold 
the  coming  of  a  prophet,  supernaturally  begotten, 
who  should  found  a  kingdom  of  righteousness 
and  peace ;  and  later  traditions,  borrowed  per- 
haps from  the  faith  of  the  Jews  and  the  prophe- 
cies of  Daniel,  during  the  captivity,  led  the  Zo- 
roastians  to  expect  that  this  Messiah  would  be 


Ch.  II.] 


MATTHEW. 


61 


of  the  seed  of  Abraham.  Thus  prepared  to  ex- 
pect the  coming  of  a  Messiah  in  Judea,  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  remarkable  star  traveling  westward 
would  naturally  lead  the  magi  to  recognize  in  it 
an  augury  of  the  Messiah's  coming,  and  to  follow 
it  to  his  birth-place.  The  coming  of  these  magi  af- 
fords a  singularly  literal  fulfillment  of  the  proph- 
ecy of  Isaiah  GO :  1-3  ;  comp.  that  of  Numb.  2i  :  17. 
2.  We  have  seen  his  star  iu  the  East. 
The  ancients  regarded  any  peculiarly  bright  star 
as  a  portent  of  the  advent  of  some  great  person- 
age, and  they  also  believed  that  at  death  their 
heroes  migrated  into  some  star.  Thus  Julius 
Caesar  was  deified  at  his  death,  it  is  said,  because 
of  a  star  which  appeared  at  that  time,  and  into 
which  it  was  believed  he  had  gone.  Respectmg 
the  star  in  the  East  an  extensive  literature  has 
been  written.  The  opinions  respecting  it  are 
given  below.  The  facts,  as  reported  by  Matthew, 
our  sole  authority,  are  these.  The  magi,  coming 
from  the  East  to  Jerusalem,  reported  that  they 
had  seen  a  star  in  the  East,  which  portented  the 
advent  of  an  anticipated  "king  of  the  Jews," 
and  they  came  to  Jerusalem  to  worship  him ; 
they  learned  from  the  Council  where  he  should 
be  born,  viz.,  Bethlehem;  when  they  left 
Jerusalem  the  star  again  preceded  them,  and 
guided  them  to  "where  the  young  child  was," 
an  expression  which  may  indicate  either  the 
town  of  Bethlehem  or  the  house  in  the  town. 
Concerning  it  the  principal  hypotheses  may  be 
classified  as  follows  :  (1.)  That  it  was  not  a  star, 
but  a  miraculous  light,  created  for  the  special 
purpose  of  guiding  the  magi  to  Christ.  This  is 
perhaps  the  most  common  opinion,  but  it  does 
not  accord  with  the  language  of  the  Evangelist, 
who  describes  it  as  a  star-  (Jcnjo),  not  as  a  light 
(Xvxvog).  (2.)  That  it  was  a  meteor,  or  a  comet. 
The  second  hypothesis  is  conceivable",  the  first 
scarcely  so.  For  though  the  Greek  word  ren- 
dered star  is  used  for  a  meteor  (jude  is),  no  me- 
teor, according  to  any  known  laws  of  its  exist- 
ence, could  have  guided  the  magi  so  far,  and  its 
extinction  would  have  been  an  omen  full  of  evil 
to  them.  (3.)  That  it  was  one  of  the  stars  of 
heaven,  then  first  created,  or  then  first  seen,  and 
that  the  guiding  was  due,  not  to  the  real  motion 
of  the  body  itself,  but  to  a  miraculous  diversion 
of  its  rays,  in  a  manner  analogous  to  that  which 
is  by  many  believed  to  have  produced  the  appa- 
rent standing  still  of  the  sun  and  moon  (josh,  lo : 
13),  and  the  going  back  of  the  sun-dial  (2  Kinia  20 : 
11).  This  view  is  maintained,  with  no  inconsider- 
able power,  by  F.  W,  Upham,  in  a  monograph 
on  The  Star  of  our  Lord.  (4.)  That  it  was  a 
conjunction  of  planets,  not  in  a  true  sense  a  mi- 
raculous phenomenon,  and  that  God  thus  em- 
ployed nature  to  guide  to  Christ  those  who  were 
seeking  in  nature  for  a  clearer  revelation  of  God 
and  divine  truth.    It  is  now  certain  that  in  the 


year  TiT  of  Rome,  on  the  20th  of  May,  a  conjunc- 
tion of  Jupiter  and  Saturn  occurred  in  that  part 
of  the  heavens  in  which,  according  to  astrology, 
signs  denoted  the  most  notable  events.  It  was 
repeated  on  the  27th  of  October,  and  again  on  the 
12th  of  November.  The  first  of  these  conjunc- 
tions would  rise,  to  the  Assyrian,  in  the  East, 
three  and  a  half  hours  before  sunrise.  The  jour- 
ney to  Bethlehem  would  occupy  about  five 
months,  and  the  November  conjunction  would 
be  before  them,  in  the  direction  of  Bethlehem, 
when  they  were  at  Jerusalem.  It  was  a  tradi- 
tion with  the  Jews  that  a  similar  conjunction  of 
Jupiter  and  Saturn  preceded  the  birth  of  Moses, 
and  there  are  indications  that  not  only  the  Jews 
but  also  the  Chaldeans  regarded  such  a  conjunc- 
tion as  an  indication  of  the  near  approach  of  the 
Messiah.  The  chief  objection  proposed  to  this 
hypothesis  is  that  such  a  conjunction  could  not 
indicate  "where  the  young  child  was,"  and  the 
notion  that  another  body  of  a  meteoric  nature  did 
this  guiding  does  not  agree  with  the  narrative, 
which  identifies  it  as  the  same  star.  Each  of 
these  opinions  is  purely  hypothetical ;  each  has 
difficulties.  I  incline  to  regard  the  latter  as  most 
consonant  with  the  narrative,  and  to  interpret 
the  language  of  verse  9  to  indicate  simply  that 
the  town  wherein  the  magi  were  to  find  the  Mes- 
siah was  indicated  to  them  by  the  star.  Not 
more  than  two  years  (verse  le)  nor  less  than  five  or 
six  months  intervened  between  the  birth  of  Jesus 
and  the  appearance  of  the  magicians  at  Jerusa- 
lem. The  visit  of  the  shepherds  (Luke  2 :  s-ie)  hav- 
ing preceded,  the  babe  was  no  longer  dwelling  in 
the  stable,  but  in  a  house  (verse  11). 

We  have  come  to  worship  him.  Do 
homage  in  the  eastern  fashion  of  prostration. 
Civil  honors  due  to  a  king,  not  divine  honors  to 
a  God,  are  here  indicated.  Yet  it  must  be  re- 
membered that  the  ancient  heathen  drew  no 
clear  distinction  between  the  two,  and  used  the 
same  word  and  the  same  sign  of  homage  m  both 

cases  (see  Matt.  8  :  2,  note). 

3.  Troubled— agitated,  thrown  into  tumult. 
The  same  word  is  used  in  John  5  :  4,  to  indicate 
a  stirring  up  of  water.  This  is  the  original  mean- 
ing of  the  word.  The  idea  of  uneasiness  or  dis- 
comfort is  secondary.  Josephus  represents  the 
commotion  as  stirred  up  by  the  Pharisees,  who 
prophesied  a  revolution. 

4.  Chief  priests.  The  priesthood  were  di- 
vided into  twenty-four  courses,  each  having  its 
own  chief  or  president  (i  chron.  24 :  e).  The  term 
here  used  probably  includes  the  high  priest  and 
any  who  had  held  that  office,  together  with  the 
chiefs  of  the  priestly  courses.  Scribes— Jewish 
doctors  or  rabbis  learned  in  the  law  and  the 
commentaries  thereon,  the  theologians  of  the 
first  century.  What  Herod  probably  summoned 
was  the  Sanhedrim.    It  was  the  chief  legislative 


62 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  IL 


the  least  amongr  the  princes  of  Juda:  for  out  of  thee 
shall  come  a  (jovemor,  that  shall  rules  my  people 
Israel. 

7  Then  Herod,  when  he  had  privily  called  the  wise 
men,  inquired  of  them  diligently  what  time  the  star 
appeared. 

B  And  he  sent  them  to  Bethlehem  ;  and  said.  Go  and 
search  diligently  for  the  young  child  ;  and  when  ye 
have  found  him^  bring  me  word  again,  that  I  may 
comeh  and  worship  him  also. 

9  When  they  had  heard  the  king,  they  departed  : 
and,  lo,  the  star,  which  they  saw'  m  the  east,  went 
before  them,  till  it  came  and  stood  over  where  the 
young  child  was. 

10  When  they  saw  the  star,  theyj  rejoiced  with 
exceeding  great  joy. 

11  And  when  they  were  come  into  the  house,  they 
saw  the  young  child  with  Mary  his  mother,  and  fell 


down,  and  worshipped  him:  and  when  they  had 
opened  their  treasures,  they  presented  unto  him  gifts  ;' 
gold,  and  frankincense,  and  myrrh. 

12  And  being  warned  of  God'  in  a  dream  that  they 
should  not  return  to  Herod,  they  departed  into  their 
own  country  another  way. 

13  And  when  they  were  departed,  behold,  the  angel 
of  the  Lord  appeareth  to  Joseph  in  a  dream,  saying, 
Arise,  and  take  the  young  child  and  his  mother,  and 
flee  into  Egypt,  and  be  thou  there  until  I  bring  thee 
word  :  for  Herod"  will  seek  the  young  child,  to  de- 
stroy him. 

14  When  he  arose,  he  took  the  young  child  and  his 
mother  by  night,  and  departed  into  Egypt : 

15  And  was  there  until  the  death  ot  Herod,  that  it 
might  be  fulfilled  which  was  spoken  of  the  Lord  by 
the  prophet,  saying,  Out"  of  Egypt  have  1  called  my 


eRev.  2  :  27 h  Prov.  26  :  24 i  verse  2 j  P3.  67  :  4 k  Ps.  72  :  10  ;  Isa.  60  :  6 1  ch.  1  :  20 m  verse  16. 


and  judicial  body  of  the  Jews,  consisted  of  seven- 
ty-one members,  comprised  the  chiefs  of  the 
priestly  courses,  rabbis  learned  in  the  literature 
of  the  church,  and  elders  chosen  from  the  laity. 
It  was  the  body  before  which  Jesus  was  ar- 
raigned, and  subsequently  the  apostles,  as  re- 
corded in  the  Acts  (Matt.  26  ;  57,  69  ;  Acts  4:5;  5  :  27  ; 
6 :  12). 

5.  Prophet — Micah  5  :  2.  The  quotation  is 
not  exact,  but  the  substantial  thought  is  the 
same.  The  very  body  which  subsequently  cru- 
cified Jesus  as  an  impostor,  officially  testifies 
that  his  birth  in  Bethlehem  fulfills  the  prophecy 
uttered  seven  hundred  years  before  respecting 
the  Messiah. 

6.  Princes.  The  Jewish  nation  was  divided 
into  twelve  tribes,  each  tribe  mto  families.  The 
heads  or  chiefs  of  these  families  are  here  indi- 
cated. In  Micah  the  language  is  ^'■thousands  of 
Judah.''''  Here  the  term  princes  stands  for  the 
family  and  its  city  which  the  prince  represented. 
Thus  Bethlehem  itself  was  the  city  of  David. 

7.  Then  Herod  when  he  had  secretly 
called  the  magicians,  without  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  council,  lest  his  object  should  be  sus- 
pected and  defeated.  Inquired  the  exact 
time  when  the  star  appeared,  that  he 
might  know  what  was  the  exact  age  of  the  infant 
whom  he  wished  to  slay. 

8.  Sent  them  to  Bethlehem.  They  had 
evidently  lost  sight  of  the  star  (verse  10),  and  de- 
pended on  Herod  for  information  where  the 
child  should  be  found.  I  may  come,  etc. 
His  purpose  was  to  make  sure  of  the  chUd  that 
he  might  slay  him. 

11.  House.  The  throng  brought  together  by 
the  requirement  of  the  census  had  dispersed, 
and  Joseph  and  Mary  were  no  longer  in  the  stable 
(Luke  2: 7).  With  Mary.  Possibly  Joseph  was  not 
present  at  the  time  ;  possibly  he  is  not  mentioned 
because  the  Evangelist  recognized  the  fact  that 
he  was  not  in  reality  but  only  in  seeming  the 
father  of  the  child.  Treasures  —  chests  or 
boxes.    It  was  customary  in  visits  to  a  sovereign 


to  offer  him  gifts  (1  Kings  10 ;  2,  &c.).  Frankin- 
cense— a  vegetable  resin,  obtained  by  incisions 
in  the  bark  of  a  tree  called  the  arbor  thuris,  bit- 
ter to  the  taste,  used  for  its  odor  in  sacrifices 
(Exod.  30 :  34-36),  and  imported  by  the  Hebrews  gen- 
erally from  Arabia  (isaiah  eO  :  6 ;  Jeremiah  6  :  20),  thOUgh 

the  best  is  said  to  come  from  Persia.  Myrrh — 
an  aromatic  gum  highly  prized  by  the  ancients, 
and  used  in  incense  and  perfumes.  It  distils 
from  incisions  from  a  small  thorny  tree,  which 
grows  chiefly  in  Arabia.  It  is  mentioned  in 
Exod.  30  :  23  as  one  of  the  ingredients  of  the  holy 
oil ;  in  Esther  2  :  12,  Psakn  45  :  8,  Prov.  7  :  17, 
Sol.  Song  1 :  13,  3:6,  etc.,  as  a  perfume.  It 
was  used  also  as  an  anodyne  (Mark  is :  23),  and  for 
embalming  (john  i9 :  39). 

12.  Their  own  country  another  way. 
They  could  easily  go  direct  from  Bethlehem  to 
the  Jordan  river,  leaving  Jerusalem  to  the  north 
and  west.    See  map  of  Palestine. 

2  :  13-23.    FLIGHT  INTO  EGYPT.— CmsisT  comes  to 

HIS  OWN,  AND  HIS  OWN  EECEIYE  mM  NOT  (John  1 : 
11)  ;  HE  IS  CAST  OUT  OP  JUDEA,  AND  GOES  TO  THE 
HEATHEN.  Thus  the  ChKIST-CHILD  PROPHESIES  THE 
FUTCIEE    OP    HIS  OWN    GoSPEL.— HEBOD    EXEMPLIFrES 

the  eollt  and  weetchedness  of  righting  against 
God  (Ps.  2  :  2-4).— Little  children  are  the  ttrbt 
MARTYRS.     Even   they   enter    the    kingdom    op 

HEAVEN  through  SUFFERING.- ThET  ARE  THE  FIRST 
TO   SUFFER,  ABE    KEPT     CLOSEST     IN    THEIR  FATHER'S 

CARE  (Matt  18  :  10),  are  greatest  in  the  kingdom 
OF  heaven  (Matt.  18  :  4).— Joseph's  implicit  obe- 
dience IS  AN  EXAMPLE  TO  US.  "  DUTIES  ARE  OURS  ; 
EVENTS  ARE  GOD'S."— ChBIST'S  HUMILIATION  AS  A 
NaZABENE    PREPARES    FOR    HIS  EXALTATION  AS  KiNG 

OF  KINGS  (Phil.  2  :  5-11). 

13.  Arise— at  once ;  there  was  no  time  for 
delay.  Into  Egypt.  It  was  not  more  than 
three  hundred  miles  distant,  was  a  Roman  pro- 
vince, was  much  inhabited  by  Jews,  and  was  in- 
dependent of  Herod.  It  therefore  afforded  a 
convenient  and  safe  refuge.  Jesus  was  probably 
between  one  and  two  years  old  at  this  time  ;  cer- 
tainly not  over  the  latter  age  (verse  le). 

14.  By  night.    That  is,  that  same  night. 


Ch.  IL] 


MATTHEW. 


63 


i6  Then  Herod,  when  he  saw  that  he  was  mocked 
of  the  wise  men,  was  exceeding  wroth,  and  sent  forth, 
and  slew  all  the  children  that  were  in  Bethlehem,  and 
in  all  the  coasts  thereof,  from  two  years  old  and  under, 
according  to  the  time  which  he  had  diligently  in- 
quired" of  the  wise  men. 

17  Then  was  fulfilled  that  which  was  spoken  by 
Jeremyp  the  prophet,  saying, 

18  In  Rama  was  there  a  voice  heard,  lamentation, 
and  weeping,  and  great  mourning,  Rachel  weeping 


for  her  children,  and  would  not  be  comforted,  because 
they  are  not. 

19  But  when  Herod  was  dead,  behold,  an  angel  of 
the  Lord  appeareth  in  a  dream  to  Joseph  in  Egypt, 

20  Saying,  Arise,  and  take  the  young  child  and  hia 
mother,  and  go  into  the  land  of  Israel :  for  they  are 
dead"!  which  sought  the  young  child's  life. 

21  And  he  arose,  and  took  the  young  child  and  his 
mother,  and  came  into  the  land  of  Israel. 

22  But  when  he  heard  that  Archelaus  did  reign  in 


i7....p  Jer.31  :  15. 


15.  Out  of  Egypt.  This  prophecy  is  in 
Hosea  11  : 1.  It  primarily  refers  to  the  nation 
of  Israel,  and  describes  what  God  had  done  for 
it,  ages  before  the  prophet  wrote,  in  the  emanci- 
pation of  the  Jews  from  slavery.  How  then  is  it 
a  prophecy  of  Christ's  return  from  Egypt  ?  Be- 
cause the  historical  events  in  the  O.  T.  are  many 
of  them  prophetic,  and  point  to  a  fulfillment  in 
the  New  :  the  raising  of  the  brazen  serpent  to 
the  cross  of  Christ,  the  riven  rock  to  the  piercing 
of  the  side  of  Christ,  the  emancipation  of  Israel  to 
the  greater  emancipation  of  humanity  from  sin 
by  Christ.  So  the  calling  of  Israel  1500  years 
before  out  of  Egypt  was  itself  a  prophecy  of  the 
fact  that  Jesus  should  be  called  out  of  Egypt  to 
dwell  in  the  land  of  promise.  "The  subject  of 
all  allusions,  the  represented  in  all  parables  and 
dark  sayings  was  He  who  was  to  come,  or  the 
circumstances  attendant  on  his  advent  and 
reign." — {Alford.) 

16.  When  Herod  saw  that  he  was 
mocked.  The  Evangelist  describes  his  feel- 
ings ;  it  was  one  of  rage  against  them  as  having 
deceived  him  and  so  disappointed  him  in  his 
purpose.  Slew  all  the  children — i.  e.,  male 
children ;  the  number  would  not  have  been  great 
in  a  town  of  the  size  of  Bethlehem.  The  coasts 
thereof— the  borders,  i.  e.,  the  country  in  the 
immediate  vicinity.  There  is  no  authentic  refer- 
ence to  this  slaughter  in  secular  history  ;  but  it 
accords  exactly  with  what  we  know  of  Herod's 

character.      (see  on  verse  1,  above.) 

17.  18.  Jeremy.  Jeremiah.  The  passage  is 
chap.  31 :  ver.  15.  Rama — A  small  town  in  the 
tribe  of  Benjamin,  and  six  miles  north  of  Jerusa- 
lem. It  was  the  birth-place  and  burial-place  of 
Samuel,  and  the  spot  where  Saul  was  anointed 

king  (iSam.  1  :  19,  20;  2:  11;  8:4;  19:  18;  25:  l).      Not  far 

distant  from  Ramah,  yet  south  of  Jerusalem  and 
in  the  more  immediate  vicinity  of  Bethlehem, 
was  the  tomb  of  Rachel  and  the  supposed  place 
of  her  burial  (oen.  35 :  18-20 ;  48 :  ?).  The  passage  in 
Jeremiah  refers  originally  to  an  event  which  oc- 
curred very  soon  after  the  prophecy  was  deliv- 
ered. Jerusalem  was  captured  by  Nebuchadnez- 
zar the  king  of  Babylon ;  Zedekiah,  the  king  of 
Judea,  was  taken  captive,  all  his  sons  were  put  to 
death  before  his  face,  his  eyes  were  then  put  out, 
and  he  was  carried  in  chains  to  Babylon ;  the 
walls  of  Jerusalem  were  broken  down,  and  the 


chiefs  of  the  city  were  carried  away  into  captivity ; 
and  Jeremiah  himself  was  taken  in  chains  as  far 
north  as  Ramah,  the  first  station  where  the  cap- 
tives with  their  guards  would  rendezvous,  M^here 

he   was   released   (Jer.  ch.  39 ;  40  :  l-e  -,  2  Kings  ch.  5).       It 

was  in  reference  to  this  event  that  the  prophecy 
in  Jer.  31:15  was  uttered.  "It  is,"  says 
Michaelis,  "an  exquisite  figure.  Rachel,  during 
all  her  life  ardently  desirous  of  children,  dying  in 
childbirth,  and  buried  on  the  border  of  Benjamin, 
lifts  her  maternal  head  from  her  tomb,  looks 
around  on  the  wide  waste  of  ruin,  and  sees  not  one 
of  her  children  in  all  the  land  !  She  pours  out  her 
heart  in  most  bitter  tears ;  then  God  appears  for 
her  consolation."  But  while  this  prophecy  re- 
ceives its  immediate  fulfillment  m  the  capture 
of  Jerusalem  and  the  terrible  events  which  ac- 
companied it,  it  received  a  second  and  further 
fulfillment  in  the  event  recorded  in  this  chapter. 
The  one  was  a  type  and  prophecy  of  the  other. 
"Divine  prophecies,"  says  Lord  Bacon,  "being 
of  the  nature  of  their  author,  with  whom  a  thou- 
sand years,  are  as  one  day,  are  not  punctually 
fulfilled  at  once,  but  have  springing  and  germi- 
nant  accomplishment  throughout  many  ages;" 
and  Dr.  Wordsworth  adds,  "have,  at  length,  their 
summer  blossom  and  autumnal  ripeness  in  Christ. " 
19.  When  Herod  Avas  dead.  He  died 
soon  after  at  about  seventy  years  of  age,  of  a 
dreadful  disease,  at  Jericho.  The  stay  in  Egypt 
is  variously  estimated.  EUicott  thinks  that  not 
over  a  fortnight  elapsed  between  the  flight  into 
Egypt  and  the  death  of  Herod.  Greswell  allows 
seven  months ;  other  writers  make  it  still  longer. 
They  are  dead.  The  plural  form  is  often 
used  in  speaking  of  kings.  It  is  possible  there  is 
a  reference  to  those  who  were  concerned  in  the 
massacre  ;  perhaps  to  Antipater,  a  son  of  Herod, 
who  was  put  to  death  by  his  father  just  previous 
to  Herod's  own  death. 

21.  Land  of  Israel.  Not  the  northern  por- 
tion of  Palestine ;  it  is  here  used  as  a  general 
term  for  the  Holy  Land. 

22.  Archelaus.  On  the  death  of  Herod  the 
Great  his  kingdom  was  divided  between  his  three 
sons,  Archelaus,  Antipas,  and  Philip.  Philip's 
domains  lay  aU  east  of  the  Jordan,  and  outside  of 
that  portion  of  Palestine  in  which  Christ  conduct- 
ed his  chief  ministry.  He  is  referred  to  in  Luke  3 : 
1.  Antipas  was  made  tetrarch  of  GaUlee  and  Perea, 


64 


MATTHEW. 


Judsea  in  the  room  of  his  father  Herod,  he  was  afraid 
to  go  thither :  notwithstanding,  being  warned  of  God 
in  a  dream,  he  turned  aside  into  the  parts  of  GaUlee :' 


[Ch.  IL 


23  And  he  came  and  dwelt  in  a  city  called  Naza- 
reth:'  that  it  might  be  fulfilled  which  was  spoken  by 
the  prophets.  He  shall  be  called  a  Nazarene.' 


1 1  ■  4S  . .  t  Num.  G  :  13  :  Jud.  13  -  5  ;  1  Sam.  1:11;  Amos  2  :  10-12  ;  Acts  24 : 


i.  e.,  the  region  east  of  the  Jordan.  He  is  called 
in  the  N.  T.,  Herod  the  tetrarch  (Matt,  u-.i;  Luke  3 : 
19;  9:1;  Acts  13:  i).  To  Archelaus  feU  Idumea,  Ju- 
dea,  and  Samaria.  His  proper  title  was  ethnarch, 
the  liingly  title  perishing  with  his  father,  Herod 
the  Great ;  but  in  the  beginning  of  his  reign  he 
assumed  the  title  of  kmg.  This  division  of  the 
kingdom  is  represented  in  a  map  inserted  at  Luke 
3  : 1.  Archelaus  was  dethroned  in  the  ninth 
year  of  his  reign,  and  banished  to  Vienne,  in 
Gaul,  where  he  is  thought  to  have  died.  The 
fear  of  Joseph  was  very  natural.  The  Jewish 
deputies  in  their  complaints  to  Kome  of  the 
tyranny  of  Archelaus  said,  "he  seemed  to  be  so 
afraid  lest  he  should  not  be  deemed  Herod's  own 
son  that  he  took  especial  care  to  make  his  acts 
prove  it."  See  Josephus,  Antiq.  17  :  11,  2. 
Notwithstanding,  being  warned,  etc. 
This  is  ambiguous.  It  does  not  mean  that  he 
went  to  Galilee  despite  the  fact  that  he  was 
warned  of  God,  but  that  in  consequence  of  the 
divine  direction  he  did  so.  He  turned  aside 
into  the  parts  of  Galilee.  Matthew  writes 
in  seeming  oblivion  of  the  fact  that  Joseph  and 
Mary  came  from  Galilee  in  the  first  instance 
(Luke  2 :  4).  He  may  not  have  known  the  fact ;  or, 
writing  chiefly  for  the  Jews,  he  may  have  wished 
only  to  emphasize  the  fact  that  the  birth  of  Jesus 
took  place  at  Bethlehem  in  accordance  with 
prophecy.  It  is  observable  that  throughout  his 
account  he  points  out  the  fulfillment  of  proph- 
ecy. There  are  in  these  first  two  chapters  five 
references  to  the  Hebrew  prophets  (i  :22;  2:5, 6,  is, 
17,18,23).  Galilee.  The  northernmost  of  three 
provinces  or  districts  into  which  Palestine,  west 
of  the  Jordan,  was  divided  at  the  time  of  Christ. 
(See  map.)  Its  scenery  was  more  ragged  than 
that  of  Judea,  its  inhabitants  a  simple,  humble 
peasantry ;  industrious,  unpretending,  without 
wealth  or  culture,  but  also  without  those  relig- 
ious prejudices  which  excluded  the  Gospel  from 
the  hearts  of  the  Judeans.  Twenty  of  their 
chief  cities  had  been  given  by  Solomon  to  Hiram, 
king  of  Tyre  (i  Kings  9 :  n),  but  had  been  restored 
to  Solomon  again  (2  chron.  8 : 2).  The  people  had 
intermixed  with  other  and  heathen  races,  and 
thus  had  lost  both  Jewish  purity  and  Jewish 
pride.  Their  very  speech  was  provincial  (Matt. 
26 :  73).  Galilee  was  the  scene  of  Christ's  most 
abundant  labors ;  and  all  his  apostles,  except 
Judas  Iscariot,  were  Galileans. 

23.  Nazareth.  Here  first  mentioned  in  the 
Bible.  It  reposes  in  the  bosom  of  a  beautiful 
valley  on  the  northern  edge  of  the  plain  of  Es- 


draelon  and  about  five  miles  west  of  Tabor.  The 
modern  Nazareth  is  one  of  the  better  class  of 
Eastern  villages  and  has  a  population  of  three  or 
four  thousand.  All  the  mhabitants  of  Galilee 
were  looked  on  with  contempt  by  their  wealthier 
and  more  cultured  neighbors  of  Judea ;  but 
Nazareth  suffered  under  special  opprobrium, 
and  this  among  the  Galileans  as  well  as  among 
the  Jews  (john  1 :  4g).  The  origin  of  this  disrepute 
is  not  known.  Called  a  Nazarene.  No  spe- 
cific prophecy  is  referred  to ;  but  probably  (this 
at  least  we  tliink  to  be  the  better  interpretation) 
those  declarations  in  the  prophets  which  declare 
of  the  Messiah  that  he  should  be  despised  and 
rejected  of  men.  In  fulfillment  of  this  prophecy, 
he  was,  from  the  very  beginning,  known  as  a  cit- 
izen of  despised  Nazareth  (isaiah  53  and  Ps.  22). 

The  Bieth  of  Jesus. — The  incidents  connected 
Avith  the  birth  of  Jesus  are  narrated  07il>j  by  Mat- 
thew and  Luke.  Mark  and  John  begin  his  life 
with  his  baptism.  Matthew  and  Luke  do  not 
relate  the  same  incidents  ;  it  is  only  by  comparing 
them  that  we  get  the  entire  story.  To  Matthew 
we  are  indebted  for  the  account  of  the  betrothal, 
the  divine  warnings  to  Joseph,  the  visit  of  the 
magi,  the  flight  into  Egypt,  the  return  to  Naz- 
areth. None  of  these  incidents  are  mentioned 
by  Luke.  To  Luke  we  are  indebted  for  the  ac- 
count of  the  annunciation,  Mary's  psalm  of 
thanksgiving,  the  cause  of  the  visit  of  Joseph 
and  Mary  to  Bethlehem,  the  birth  of  Christ  in  a 
stable,  the  visit  of  the  shepherds,  the  presenta- 
tion of  the  child  at  the  Temple,  and  the  prophecy 
of  Suneon.  The  probable  order  is  as  follows : 
Mary  is  espoused  to  Joseph  (Matt.  1 :  13) ;  the 
birth  of  Jesus  is  announced  to  her,  possibly  be- 
fore her  betrothal  (Luke  1 :  26-33) ;  and  she  visits 
her  cousin  Elizabeth  and  utters  her  psalm  of 
thanksgiving  (39-56) ;  Joseph  discovers  that  she 
is  with  child,  and  is  told  by  God  to  take  her, 
notwithstanding,  as  his  wife  (Matt.  1 :  is-25).  They 
go  up  to  Bethlehem  together,  where  Jesus  is 
bom,  and  the  same  night  the  shepherds  visit  the 
chUd,  having  been  told  of  his  advent  by  the 
angels  (Luke  2 : 8-2o) ;  the  chUd  is  presented  in  the 
Temple  and  the  prophecy  of  Simeon  is  uttered 
(21-38).  Meanwhile  the  star  tu  the  east  has  ap- 
peared to  the  magi,  and  they  have  commenced 
their  journey  toward  Palestine.  After  a  journey 
which  occupies  several  months,  they  find  the 
child,  now  removed  to  a  house,  and  offer  their 
gifts  (Matt.  2 : 1-12).  The  flight  into  Egypt  and 
the  massacre  of  the  infants  follow  (13-23) ;  and 
the  accounts  of  the  two  Evangelists  come  to- 


[Ch.  III. 


MATTHEW. 


65 


CHAPTER    III. 


N  those  days  came  John"  the  Baptist,  preaching  in 
,   the  wilderness  of  Judaea, 


2  And    saying,  Repent   ye:    for    the    kingdom  of 
heaven  is  at  hand. 

3  For  this  is  he  that  was  spoken  of"  by  the  prophet 
Esaias,  saying,  The  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilder- 


1  Luke  3:2;  John  1  :  6 y  Isa.  40  :  3. 


gether  again  with  the  return  of  Joseph  and  Mary 
and  the  child  to  Nazareth  (Matt.  2 :  23 ;  Luke  2 :  39, 40). 
There  is  no  inconsistency  in  the  accounts ;  but 
each  narrates  incidents  which  the  other  passes 
by  in  silence. 

3  : 1-12.  PREACHlIsG  AKD  BAPTISM  OF  JOHN.-Seb 
ON  Luke  3  :  1-18. 

1.  In  those  days.  A  general  terra,  indica- 
ting possibly  the  days  when  Jesus  was  living  with 
his  parents  at  Nazareth,  but  more  probably 
simply  synonymous  with  "  in  that  age  or  ei'a." 
The  phrase  is  used  in  this  way  by  the  Old  Testa- 
ment writers,  e.  g.  Exod.  2 :  11,  where  a  long  in- 
terval is  evidently  to  be  supplied  between  the 
10th  and  11th  verse,  Moses  having  grown  to 
manhood  meanwhile,  and  similarly  by  us  at  the 
present  time,  e.  g.  in  such  phrases  as  "in  these 
days  of  steam  and  electricity."  An  interval  of 
about  thirty  years  (Luke  3  :  23)  occurred  be- 
tween the  birth  of  Jesus  and  the  first  public 
preaching  of  John  the  Baptist.  Concerning  the 
life  of  Jesus  meanwhile,  only  one  Incident  is  re- 
corded by  the  sacred  writers  (Luke  2 :  41-52).  Con- 
cerning Christ's  education  meanwhile,  nothing  is 
positively  known.  He  certainly  did  not  receive 
an  education  in  the  Eabbinical  schools  (john  7 :  15, 
i-.nd  note  there).  Jewish  law  required  every  man  to 
teach  his  son  a  trade,  even  though  he  were  des- 
tined to  a  learned  profession  as  a  theologian, 
and  it  is  therefore  probable  that  Christ  worked 
at  his  father's  bench  learning  the  art  of  the  car- 
penter (Mark  6 :  s).  It  is  probablc,  too,  that  he  at- 
tended the  synagogue  school ;  for  there  Avas  one 
connected  with  every  Jewish  synagogue,  in  which 
the  children  of  the  village  were  taught  to  read 
end  to  cipher,  and  were  instructed  In  their  own 
national  history  and  in  the  Jewish  Scriptures, 
and  to  some  extent  in  the  commentaries  of  the 
scribes  thereon.  It  is  certain,  from  the  incident 
recorded  in  Luke  2 ;  41-53,  that  Jesus  early 
showed  a  great  aptitude  for  religious  studies, 
and  particularly  for  the  deeper  truths  of  re- 
ligion. Meanwhile,  great  political  changes  had 
taken  place  in  Palestine.  Archelaus  had  been 
banished,  the  semblance  of  kingly  authority  pos- 
sessed by  Herod  the  Great  had  been  taken  away, 
and  Judea  was  ruled  directly  by  the  Romans, 
through  a  governor  or  procurator,  Pontius  Pi- 
late. Galilee  continued  under  the  rule  of  Herod 
Antipas,  and  all  of  Christ's  life  and  ministry  con- 
tinued under  the  civil  administration  of  these 
two  men,  Antipas  in  Galilee  and  Pontius  Pilate 
in  Judea  (Luke  3 : 1). 


John  the  Baptist.  He  was  the  son  of  Eliz- 
abeth, a  cousin  of  Marj',  and  was,  therefore,  a 
second  cousin  of  Jesus.  The  circumstances  of 
his  birth  are  recorded  in  Luke  1.    He  was  a  Naz- 

arite  (Lxike  1  :  15,  and  note  there ;  for  an  account  of  the  tows  of  a 
Nazarite,  see  Numb.  ch.  6)  ;    had  Shut    himSClf   Up    tO    a 

solitary  life  of  prayer  and  meditation  (Luke  i :  so), 
from  which  he  emerged  to  preach  the  doctrine 
of  repentance  as  a  preparation  for  the  coming  of 
the  kingdom  of  God.  His  character  was  that  of 
an  ascetic  ;  he  dressed  in  a  rough  garment  woven 
of  camel's  hair,  and  lived  on  locusts  and  wild 
honey,  food  furnished  him  by  the  wilderness 
(see  below,  ver.  4).  A  fuller  accouut  of  his  preaching 
is  given  in  Luke  3  :  4-18  ;  it,  however,  changed  in 
its  nature  after  the  baptism  of  Christ,  from 
which  time  he  preached  not  only  repentance  and 
good  works  as  a  fruit  of  repentance,  but  also 
faith  in  the  Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  sin 
(John  1 :  29-36;  3 :  25-3g).  Preaching,  literally,  pro- 
claiming as  a  herald.  As  one  runs  before  a  king 
announcing  his  coming,  so  John  the  Baptist  came 
before  Christ  proclaiming  the  coming  of  the 
kingdom  of  God.  Wilderness  of  Judea.  The 
region  between  Jerusalem  and  the  river  Jordan 
and  the  Dead  Sea.  "  This  tract  was  not  strictly 
a  desert,  but  thinly  peopled,  and  abounding  in 
pasture  for  flocks."— (-'l?/o/'cZ.)  The  idea  em- 
bodied is  simply  that  he  was  ministering,  not  in 
the  city  and  under  the  mfluence  of  the  hierarchy, 
but  in  the  country,  and  had  rural  habits  and  a 
rural  education.  The  region  is  more  definitely 
fixed  by  Luke  3  : 3,  and  by  his  baptism  of  the 
people,  as  being  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the 
river  Jordan.  He  was  at  this  time  about  thirty 
years  of  age,  the  age  when,  if  he  had  intended 
to  enter  the  priesthood  inherited  from  his  father, 
he  should  have  come  up  to  Jerusalem  to  be  ex^ 
amined  by  the  Sanhedrim. 

2.  Repent.  This  word  in  the  Greek  is  com- 
posed of  two  words — {ut-td),  after,  and  {roi^\  to 
perceive,  i.  e.,  to  perceive  afterwards ;  hence,  to 
change  one's  view,  mind,  or  purpose.  It  has 
been  even  translated  change  your  minds.  But 
this,  in  the  sense  in  which  those  words  are  ordi- 
narily used,  appears  to  be  clearly  inadequate. 
No  idea  of  sorrow  for  sin  is  involved  in  the  ivord ; 
and  though  certainly  genuine  repentance  does 
necessarily  involve  sorrow  for  the  past,  the  radi- 
cal and  fundamental  idea  is,  not  so  much  sorrovir 
as  a  change  ;  a  change,  however,  be  it  obseiTcd, 
not  merely  of  conduct,  but  of  the  thinking  and 
immorta:l  part— a  change  of  one's  view  of  life 
and  truth,  and  a  consequent  change  of  one's  pur- 


G6 


MATTHEW. 


Ch.  Ill] 


ness,  Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord,  make  his  paths 
straight. 

4  And  the  same  John  had  his  raiment"  of  camel's 
hair,  and  a  leathern  girdle  about  his  loins ;  and  his 
meat  was  locusts^  and  wild  honey. 


5  Then  went  out  to  him  Jerusalem,  and  all  Judaea, 
and  all  the  region  round  about  Jordan, 

6  And  were  baptized  of  him  in  Jordan,  confessing^ 
their  sns. 

7  But  when  he  saw  many  of  the  Pharisees  and  Sad- 


ch.  11 :  8;  2  Kings  1:8 x  Lev.  11  :  22.... y  Acts  1  :  5 ;  2  :  38 ;  19  :  4,  6, 


pose  regarding  life.  It  is  interpreted  by  John 
himself  in  his  directions  to  the  people  when  they 
asked  him  what  they  should  do  (Luke  3 :  10-14), 
and  by  Jesus  in  the  parable  of  the  Prodigal  Son, 
who  gave  evidence  of  his  repentance  not  by 
tears,  but  by  leaving  the  far  country  and  his  old 
companions,  and  his  sins  and  consequent  wretch- 
edness, and  returning  to  his  father  with  confes- 
sion and  a  humble  prayer  for  pardon.  "In  the 
N,  T.,  especially  in  St.  Luke  and  in  the  Revela- 
tions, it  denotes  a  change  of  moral  thought  and 
reflection;"  hence,  "to  repent  of  anything  is 
not  only  to  forsake  it,  but  to  change  one's  mind 
and  apprehensions  regarding  it." — {Cremer^s Bib- 
lical Theol.  Diet,  of  N.  T.  Greek.)  Another  Greek 
word  is  used  in  four  passages  in  the  N.  T.,  which 
is  luif ortunately  translated  repent  (Matt.  21 :  29, 32  j 

27  :  3 ;  2  Cor.  7:8;  Heb.  7  :  2l).    ThiS  WOrd  iUVOlVCS  more 

distinctly  the  idea  of  sorrow,  and  it  is  evident 
from  its  use  in  Matt.  27  : 3,  that  the  idea  which  it 
embodies — sorrow  in  consequence  of  sin — is  not 
the  fundamental  or  principal  element  in  a  true  re- 
pentance. 

Kingdom  of  Heaven.  This  phrase  is  used 
only  by  Matthew.  The  synonymous  phrase. 
Kingdom  of  God,  is  used  by  Mark  and  Luke, 
"writing  more  especially  for  the  Gentiles,  who 
were  to  be  disabused  of  their  notion  of  local 
Deities,  and  taught  the  unity  of  God." — ( Words- 
worth.) Sometimes  the  phrase  Kingdom  alone  is 
used,  without  any  explanatory  word  (Matt.  8: 12; 
9 :  35,  etc.).  The  phrase  appears,  at  first  sight,  to 
be  used  in  different  senses,  but  the  meanings  are 
really  essentially  the  same.  It  always  indicates 
a  state  of  cheerful  submission  to  the  will  of  God 
as  the  Supreme  King.  When  applied  to  the  in- 
dividual, it  denotes  that  state  of  heart  in  which 
God's  will  is  recognized  as  the  Supreme  author- 
ity (Matt.  5 : 3).  Applied  to  the  community,  it  in- 
dicates the  advent  of  the  Messiah  as  the  Supreme 
Lord  (in  which  sense  it  is  used  here  by  John  the 
Baptist),  or  his  final  advent,  when  all  will  recog- 
nize his  supreme  authority  (Matt.  16 :  28).  Applied 
to  the  future  life,  it  indicates  that  state  in  which 
there  shall  be  perfect  submission  by  every  heart 
to  the  Divine  will  (Matt.  55 :  34).  The  expressions 
" Kingdom  of  Heaven  "  and  "Kingdom  of  God " 
are  common  in  the  rabbinical  writers,  who  gen- 
erally mean  the  theocracy,  and  who  expected  in 
the  establishment  of  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  the 
restoration  of  political  power  to  the  Jews  and 
Jewish  rulers,  and  hence  to  themselves,  just  as 
to  the  Romanist  the  supremacy  of  the  church 


indicates,  not  the  triumph  of  the  principles  of 
Christ  in  all  organizations,  but  the  political  su- 
premacy of  the  pope  and  the  priesthood.  The 
peculiarity  of  the  preaching  of  John  the  Baptist 
was  that  he  taught  that  all  the  people,  Jews  as 
well  as  Gentiles,  priests  as  well  as  people,  must 
change  their  views  of  truth,  their  moral  concep- 
tions of  God  and  his  kingdom,  and  their  moral 
purposes  respecting  their  own  life,  in  order  to 
enter  into  this  kingdom.  Thus  it  approached 
the  preaching  of  Jesus  to  Nicodemus  in  his  de- 
claration, "  except  a  man  be  bom  again  he  cannot 
see  the  kingdom  of  God." 

3.  Esaias — Greek  form  of  Isaiah.  The  pas- 
sage is  chap.  40  :  3.  The  prophet,  contemplat- 
ing the  restoration  of  the  Jews  from  their  cap- 
tivity in  Babylon,  announces  the  mission  of  John 
the  Baptist  as  a  herald  of  the  Messiah.  Some 
commentators  regarded  this  passage  as  primarily 
a  prophecy  of  the  restoration  of  the  Jews  from 
Babylon,  and  so  fulfilled  long  before  the  birth  of 
John  the  Baptist,  to  whom  they  regard  it  as  only 
applicable  by  a  sort  of  accommodation  (see  Mr.  Bames 
on  Isaiah  40 :  s).  The  better  opinion  (so  Alford, 
Henderson  and  Cowles)  regards  it  as  more  prob- 
ably referring  wholly  to  John ;  "  first,  because 
the  words  are  expressly  quoted  by  three  of  the 
inspired  Evangelists  as  receiving  their  fulfillment 

in  John  (Matt.  3:3;  Mark  1:3;  Luke  3  :  4-6)  ;  and  Sec- 
ondly, because  the  way  was  to  be  prepared  not 
for  the  Jews  but  for  Jehovah  himself."  The 
language  here  is  not  that  of  John  the  Baptist  but 
that  of  Matthew  respecting  him.  It  is  not  "I 
am,"  but  "this  is."  But  John  himself  refers  to 
the  same  prophecy,  and  to  himself  as  its  fulfill- 
ment (John  1 :  23).  Isaiah's  symbol  is  borrowed 
from  a  common  practice  among  Eastern  mon- 
archs,  whose  kingdoms  possessed  no  such  broad 
highways  as  modern  civilization  has  formed  for 
all  the  people,  and  who  therefore,  on  setting  out 
on  any  great  journey,  were  accustomed  to  send  out 
pioneers  to  open  roads  through  the  wilderness  for 
them,  cutting  through  the  hills  and  the  forests, 
and  filling  up  the  hollows.  Such  a  preparation 
for  Christ's  coming  was  the  preaching  of  John 
the  Baptist ;  it  was  his  mission  to  awaken  the 
expectations  of  an  inert  and  sluggish  people; 
and  he  succeeded  wonderfully  in  this  Avork  (Luke 
3 !  15). 

4.  Camel's  hair.  Not  the  camel's  skin  with 
the  hair  on,  but  a  garment  made  of  the  shaggier 
camel's  hair,  woven  into  a  coarse  fabric  like  our 
drugget.     It  was  recognized  as  a  garb  of  the 


[Ch.  hi. 


MATTHEW. 


67 


prophets  (zech.  is :  4),  and  is  still  worn  in  the  East 
by  the  poor  or  those  who  affect  austerity.  His 
dress  resembled  that  of  Elijah,  and  in  this  respect 
also  he  fulfilled  the  prophecy  of  Malachi  4  :  5, 
being  in  other  respects  than  his  attire  and  ascetic 
habits  an  antitype  of  Elijah  (Matt.  11 :  w).  Lo- 
cnsts  and  wild  honey.  '■'■Locusts''''  have 
been  thought  to  designate,  not  the  insect  of  that 
name,  but  the  long  sweet  pods  of  the  locust  tree, 
which  are  still  called  St.  John's  bread  by  the 
monks  of  Palestine.  This  is  a  mistake.  The 
locust  proper  was  permitted  as  an  article  of  food 
by  Moses  (Lev.  U:  52).  Different  species  of  the 
family  are  referred  to  in  the  Bible,  generally  in 
connection  with  their  great  numbers,  or  the  dev- 
astations  which   thej'    commit    (Exod.  10  :  12-15 ;  Deut. 

28 :  38 ;  Joel  1 :  i-i).  They  are,  however,  eaten  in  all 
parts  of  the  world  which  they  frequent,  and  in 
some  places  form  an  important  article  of  food, 
especially  among  the  peasantry  and  lower  classes. 
In  Palestine  they  are  eaten  either  roasted  or 
boiled  in  salt  and  water ;  but  when  preserved  for 
future  use  they  are  dried  in  the  sun,  their  heads, 
wings  and  legs  picked  off,  and  the  bodies 
ground  into  dust.  This  dust  has  naturally  a 
rather  bitter  flavor,  which  is  corrected  by  mix- 
ing it  with  camel's  milk  or  honey,  the  latter 
being  the  favorite  substance  ;  hence  we  may  sup- 
pose that  the  food  of  John  the  Baptist  was,  like 
his  dress,  that  of  those  of  the  people  who  lived 
at  a  distance  from  towns,  and  that  there  was  no 
more  hardship  in  the  one  than  in  the  other. 
Wild  honey.  This  existed  in  such  abundance 
in  the  trunks  of  trees  and  the  crevices  of  the 
rocks  that  to  the  ancient  Israelites  the  land  was 
described  as  "flowing  with  milk  and  honey" 
(Eiod.  3 : 8).  There  is  a  "honej',"  so  called, 
which  exudes  from  the  trees,  and  which  has 
been  supposed  to  be  referred  to  here  and  in 
1  Sam.  14 :  25  ;  but  the  supposition  is  unnecessary 
and  improbable.  In  some  parts  of  northern  Ara- 
bia the  bees  are  said  to  be  so  abundant  that  no 
sooner  is  a  hive  deposited  than  it  is  filled.  Com- 
pare Samson's  experience  in  Judg.  14  :  5-9. 

5.  Then  Avent  out  to  him  Jerusalem, 
etc.  Not  merely  persons  from  these  localities, 
but  such  multitudes  that  it  might  be  said  that 
all  Judea  was  there  ;  so  we  say  now  on  the  occa- 
sion of  a  great  procession,  all  New  York  turned 
out  to  see  it  (compare  n  :  7-15).  About  Jordau — 
i.  e.,  the  regions  in  the  vicinity  of  Jordan  besides 
Judea  and  Jerusalem.  It  would  include  parts 
of  Perea,  Samaria,  Galilee,  and  Gaulonitis.  (See 
map.)  Among  those  that  came  were  a  delega- 
tion from  the  Sanhedrim  at  Jerusalem,  and  sev- 
eral Galileans  who  subsequently  became  Christ's 
disciples  (John  1 :  15, 35-45).  It  should  be  added  that 
the  best  chronologists  are  of  the  opinion  that 
John  commenced  his  preaching  in  the  Sabbatical 
year  (see  Andrews'  Life  of  our  Lord,  p.  139), 


when  the  laws  of  Moses  forbade  all  agricultural 
labor,  and  the  people,  relieved  from  their  ordi- 
nary toil,  were  at  leisure  for  the  hearing-  of  the 

truth  (Eiod.  23:  10,  11;  Lev.  25:  2-7;  Deut.  ch.  15). 

The  Jordan — the  principal  river  of  Palestine. 
It  rises  among  the  Lebanon  mountains  in  the 
north  of  Palestine,  and  flows  almost  exactly  due 
south,  first  through  a  marshy  plain  to  the  Lake 
Huleh  or  Merom  (josh.  ii :  s),  then  about  nine  miles 
to  the  Lake  of  Gennesaret  or  Sea  of  Galilee,  de- 
scending in  this  distance  600  feet,  and  reaching, 
at  the  surface  of  the  lake,  a  point  653  feet  below 
the  surface  of  the  Mediterranean,  and  thence 
issuing  a  headlong  torrent,  crooked  and  precip- 
itous, through  a  narrow  and  desolate  valley, 
occupying  200  miles  in  its  course,  though  trav- 
ersing but  60  in  a  straight  line,  falling  rapidly 
meanwhile,  and  finally  issuing  in  the  Dead  or 
Salt  Sea,  whose  surface  is  over  1300  feet  below 
the  level  of  the  Mediterranean.  Its  average 
width  between  the  two  seas  is  from  70  to  80 
yards,  though  at  its  mouth  it  is  180  yards.  (Mr. 
Barnes  says  ninety  feet,  but  this  is  evidently  an 
error.  See  Lieut.  Lynch's  report.)  The  Jordan 
thus  divides  the  Holy  Land  into  two  sections 
very  clearly  separated,  partly  by  its  waters,  yet 
more  by  the  valley  or  gorge  through  which  it 
flows.  This  separation  exerted  an  important  in- 
fluence on  the  history  of  the  Jewish  people,  a 
part  of  the  tribes,  Reuben,  Gad,  and  half  of  Ma- 
nasseh  remaining,  in  the  distribution  of  the  land, 
east  of  the  Jordan,  and  never  fully  assimilating 
with  their  brethren.  In  O.  T.  times  this  region 
is  described  sometimes  as  the  land  "  on  this  side 
Jordan  "  (Numb.  32: 19),  and  sometimes  as  the  land 
"beyond  Jordan"  (josh.  13 :  s),  or  "the  other  side 
Jordan"  (joah. 7: 7),  according  as  the  location  of 
the  writer  is  east  or  west  of  the  river.  But  the 
phrase  "beyond  Jordan,"  in  the  N.  T.  (johni:  28; 
3 :  26),  signifies  the  district  east  of  the  river.  It  is 
known  in  secular  history  by  the  name  Perea,  sig- 
nifying "beyond." 

6.  And  was  baptized.  See  note  below  on 
baptism  of  Jesus.  Confessing  their  sins. 
The  idea  of  a  public  and  united  confession  ap- 
pears to  be  involved  in  the  original  Greek  word, 
which  is  composed  of  three  words  («z  ouo?  /t/to) 
and  signifies  to  speak  out  together.  It  is  clear, 
both  from  this  word  and  from  Luke  3  :  10-15, 
that  it  is  not  a  private  confession  to  John  which 
is  indicated,  and  that  the  passage  affords  no 
foundation  for  the  doctrine  of  auricular  confes- 
sion, in  support  of  which  it  has  been  quoted. 
The  same  word  is  used  in  Acts  19 :  18,  where  the 
confession  evidently  was  open  and  public,  and  in 
James  5 :  16,  where  the  original  shows  that  a 
mutual  and  common  confession  of  faults,  not  a 
private  confession  to  the  ear  of  the  priest  alone, 
is  intended. 

7.  Pharisees   and    Sadducees.     Phari- 


G8 


MATTHEW. 


Ch.  Ill] 


sees.  This  term  meets  us  here  for  the  first  time 
in  the  Bible.  The  Pharisees  are  generally  defined 
as  a  Jewish  sect,  but  in  fact  they  constituted  the 
orthodox  party  in  Judaism,  and  embraced  the 
great  body  of  the  people.  Historically  the  Phar- 
isees were  the  reformers  of  the  second  century 
before  Christ.  The  sect  arose  as  a  protest  against 
heathen  corruptions  during  the  period  subse- 
quent to  the  captivity.  The  two  characteristic 
features  of  their  creed  were  faith  in  immortality 
and  faith  in  the  absolute  decrees  of  God.  They 
believed  that  all  things  were  ordered  by  his  will, 
that  nothing  therefore  went  wrong.  They  bor- 
rowed their  hope  from  the  future,  and  believed 
that  whatever  appeared  to  go  wrong  here  God 
would  set  right  hereafter.  But  the  laws  of 
Moses  contain  no  clear  revelation  of  any  future 
state.  In  the  main  they  represent  God's  gov- 
ernment as  administered  by  temporal  rewards 
and  punishments.  The  Pharisees,  accordinglj-, 
invented  a  singular  fiction  to  give  authority  to 
their  belief.  They  asserted  that  during  the  forty 
days  which  Moses  spent  in  the  Mount,  Jehovah 
gave  him  an  additional  revelation,  in  which  he 
promulgated  the  doctrine  of  a  future  life  and 
the  duty  of  prayer,  and  aflorded  an  authoritative 
interpretation  of  all  the  written  law.  This  addi- 
tional revelation,  it  v/as  said,  had  been  handed 
down  orally  from  generation  to  generation,  and 
it  was  regarded  by  the  rabbis  as  of  equal  bind- 
ing force  with  the  Scriptures.  Such  a  doctrine 
opened  wide  the  door  to  corruption.  These  oral 
traditions  soon  outgrew  the  written  word,  and 
became  to  the  Pharisees  what,  in  the  middle 
ages,  the  decrees  of  the  Church  were  to  the 
Romanist.  The  Scriptures  took  a  subordinate 
place ;  to  read  them,  except  in  the  light  of  the 
authoritative  interpretation,  was  denounced  as 
equivalent  to  atheism.  This  doctrine  led  in  the 
first  century,  as  in  the  middle  ages,  to  a  rigorous 
but  fruitless  ceremonialism.  All  outward  forms 
of  the  law  were  observed  by  the  Pharisaic  lead- 
ers; but  to  personal  morals  they  were  for  the 
most  part  profoundly  indifferent  (see  Matt.  15 :  2-6, 
and  note  there).  It  is  true  that  somc  of  the  rabbis 
inculcated  a  pure  and  high-toned  morality,  but 
more  frequently  the  spirit  of  even  their  purest 
ethics  was  mercenary.  The  basis  of  their  moral- 
ity was  the  maxim,  "Consider  for  whom  thou 
dost  work,  and  what  is  thy  master  who  will  pay 
thee  thy  wages."  There  were  among  the  Phari- 
sees some  pure  spirits,  who  desired  if  they  did 
not  fully  appreciate  a  more  spiritual  religion, 
and  who  thus  were  in  some  measure  prepared 
for  at  least  the  ethical  teachings  of  Jesus  (Luke  10  .- 

45-28  ;  Mark  12  :  33  ;  15  :  43  ;  John  7  :  60  ;  Acts  15  :  5).      But  tllis 

party  was  neither  strong  in  numbers  nor  in  cour- 
age. Thus  despite  some  pure  precepts  in  their 
inculcations,  the  characteristic  feature  of  their 
religion  was  a  pious  formalism  thinly  covering 


an  intensely  selfish  spirit.  They  fasted  and 
prayed  with  great  regularity  and  precision,  but 
generally  in  public  and  for  applause.  They  paid 
tithes  of  all  they  possessed,  but  their  almsgiving 
was  without  genuine  love.  They  ignored  the 
precepts  of  religion  in  their  lives,  but  were  care- 
ful to  inscribe  them  on  pieces  of  parchment 
bound  on  their  foreheads,  and  to  engrave  them 
upon  the  lintels  of  their  doors.  Religion  became 
a  trade.  "Three  things,"  so  ran  their  proverb, 
"will  make  thee  prosper — prayer,  alms,  and 
penitence."  They  were  not  all  hypocrites  ;  there 
were  many  honest  but  mistaken  souls  among 
them.  Such  was  Saul  of  Tarsus,  a  Pharisee  of 
the  Pharisees.  Their  hypocrisy,  too,  was  for 
the  most  part  unconscious,  and  they  hid  from 
themselves  more  effectually  than  from  others 
the  selfishness  of  their  hearts  by  the  rigor  of 
their  lives.  This  was  the  school  which  consti- 
tuted Christ's  bitterest  foe  while  he  lived,  which 
compassed  his  death,  and  which  endeavored  in 
vain  to  destroy  the  effect  of  his  teachings.  And 
it  is  hardly  too  much  to  say  that  the  spirit  of 
Pharisaism  has  continued  to  be  in  all  ages  the 
most  dangerous  and  deadly  enemy  of  Christian- 
ity, even  when  it  has  assumed  the  name  and  pre- 
tended to  revere  the  memory  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Sadducees.  The  infidels  and  materialists  of 
the  first  century.  They  probably  derive  their 
name  from  one  Zadok,  who  is  supposed  to  have 
been  their  founder.  They  maintained  that  jus- 
tice is  administered  in  this  life,  denied  the  exist- 
ence of  the  soul  beyond  the  grave,  repudiated 
not  only  the  oral  tradition  of  the  Pharisees,  but 
also  the  books  of  the  Bible,  except  the  Penta- 
teuch ;  insisted,  theoretically,  that  virtue  should 
be  practiced  for  its  own  sake,  not  for  the  sake  of 
any  hoped-for  reward ;  denied,  not  the  existence 
of  a  God,  but  his  control  over  and  interest  in  the 
affairs  of  men  ;  were  naturally  led  by  this  theol- 
ogy into  a  loose  and  easy  morality,  the  motto  of 
which  was,  "Let  us  eat  and  drink,  for  to-morrow 
we  die;"  and  were  quite  ready  to  affiliate  with 
the  Gentiles  if  place,  power,  or  wealth  could  be 
obtained  by  so  doing.  The  Pharisees  were  pop- 
ular with  the  common  people,  who  revered  them 
for  the  real  austerity  of  their  doctrine  and  the 
seeming  austerity  of  their  lives.  The  Sadducees 
consisted  wholly  of  men  of  a  cold  and  heartless 
culture,  but  embraced  a  considerable  portion  of 
the  priestly  class,  who  performed  with  uncon- 
cern ceremonies  in  which  they  no  longer  had  any 
faith.  Their  philosophy  was  a  purely  negative 
philosophy,  though  the  same  principles  reappear 
in  new  forms  from  age  to  age,  in  the  same  or  a 
similar  class  of  minds.  Sadduceeism,  as  a  dis- 
tinct school  of  philosophy,  has  long  since  per- 
ished from  Judea,  and  not  even  a  trace  of  its  in- 
fluence or  a  remnant  of  its  literature  has  survived, 
except  that  which  is  incidentally  found  in  the 


Ch.  Ill] 


MATTHEW. 


ducees  come  to  his  baptism,  he  said  unto  them,  O  gen- 
eration?, ot  vipers,  who  hatn  warned  you  to  flee"  trom 
the  wrath  to  come  ? 


8  Bring  forth  therefore  fruits  meet  for  repentance : 

9  And  think  not  to  say  within  yourselves.  We  have 
Abraham  to  our  father :  for  I  say  unto  you,  that  God 


ch.  12:  M;  23  :  33  ;  Isa.  59  :  5;  Luke  3  :  7 a  Jer.  51  :  6  ;  Rom.  1  :  18. 


four  Gospels  and  in  the  writings  of  the  theologi- 
cal opponents  of  the  Sadducees,  the  Pharisees. 

To  this  mention  of  the  two  prmcipal  Jewish 
sects  or  schools  of  philosophy  should  be  added, 
perhaps  here,  a  paragraph  concerning  a  third, 
which  is  not,  however,  directly  referred  to  in  the 
N.  T. — the  Ussenes,  who  may  be  briefly  described 
as  the  Shakers  of  their  age.  "They  lived  in 
communities  by  themselves.  They  discouraged 
marriage.  The  higher  orders  forbade  it.  They 
mamtained  an  absolute  community  of  goods. 
They  abhorred  alike  war,  slavery,  and  commerce. 
Their  Avages  were  regulated  by  an  inflexible  sys- 
tem, administered  by  an  absolute  ecclesiastical 
superior.  The  hours  of  prayer,  meals,  labor, 
were  all  fixed  by  rigorous  rules.  Their  doctrine 
was  simple,  but  mystical.  Their  morals  were 
pure,  but  austere.  Their  religious  forms  were 
observed  with  a  rigor  which  even  surpassed  that 
of  the  Pharisees,  but  were  accompanied  with  a 
life  of  practical  virtue  which  rarely  found  a  par- 
allel in  the  Pharisaic  life.  They  were  initiated 
into  the  order  by  a  secret  service  and  a  novitiate 
of  three  years,  and  were,  at  its  close,  bound  by 
the  most  solemn  oaths  '  to  observe  piety,  justice, 
obedience,  honesty,  and  secrecy.'  For  violation 
of  his  oath,  the  offender  was  excommunicated. 
Having  sworn  that  he  would  receive  no  food  save 
from  his  own  sect,  and  driven  by  excommunica- 
tion from  their  table,  he  perished  miserably  of 
starvation.  Four  thousand  of  these  ascetics 
lived  in  settlements  of  their  own,  chiefly  in  the 
wild  region  which  borders  the  Dead  Sea.  They 
did  not  intermingle  with  their  own  countrymen. 
They  exerted  no  influence  upon  the  religious 
opinions  and  practices  of  their  neighbors.  They 
never  seem  to  have  come  in  contact  with  Christ." 
— {Abbotfs  Jesus  of  Nazareth.)  It  has  been  soberly 
maintained  by  De  Quincy  that  this  latter  sect 
were  disciples  of  Christ,  who  were  misrepre- 
Bented  by  Josephus,  from  whom  most  of  our 
knowledge  of  them  is  derived,  while  other  and 
skeptical  critics  have  endeavored  to  maintain 
that  Christianity  was  itself  an  outgrowth  of  Es- 
senism.  Neither  view,  however,  has  any  warrant 
in  history.  The  strongest  antagonism  exists  be- 
tween the  life  of  bondage  of  the  one  and  the 
spirit  of  freedom  of  the  other.  Doubtless  the 
monastic  habits  of  early  and  mediseval  Christian- 
ity were  analogous  to  those  of  the  Essenes,  but 
they  were  not  in  accordance  with  the  precepts  of 
Jesus  Christ. 

Come  to  his  baptism.  Why  ?  Some  think 
to  oppose  it.  This  is  not  probable,  and  there  is 
nothing  in  the  account  to  indicate  it.    It  is  clear, 


on  the  other  hand,  from  Matt.  21 :  33,  and  Luke 
7  :  30,  33,  that  the  Pharisees  were  not  in  any  con- 
siderable number  baptized  by  John.  Apparently, 
his  preaching  had  produced  a  very  great  agita- 
tion, and  they  came  as  onlookers,  and  to  some 
extent  as  inquirers.  The  latter  fact  is  indicated 
by  the  statement  of  John  (1 :  19),  that  a  delega- 
tion were  sent  out  from  Jerusalem  to  inquire  re- 
specting him.  Offspring  of  vipers,  in  contrast 
with  their  proud  belief  that  they  were  the  favor- 
ites of  God  because  the  children  of  Abraham 
(verse  9 ;  and  compare  analogous  contrast  in 
Christ's  teaching,  John  8 :  39,  44).  The  viper  was 
a  species  of  serpent ;  but  the  term  is  here  used 
as  a  general  term,  and  equivalent  to  serpent, 
which  was  among  the  Jews  a  symbol  of  cunning 
(Gen.  3 :  i),  and  mallcc  (Pa.  58 : 4),  and  an  emblem  of 
the  devil  (cen.  s,  Rev.  12 : 9, 14, 15) ;  SO  that  this  phrase, 
offspring  of  vipers,  was  analogous  to  the  subse- 
quent declaration  of  Christ,  that  the  Pharisees 
were  of  their  "father  the  devil."  Vehemence  of 
invective  may  be  rarely  right ;  but  it  cannot  be 
always  condemned.  There  are  times  when  noth- 
ing else  will  awaken  the  conscience  and  start 
the  sluggish  soul.  The  wrath  to  come.  The 
prophet  Malachi,  who  had  foretold  the  coming 
of  John  the  Baptist,  also  foretold  that  his  advent 
would  be  followed  by  "the  great  and  dreadful 
day  of  the  Lord ' '  (Mai.  3  -.  1-3 ;  4 : 5),  as  it  was  by 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  the  dispersion 
of  the  Jews  among  all  lands,  witnessed  by  some 
of  that  generation  and  probably  by  some  of  John 
the  Baptist's  auditors.  For  among  his  audience 
is  believed  to  have  been  John  the  Evangelist 

(John  1:35;   41,  and  note  there),    whO  WaS    Still    living    at 

the  destruction  of  Jerusalem.  The  primary  ref- 
erence here  undoubtedly  is  to  this  wrath  so  soon 
to  come  upon  the  nation,  though  it  as  undoubt- 
edly refers  secondarily  to  that  greater  and  more 
dreadful  day  of  the  Lord,  the  day  of  final  judg- 
ment, of  which  we  have,  in  Matt,  ch.24,  Christ's 
own  warrant  for  asserting  the  destruction  of  Je- 
rusalem to  be  a  symbol. 

8.  Bring  forth  therefore  fruits  worthy 
of  a  change  of  heart.  Compare  Matt.  7 : 1(3, 
19.  For  a  catalogue  of  the  fruits  of  the  new  life, 
see  Gal.  5  :  22,  23  ;  and  2  Peter  1  : 5-7.  Observe, 
first,  that  John  and  Christ,  as  well  as  the  apos- 
tles, call  for  something  more  than  fruits,  viz. :  a 

change    of   character    (compare   John  3  :  3 ;    2  Cor.  6:17); 

and  second,  that  they  recognize  as  an  evi- 
dence of  a  change  of  heart,  not  a  creed,  a  cere- 
mony, or  a  profession,  hut  fi-ioits  worthy  <f  repent- 
ance. Compare  Matt.  7  :  21-23  ;  John  14  :  21 ; 
Romans,  ch.  12 ;  James  2  :  14-17.    See  the  whole 


70 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  hi. 


is  able  of  these  stones  to  raise  up  children  unto  Abra- 
ham. 

lo  And  now  also  the  axe  is  laid  unto  the  root  of  the 
trees :  therefore  every  tree  which  bringeth  not  forth 
good  fruit,  is  hewn"  down,  and  cast  into  tne  fire. 


11  I  indeed  baptize  you  with  water«  unto  repent- 
ance :  but  he  that  cometh  alter  me  is  mightier  tlian  I, 
whose  shoes  I  am  not  worthy  to  bear :  he  shall  baptize 
you"  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  -with  fire  : 

12  Whose  fan  is  in  his  hand,  and  he  will  throughly 


1  John  15  :  6. . .  .c  Luke  3:16;  Acts  19:4 d  Acta 


truth  embodied  in  Ephes.  2  :  10.  We  are  God's 
worlimanship,  but  we  are  created  unto  good 
works. 

9.  And  do  not  fancy  that  you  may 
say  in  yourselves.  He  interprets  their  own 
plea,  not  uttered,  but  secretly  nourished  in  their 
own  hearts.  We  have  Abraham  to  our 
father.  Contrast  with  verse  7  above.  The 
common  Jewish  idea,  especially  the  Pharisaic 
idea,  was  that  the  children  of  Abraham  were  fa- 
vored of  God.  Says  the  Talmud:  "A  single  Is- 
raelite is  worth  more  before  God  than  all  the 
people  who  have  been  or  shall  be."  A  similar 
feeling  underlies  the  pride  of  birth,  wherever  it 
exists.  The  ideas  set  in  contrast  are  that  which 
regard  moral  character  as  an  inheritance,  and  so 
the  exclusive  prerogative  of  a  few,  and  that 
which  declared  it  to  be  the  gift  of  God,  and  avail- 
able to  all.  Compare  John  1 :  13,  and  note  there. 
Of  these  stones.  The  pebbles  or  shingle  on 
the  beach  of  the  Jordan.  Out  of  the  unlearned 
and  despised  fishermen  of  Galilee  he  raised  up 
his  apostles  (joim  7 :  48).  Out  of  the  hated  and 
outcast  Gentiles  he  built  up  the  new  church,  the 
"new  Jerusalem."  The  head  of  the  corner  was 
itself  a  "stone  which  the  builders  despised" 
(Matt.  21 :  42).  So  God  daily  raiseth  up  children  to 
himself  from  the  stones  of  the  desert ;  the  church 
is  not  made  up  from  the  rich  and  wise  (i  Cor. 
1 :  26-28) ;   stony  hearts  he  converts  to  hearts  of 

flesh  (Eiek.  36  :  26). 

10.  Is  laid  at  the  root,  ready  for  use.  The 
cutting  down  of  the  unfaithful  nation  has  not 
yet  commenced,  but  everything  has  been  made 
ready  for  it  (compare  Luke  13 : 0-9).  Evety  tree, 
etc.  The  only  measure  of  character  is  its 
fruit-bearing  character  (compare  John  15 : 2).  Is  cut 
down.  The  present  form  of  the  verb  indi- 
cates that  John  speaks  of  a  law  always  operat- 
ing in  God's  kingdom.  He  always  destroys  what 
has  ceased  to  serve  a  useful  purpose  ;  the  nation 
that  no  longer  serves  humanity,  as  Persia,  Baby- 
Ion,  Egypt,  Greece,  Rome,  is  dissolved ;  the  tree 
that  no  longer  bears  fruit  for  food,  or  leaves  for 
shade,  perishes ;  the  soul  that  ceases  to  bear  any 
fruit  for  God  and  humanity  is  destroyed.  The 
destruction  may  be,  and  often  is,  delayed  to  give 
space  for  repentance  ;  but  it  is  inevitable,  except 
by  repentance  and  faith  the  character  is  changed 
and  made  fruitful  (Luke  13 : 6-9 ;  Rom.  2 : 4-10).  Cast 
into  the  fire.    The  destruction  is  final.    There 

is    no    restoration    (compare  Watt.  13  :  30;  Luke  3  :  17  ;  John 

15 : 6  i  Heb.  6  •.  8).    In  thesc  and  similar  passages  fire 


is  used  as  a  symbol  of  utter  destruction,  not  of 
purification. 

11.  In  water.  Not  with  water.  The  Greek 
preposition  (i>),  here  translated  vMh,  properly 
signifies  m,  and  certainly  should  be  so  trans- 
lated here.  It  implies  that  John's  baptism 
involved  a  going  into  the  water,  though  not  neces- 
sarily complete  Immersion  in  it.  See  note  below. 
Unto  repentance.  It  was  not  Christian  bap- 
tism, i  e.,  m  the  name  of  the  Father,  the  Son, 
and  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  was  not  established 
until  after  Christ's  resurrection.  See  below.  Is 
mightier  than  I.  "I  call  to  repentance,  he 
remits  sin  ;  I  preach  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  he 
bestows  it.  I  baptize  with  water,  he  with  the 
Spirit  also." — f^Wonlsworth.)  Whose  sho6s  I 
am  not  worthy  to  bear.  In  the  other  Gos- 
pels it  is    "to  unloose  "    (Mark  1:7;  Luke  3  :  16 ;  John  1  : 

27).  It  was  the  office  of  the  slave  to  loose  the 
shoe,  to  tie  the  same,  or  to  carry  it  with  other 
necessary  articles  of  apparel  before  his  master  to 
the  bath.  Shoes  proper  were  worn  by  the 
Greeks  and  Romans,  but  it  appears  to  be  the 
better  opinion  of  biblical  scholars  that  the  Jews 
wore  only,  or  at  least  chiefly,  sandals  which  con- 
sisted simply  of  a  sole  fastened  to  the  foot,  and 
protecting  its  lower  but  not  its  upper  surface. 
It  was  fastened  to  the  foot  by  thongs  or  straps. 
It  was  sometimes  beautifully  ornamented,  in- 
wrought with  lines  of  gold,  silver,  or  silk,  and 
occasionally  embroidered  with  jewels.  The  ma- 
terials were  either  leather,  felt,  cloth,  or  wood. 
It  was  occasionally  shod  with  iron.  Palm-leaves 
and  papyrus-stalks  were  also  sometimes  used. 
Shoes  or  sandals  do  not  appear  to  have  been 
worn  at  all  periods  as  with  ourselves  :  they  were 
laid  aside  when  in-doors,  and  only  put  on  by  per- 
sons about  to  leave  home.  In  the  Holy  Spirit 
and  fire.  A  prophecy  literally  fulfilled  at  the 
Pentecost  (Acts  2 : 1-4).  Obscrvc  that  the  same 
language  is  used  here  as  before  respecting  water, 
in  not  with.  Yet  the  apostles  were  not  im- 
mersed in  fire.  There  is,  says  Jerome,  a  three- 
fold baptism  with  fire  :  the  fire  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  as  at  Pentecost  (so  termed  because  it  makes 
the  recipient  fervent,  that  is,  burning  in  spirit, 
Rom.  12  :  11),  the  fire  of  earthly  trials  (which  are 
compared  to  a  fire  because  of  their  purifying 
power,  1  Pet.  1  :  7 ;  4  :  13,  13),  and  the  fire  which 
at  the  last  shall  try  every  man's  work,  the  great 
trial  which  is  to  test  all  life  and  character  (i  cor. 
3 :  13).  While  John  simply  offers  a  symbolical 
test  of  character,  the  willingness  of  his  hearers 


Ch.  Ill]  MATTHEW.  71 

purge<=  his  floor,  and  gather  his  wheat  into  the  gamer  ;  \  ie  so  now  :   for  thus  it  becometh  us  to  fulfill  all  right- 


but  he  will  burn  up  the  chafiff   with  unquenchable 
tire. 

13  Then  cometh  Jesus  from  Galilee  to  Jordan,  unto 
John,  to  be  baptizede  of  him. 

14  But  John  forbad  him,  saying,  I  have  need  to  be 
baptized  of  thee,  and  comest  thou  to  me  ? 

15  And  Jesus  answering,  said  unto  him.  Suffer  zV  io 


eousness.    Then  he  suffered  him. 

16  And  Jesus,  when  he  was  baptized,  went  up 
straightway  out  of  the  water:  and,  lo,  the  heavens 
were  opened  unto  him,  and  he  saw  the  Spirit  of  God*" 
descending  like  a  dove,  and  lighting  upon  him  : 

17  And,  lo,  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying.  This  is  my 
beloved'  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased. 


.h  Isa. 


;  2 ;  4i  :  1  ;  61:1;  John  3  :  34. 


to  acknowledge  publicly  their  sins,  and  profess 
their  change  of  purpose  by  a  water  baptism, 
Christ  would  test  them  by  earthly  trials  and  by 
his  final  judgment.  While  John  could  only  bid 
them  repent,  and  symbolize  their  purification  by 
the  washing  of  water,  Jesus  would  really  purify 
them,  and  give  them  a  new  heart  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  the  fire  of  divine  life  and  love. 

12.  Whose  fan,  etc.  A  metaphor  drawn  from 
the  method  of  threshing  and  winnowing  pursued 
in  the  Holy  Land.  A  level  spot  was  selected  for 
the  threshing-floor,  in  a  situation  where  advan- 
tage might  be  taken  of  the  wind  for  winnowing 
or  separating  the  grain  from  the  chaff ;  the 
sheaves,  being  thickly  spread  on  the  floor,  were 
trodden  down  by  oxen  driven  over  them,  or  by  a 
threshing  instrument  or  sledge  made  of  thick 
planks,  the  bottom  being  studded  with  sharp 
stones  or  pieces  of  iron,  or  sometimes  made  with 
rollers  of  wood,  iron  or  stone.  Sometimes  for 
lighter  grains  flails  or  rods  were  used.  By  these 
processes  the  straw  was  broken  up,  and  the  grain 
separated  from  it.  A  shovel  or  "fan"  was  also 
used  for  winnowmg.  This  was  done  by  throwing 
the  grain  against  the  wind,  and  thus  separating 
it  from  the  chaff.  Chaff.  All  that  is  not  wheat, 
including  the  straw,  which  was  commonly  used 
in  the  East  for  fuel.  Unquenchable  lire. 
"  Lest  after  the  winnowing  the  chaff  should  be 
blown  back  and  mingled  with  the  wheat,  the 
Jews  were  accustomed  to  put  fire  to  it  at  the 
windward  side,  which  was  only  extinguished 
when  it  had  utterly  consumed  the  chaff.  In  this 
sense  it  was  an  '  unquenchable  fire. '  " — {Burders' 
Oriental  Customs.  See  Isaiah  5  :  24.)  For  the 
spiritual  significance  of  this  passage  compare 
Matt.  13  :  24-30,  36-43,  47-50.  It  is  not  only  in 
the  future  that  Christ  wiU  sift  out  the  straw 
from  the  wheat.  His  fan  is  in  his  hand ;  the 
sifting  process  is  going  on  now ;  his  Gospel  is 
measuring  men ;  every  day  is  a  day  of  judg- 
ment. 

For  a  consideration  of  John  the  Baptist's  char- 
acter and  preaching  see  Luke  3  :  18,  and  note 
there. 

Ch.  3:13-17.     BAPTISM     OP     JESUS.  — See    kote 

BELOW. 

13.  Then.  The  time  is  uncertain.  Jesus 
was  about  thirty  years  of  age  (Luke  3 :  23).  To 
Jordan.  Beyond  Jordan  (Joim  1 ;  28;  sec  note  there) ; 
the  exact  site  is  unknown. 

3 


14.  John  forbad  him.  Rather  sought  to 
hinder  him.  "  The  word  implies  the  active  and 
earnest  preventing  with  the  gesture,  or  hand,  or 
voice." — {Alfo7-d.)  (Compare  John  1:33,  and 
note  there.)  I  have  need  to  be  baptized  of 
thee.    With  the  Holy  Spirit  and  fire  Averse  11). 

15.  Jiow.  Compare  John  13:7,  8.  Us. 
Not  merely  me,  but  you  and  me.  To  fulfill  all 
righteousness.  You  by  yielding  to  the  will  of 
your  Lord,  even  in  a  matter  the  propriety  of 
which  you  do  not  understand  (John  is :  7) ;  me  by 
taking  my  place  under  the  law,  and  acting  as  one 
made  in  the  image  of  sin,  though  I  know  no  sin 

(Matt.  17  :  27).      ScC  nOtC  bclOW. 

16.  From  the  water,  not  out  of  the  water. 
The  Greek  preposition  here  is  not  (ix)  out  of, 
but  (uTTo)  from.  The  same  preposition  is  used 
in  Matt.  8  : 1,  from  the  mountain,  which  clearly 
does  not  mean  out  of  the  mountain.  In  Mark 
1  :  10  the  preposition  is  (^z),  out  of,  in  the  best 
manuscripts.  But  nothing  is  very  clearly  indi- 
cated as  to  the  mode  of  baptism  by  the  phrase- 
ology employed  in  either  place.  (See  note  be- 
low.) And,  lo,  the  heavens.  The  Greek 
word  here  employed  sometimes  signifies  the 
starry  firmament,  the  blue  canopy  (Mark  13 :  25 ; 
Rev.  6 :  13,  u) ;  somctimes  the  clouds  and  the  cloud 
region  (Matt.  6:26;  aw",  26 :  64).  Opened.  Com- 
pare the  experience  of  Stephen  (Acts  ^  -.  se)  and 
of  Peter  (Acts  lo  :  ii).  He  saAV.  Christ,  and 
also  John  the  Baptist  (john  i :  30-34).  There  is 
nothing  to  indicate  that  the  opening  of  the  heav- 
ens or  the  descending  of  the  dove  were  seen  by 
any  others.  The  vision  in  Stephen's  case  appears 
to  have  been  confined  to  him ;  and  at  the  time 
of  Saul's  conversion,  while  a  sound  was  heard 
by  the  men  who  accompanied  him,  they  saw 
no  man  and  understood  not  the  meaning  of 
the  words  addressed  to  Saul  (compare  Acts  9 : 7,  with 
22:9).  Moreover,  it  was  not  the  divine  way 
to  manifest  the  character  of  Jesus  by  such  mani- 
festations to  the  multitude.  These  were  af- 
forded only  to  those  who  already  believed  on 
him  because  of  the  supreme  excellence  of  his 
character  and  teachings,  as  in  the  transfigura- 
tion, which  was  seen  only  by  Peter,  James,  and 
John,  and  in  the  ascension,  which  was  witnessed 

only    by    the    disciples    (Matt.  17:1;   Acts   1:9;   compare 

Matt.  12:39).  Descending  like  a  dove.  In 
Mark,  1:10,  the  language  is,  "like  a  dove 
descending."  The  plain  meaning  is,  not  merely 


72 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  III. 


that  the  Spirit  descended  as  a  dove  descends,  but 
that  John  and  Jesus  saw  the  Spirit  taking  on  the 
form  and  appearance  of  a  dove,  and  so  descend- 
ing. The  dove  was  a  sacrificial  animal  which  the 
poorest  could  afford,  and  which,  in  the  case  of 
the  poor,  was  permitted  as  a  substitute  for  a 
more  costly  sacrifice  (Lev.  s :  -,).  If  the  worship- 
per could  buy  none,  he  could  catch  one  of  the 
wUd  pigeons  which  dwell  among  the  hills  of 
Palestine  ( Jer.  4S :  ss ;  Sol.  Song  2 :  14).  Its  coming  was 
one  of  the  prophecies  of    spring  (soi.  song  2 :  !•:, 

where  "turtle"  signifies  a  turtle-dove).  It  WaS  histor- 
ically connected  in  the  Jewish  mind  with  the 
abatement  of  the  waters  after  the  Hood,  and  has 
become,  as  well  as  the  olive-branch,  a  symbol  of 
peace  among  all  Christian  people  (Gen.  8 : 8-11),  and 
it  is  referred  to  by  Christ  as  a  symbol  of  harm- 
lessness  and  gentleness.  It  was  thus  a  fitting 
emblematic  form  for  the  Holy  Spirit  to  take  on 
in  giving  a  divine  endorsement  to  him  who  is  a 
sacrifice  for  all,  whose  coming  brings  life  to  the 


world,  and  the  assurance  of  the  peace  of  God  to 
the  soul  which  accepts  him,  and  who  was  holy, 
harmless,  undefiled,  separate  from  sinners  (Hei. 
7 :  26).  There  is  not  a  shadow  of  basis  for  the  old 
gnostic  notion,  which  some  have  since  attempted 
to  revive,  that  Christ  received  at  this  time  the 
gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  though  before  a  mere 
man,  now  first  became  in  a  true  sense  the  Son  of 
God.  Lighting  upon  him.  He  was  praying 
at  the  time  (Luke 3 :  21 !.  "The  ordinances  of  re- 
ligion Avill  commonly  be  ineffectual  without 
prayer."— (^aj-jies.)  John  (1:33)  tells  us  that 
"it  abode  upon  him."  That  is,  it  was  not  a 
mere  transient  vision. 

17.  A  voice  from  heaven.  Compare  Matt. 
17  : 5 ;  John  12  :  28 ;  3  Pet.  1 :  17.  My  beloved 
Son.  Christians  are  called  "sons  of  God" 
(1  John  3:2);  but  uowhero  is  the  term  beloved  Son 
applied  by  God  to  any  one  but  Jesus  Christ,  to 
whom  it  is  given  both  here  and  in  the  hour  of  his 
transfiguration  (Matt,  n :  5). 


NOTE  ON  THE  BAPTISM   OF  JES^US  BY  JOHN. 


The  ceremony  of  baptism  performed  by  John, 
which  has  given  him  his  title,  the  Baptist  or 
Baptizer  (Matt.  3 . 1 ;  11 :  11, 12,  etc.),  is  intimately  con- 
nected with  the  rite  of  Baptism  maintained  in 
the  Christian  Church  ever  since  the  resurrection 
of  Jesus  Christ,  if  not  during  his  lifetime.  John 
4:1,2,  is  the  only  reference  to  baptism  by  Jesus 
or  his  disciples  during  his  life.  This  connection 
gives  it  an  importance  which  it  would  not  other- 
wise possess,  and  leads  me  to  group  here  such 
scanty  information  as  the  Bible  and  other  au- 
thentic sources  give  concerning  it. 

History.  The  origin  of  baptism  as  a  religious 
rite  is  unknown.  It  is  certainly  very  ancient; 
Grotius  even  imagines  that  it  is  as  old  as  the 
Deluge,  and  was  established  in  commemoration 
of  that  event.  Ceremonial  ablutions  of  some  sort 
were  certainly  common  in  the  time  of  Christ,  not 
only  in  Palestine,  but  also  in  adjoining  lands. 
The  Egyptian  priests  bathed  twice  a  day  and 
twice  in  the  night,  and  inaugurated  their  feasts 
with  a  grand  ceremony  of  purification.— ( Wilki7i- 
£on,  1 :  324.)  The  Greeks  and  Romans  prepared 
for  sacrifice  and  other  religious  rites  by  lustra- 
tion ;  and  not  only  the  priests  performed  this 
ceremony — it  was  also  performed  by  private  in- 
dividuals when  they  had  polluted  themselves  by 
any  real  or  supposed  criminal  action,  from  the 
stain  of  which  they  desired  purification.  A  sim- 
ilar rite  was  performed  at  times  by  the  shepherd 
on  his  sheep,  and  even  on  the  army  or  the  fleet 
before  entering  on  a  campaign.  It  was  in  such 
cases  performed  by  sprinkling  the  water  on  the 
person  or  persons,  usually  from  a  branch  of  olive 
or  laurel.  (See  Smith's  Dictionary  of  Antiq., 
Art.  Lustratio,  and  authors  there  cited.)  The 
O,  T.  abounds  with  examples  of  lustrations  of 


various  descriptions,  of  the  person,  the  clothing, 
and  objects  offered  for  sacrifice.  It  was  per- 
formed on  both  priests  and  people  (Exod.  19 :  10 ; 

29:4;  30:20;  40:12-15;  Lev.  ch.8;   16:26,28;   17:15;    22:4,6; 

Deut.  23 :  10, 11 ;  2  chron.  4 : 2, 6).  The  Spiritual  Signifi- 
cance of  these  lustrations  is  rendered  evident  by 
other  passages  which  refer  to  washings  as  a  sym- 
bol of  moral  purification,  in  a  way  to  leave  no 
doubt  that  it  was  recognized  by  pious  and  intel- 
ligent Jews  that  a  mere  washing  of  the  jjerson  in 
water  was  not  enough,  but  that  the  soul  must  be 
cleansed  through  repentance  by  the  power  of 

God    (Ps.  26  :  G;  51  :  2,  7;  73  :  13;  Isaiah  I  :  16;  4  :  4;   Jer.  4  :  14; 

zech.  13 :  i).  The  act  of  Pilate  in  washing  his  hands 
before  the  people,  and  declaring  himself  innocent 
of  the  blood  of  Jesus  (Matt.  27 :  34),  would  have  pos- 
sessed no  significance  if  both  Jew  and  Roman  had 
not  recognized  the  moral  meaning  of  washing  as 
a  sign  of  purification  from  sin.  The  N.  T.  also 
contains  frequent  reference  to  ceremonial  wash- 
ings which  had  been  instituted  by  the  Pharisees, 
and  through  their  traditions   engrafted  on  the 

laws  of  Moses  (Mark  7  :  4,  8,  14  ;  Luke  11  :  38  ;  Heb.  9  :  lo). 

baptism  of  Proselytes. — Of  these  washings  none 
was  more  significant  or  more  universally  recog- 
nized, if  we  may  judge  from  the  rabbinical 
writings,  than  the  baptism  of  Jewish  proselytes. 
Heathen  converts  on  entering  the  Jewish  church 
ratified  their  change  of  faith  by  two  ceremonies, 
baptism  and  sacrifice ;  in  the  case  of  males  cir- 
cumcision was  added.  The  baptism  was  admin- 
istered in  the  daytime  by  the  immersion  of  the 
whole  person ;  and  while  standing  in  the  water 
the  proselyte  was  instructed  in  certain  portions 
of  the  law.  The  whole  families  of  proselytes, 
including  infants,  were  baptized.  (See  Lightfoot 
on  Matt.  3  :  6.)     By  this  act  of  baptism  the 


Ch.  III.] 


MATTHEW. 


73 


proselyte  si^fied  that  he  was  washed  of  his 
past  sins  and  errors  and  entered  his  new  life, 
cleansed  and  purified,  a  new  man. 

John's  Bapiisvi. — When,  therefore,  John  com- 
menced his  public  ministry  by  preaching  the  ne- 
cessity of  repentance,  and  added  to  it  baptism  as 
a  symbol,  its  meaning  would  be  readily  under- 
stood. It  was  interpreted  by  his  declaration 
that  it  was  not  enough  to  be  a  child  of  Abraham, 
but  that  Israelite  and  Gentile  alike  needed  to 
repent  of  sin,  a  doctrine  subsequently  more  em- 
phatically repeated  by  Paul  (Matt.  3 : 9,  lO;  Rom.  2 :  12, 
17-24;  3 : 9,  etc.).  By  baptizing  the  people,  John  em- 
phasized this  declai'ation  and  said  to  them,  by  a 
formal  and  solemn  ceremonial,  You  need,  no  less 
than  the  despised  Gentile,  to  wash  away  the 
past,  to  be  cleansed,  morally  and  personally,  as 
a  preparation  for  the  Kingdom  of  God.  Every 
one  who  submitted  to  baptism  at  his  hands  pub- 
licly recognized  the  truth  that  personal  repent- 
ance of  sin  was  as  necessary  to  the  Jew  as  to  the 
Gentile.  And  it  is  a  noteworthy  fact  that  the 
delegation  from  the  Sanhedrim  v/ho  inquired  by 
what  authority  he  baptized  (John  i :  2;),  did  not  in- 
quire the  meaning  of  the  rite,  showing  evidently 
that  they  understood  its  significance. 

Baijtmn  of  Jesus. — Why  Jesus  should  have 
been  baptized  is  a  question  which  has  given  rise 
to  much  discussion.  The  same  perplexity  which 
John  felt  then,  the  Christian  Church  has  felt 
since ;  for  Jesus  had  no  sins  that  needed  to  be 
washed  away,  and  could  not,  therefore,  become 
strictly  a  disciple  of  the  doctrine  of  repentance, 
as  by  submitting  to  baptism  he  appeared  to  do. 
Various  answers  have  been  given,  some  of  them 
certainly  fanciful,  others  mystical,  needing  ex- 
planation more  than  the  fact  itself.  Thus  it  has 
been  said  that  the  object  of  the  baptism  was  to 
point  out  Jesus  Christ  as  the  sacrificial  Lamb  of 
the  World,  and  to  prefigure  his  death  for  sin,  as 
baptism  symbolizes  death  to  sin ;  that  he  was 
baptized  as  a  priest,  and  because  the  priests  re- 
ceived a  like  lustration  before  entering  on  their 
priestly  duties,  that  by  his  baptism  he  pledged 
himself  to  the  whole  righteousness  of  the  law, 
promising  to  fulfill  all;  that  he  brought  the 
baptism  of  John  to  its  consummation  and  inau- 
gurated Christian  baptism  in  its  place,  as  by  par- 
taking of  the  Last  Passover  he  converted  it  into 
a  Christian  ordinance  ;  that  he  sanctified  by  this 
act  the  water  to  the  mystical  washing  away  of 
sin ;  and  that  in  him  the  v/hole  Christian  Church 
were  baptized  into  a  new  life,  he  acting  as  the 
type  and  representative  of  humanity.  But  here, 
as  everywhere  throughout  Scripture,  the  rational 
and  simple  meaning  is  the  best.  The  significance 
of  John's  baptism,  as  interpreted  above,  explains 
the  significance  of  the  baptism  of  Jesus.  It  was 
not  merely  like  his  submitting  to  circumcision 
and  the  purification  (Luke  2: 21, 22),  because  they 
were  rites  required  by  the  law,  while  baptism 


was  not.  It  was  apvMic  renunciation  of  sin  and 
a  public  profession  of  religion.  It  is  true  that 
Christ  himself  knew  no  sin  and  needed  no  re- 
pentance (John  8 :  46 ;  14 :  3o),  but  he  was  numbered 
with  the  transgressors,  was  made  sin  for  us,  and 
bore  our  infirmities  and  carried  our  transgres- 
sions (Isaiah  53  :  12  ;  2  Cor.  5  :  2l).      lu  taking  UpOU  Mm 

human  nature  he  took  all  its  humiliation  and  all 
its  duties,  though  none  of  its  real  degradation, 
and  fittingly  commenced  his  public  life  by  a 
public  renunciation  of  sin  for  himself  and  his  fol- 
lowers. Observe,  too,  that  the  religion  which  by 
this  act  he  professed,  was  that  of  the  spirit  as 
opposed  to  the  religion  of  form  and  ceremonies. 
His  baptism  was  a  public  and  solemn  enunciation 
of  his  position  as  a  teacher  of  personal  righteous- 
ness, and  his  endorsement  of  the  fundamental 
doctrine  of  which  John  the  Baptist  was  a  her- 
ald, but  which  received  its  fullest  exposition  in 
the  teachings  of  Jesus  and  the  Apostles,  that 
they  only  are  the  true  children  of  God  who, 
whatever  their  birth  or  place  in  humanity,  repent 
of  their  personal  sins  and  bring  forth  fruits  meet 
for  repentance.  The  true  follower  of  Christ 
must  follow  him  in  this  public  renunciation  of 
sin  and  profession  of  religion.  It  is  not  true,  as 
sometimes  said,  that  Christ  professed  religion 
only  by  his  life. 

Form  of  Baptism. — There  is  no  clear  and  cer- 
tain information  in  the  Scripture  as  to  the  mode 
in  which  John  the  Baptist  administered  baptism. 
The  question  is  important  only  in  its  bearing 
upon  another,  viz.,  what  is  the  proper  mode  of 
Christian  baptism.  Without  considering  the 
latter  question  here,  it  is  enough  to  say  that  the 
indications  are  that  the  baptism  of  John  was 
performed  by  a  partial  or  total  immersion. 
These  indications  are  the  following:  1.  The 
Greek  word  {^iurtntoi),  generally  translated 
"baptize"  in  our  version,  and  the  corres- 
ponding Hebrew  word  sometimes  rendered 
"baptize"  and  sometimes  rendered  "dip,"  im- 
ply primarily  a  partial  or  complete  immersion. 
At  the  same  time  it  appears  clear  that  in  biblical 
usage  neither  word  necessarily  involves  the  idea 
of  complete  submersion.  Thus,  in  Mark  7  : 4,  we 
have  a  reference  to  the  washing  (Gr.  (iunrioiioc) 
of  tables  (perhaps  couches  or  beds,  see  note 
there),  which  certainly  does  not  indicate  a  sub- 
mersion of  the  table  or  bed  in  water  as  a  means 
of  purification.  The  only  passages  in  the  O.  T. 
in  which  the  original  Hebrew  word  is  used,  are 
the  following  :  Lev.  4:6;  14  :  6-51 ;  Num.  19  : 
18 ;  Ruth  2  :  14 ;  Ex.  12  :  22 ;  Deut.  33  :  24 ;  Ezek. 
23  :  15 ;  Job  9  :  31 ;  Lev.  9  :  9 ;  1  Sam.  14  :  27 
{twice)  ;■  3  Kings  5  :  14 ;  8  :  15 ;  Gen.  37  :  31 ; 
Josh.  3  :  15.  In  the  N.  T.  the  only  passages 
where  the  word  occurs  in  which  it  is  not  trans- 
lated baptize  or  baptism,  which  is  in  fact  no 
translation  but  only  an  English  form  of  the  orig- 
inal Greek  word,  are  Mark  7  :  4,  8,  and  Hebrews 


74 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  IV. 


9 :  10.  The  word  translated  dip,  in  Luke  16  :  24 ; 
John  13  :  26 ;  and  Rev.  19  :  13,  is  etymologically 
the  same,  however,  though  slightly  different  in 
form.  The  English  reader  who  is  desirous  to 
investigate  more  fully  the  biblical  use  of  the 
word  can  do  so  by  aa  examination  of  these  pas- 
sages. The  result  of  a  fair  and  impartial  exam- 
ination will  be  that  which  the  best  scholarship 
has  reached,  viz.,  that  the  word  does  generally 
involve  the  idea  of  dipping  into  water,  though 
not  necessarily  a  complete  immersion,  still  less  a 
complete  submersion  in  it.  2.  Although  cere- 
monial washings  were  performed  both  by  Greek 
and  Romans,  and  by  Jews  by  means  of  sprink- 
ling (see  above,  and  Numb.  7:7;  19  ;  19 ;  Ezek.  26  :  25),  yet  the 

baptism  of  proselytes,  from  which  probably  the 
baptism  of  John  was  borrowed,  was  by  immersion. 
It  was  regarded  as  indispensable  that  this  should 
be  complete.  "If,"  said  the  rabbinical  writers, 
"any  wash  himself  all  over  except  the  very  top 
of  his  little  linger,  he  is  still  in  his  uncleanness." 
3.  The  language  of  the  passage  descriptive  of  his 
baptism,  "I  baptize  you  in  water"  (see  note  on  verse 
11,  above),  tcnds  to  Confirm  this  impression,  as  does 
the  fact  that  John  baptized  in  the  Jordan.  The 
catacombs  contain  rude  pictures  of  the  baptism 
of  Jesus  by  John.  They  never  represent  it  as 
done  by  sprinkling,  or  by  immersion,  but  by 
Douring;  Jesus  stands  in  the  water  and  John 
pours  water  upon  his  head  from  a  vessel,  in  a 
manner  analogous  to  that  pursued  in  the  anoint- 
ing of  a  priest  according  to  the  O.  T.  ritual  (Exod. 
29:7).  There  are  some  other  considerations 
which  throw  light  on  the  method  pursued  in  the 
N.  T.  times  in  later  Christian  baptism,  but  they 
will  be  considered  hereafter.  It  should  be  added 
that  nothing  is  known  as  to  the  formula,  if  any, 
used  by  John ;  he  certainly  did  not  baptize  in 
the  name  of  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy 

Ghost    (Matt.  28  :  19 ;  Acts  19  :  1-5 ;  compare  also  Rom.  6  :  3,  4). 

Evidently  baptism  into  "Christ's  death"  could 
not  precede  his  death.  See  an  able  essay  on  the 
essential  difference  between  Christ's  baptism 
and  the  baptism  of  John,  by  Robert  Hall. 


Ch.  4:l-n.  TEMPTATION  OF  JSSUS  CHRIST.— 
See  Thoughts  on  the  Temptation,  below. 

Pkeliminart  Note.  This  incident  is  recorded 
also  fully  in  Luke  4  : 1-13,  and  briefly  in  Mark 
1  :  12,  13 ;  it  is  not  mentioned  in  John.  It  is 
confessedly  one  of  the  most  difficult  passages  in 
the  Gospels  to  understand.  The  various  inter- 
pretations may  be  conveniently  classed  under  six 
different  heads. 

1.  That  no  such  event  really  occurred,  but 
that  Christ,  in  the  form  of  a  parable,  of  which 
he  made  himself  a  central  figure,  taught  his  dis- 
ciples how  it  is  that  temptations  assail  us  all, 
and  how  we  are  to  resist  them.  This  interpreta- 
tion is  rejected  by  nearly  all  Christian  commen- 


tators ;  for  while  this  lesson  is  taught  by  Christ's 
example,  the  language  is  that  of  historical  nar- 
ration, not  of  a  parable. 

2.  That  it  is  an  historical  narrative,  but  of  a 
natural  event ;  that  the  devil  was  a  human 
tempter,  or  animated  a  human  tempter,  and  of- 
fered the  temptation  through  him  ;  for  example, 
that  the  tempter  was  one  of  the  delegation 
which  came  up  from  Jerusalem  to  attend  the 
preaching  of  John  the  Baptist  (John  i :  19),  and 
that  the  temptation  really  consisted  of  proposi- 
tions which  they  made  to  him  to  join  their  party. 
"Probably,"  says  Lange,  "he  was  transported 
in  a  figurative  sense  to  the  summit  of  the  temple 
pinnacle  by  the  ostentatious  offers  of  the  depu- 
ties of  the  Sanhedrim."  "The  mountain  on 
which  they  placed  him  was  Mount  Zion,  accord- 
ing to  its  spiritual  significance,  in  the  last  age  of 
the  world.  The  tempter  displayed  to  him  the 
prospect  of  the  theocratic  government  of  the 
world.  Probably  into  this  disclosure  plots 
agamst  the  Romans  were  introduced.  And 
Christ  was  urged  to  approve  of  their  hierarchi- 
cal plan  for  the  conquest  of  the  world."  This 
view,  though  defended  by  Lange  and  Bengel,  is 
unmistakably  an  afterthought.  There  is  noth- 
ing in  the  narrative  itself  to  suggest  or  to  war- 
rant it.  It  has,  so  far  as  I  know,  no  other 
respectable  endorsers. 

3.  That  it  is  a  vision  or  a  dream,  having  its 
parallel  in  Ezekiel's  vision  of  the  valley  of  bones 
(Ezek.  37 : 1-14),  and  of  Paul's  experience  of  being 
caught  up  into  the  third  heaven  (2  cor.  12:1-3). 
But  there  is  nothing  whatever  in  the  narrative 
to  imply  a  vision  or  a  dream,  and  the  true  spirit- 
ual significance  of  the  hour,  as  one  of  real  temp- 
tation, is  taken  away  by  such  an  interpretation. 

4.  That  it  is  a  personal  and  internal  experi- 
ence, in  which  certain  circumstances  suggest 
temptations  which  Jesus  overcomes  only  after  a 
bitter  struggle.  "A  stone  by  its  shape  or  color 
suggests  to  an  imagination  affected  by  bodily 
cravings  the  appearance  of  a  loaf  of  bread,  and 
gives  rise  to  the  first  temptation.  His  foot 
strikes  against  a  stone  and  he  stumbles ;  perhaps 
is  in  danger  of  a  serious  fall.  Instantly  there 
occurs  to  him  another  passage  of  Scripture,  '  He 
will  give  his  angels  charge  over  thee,  lest  at  any 
time  thou  dash  thy  foot  against  a  stone.'  Since 
he  has  angels  attending  him,  why  may  he  not  go 
to  the  city,  ascend  one  of  the  pinnacles  of  the 
Temple,  cast  himself  off  and  display  to  the  as- 
tonished crowd  his  miraculous  power?  Once 
more  he  finds  himself  upon  an  eminence  which 
commands  an  extensive  view  ;  he  feels  the  stir- 
ring of  personal  ambition,  and  bethinks  him 
how,  if  he  would  only  fall  down  and  worship  the 
evil  thought,  he  might  possess  himself  of  univer- 
sal dominion.  The  tempter  and  the  temptation 
were  within  his  own  soul."  (Condensed  from 
Furness's    Notes  on  Schenckel's   Character  of 


Ch.  IV.] 


MATTHEW. 


75 


CHAPTER    IV. 


THEN  was  Jesus  led  up  ofj  the  Spirit  into  the  wil- 
derness, to  be  tempted!'  of  the  devil. 
2  And  when   he   had   fasted  forty  days  and    forty 
nights,  he  was  afterward  an  hungred. 


3  And  when  the  tempter  came  to  him,  he  said.  If 
thou  be  the  Son  of  God,  command  that  these  stones  be 
made  bread. 

4  But  he  answered  and  said.  It  is  written,  Man' 
shall  not  live  by  bread  alone,  but  by  every  word  that 
proceedeth  out  of  the  mouth  of  God. 


j  1  Kings  18  :  12 ;  Eze.  11  :  1,  24 ;  Acts  8  :  39 k  Mark  1:12;  Luke  4:1;  Heb.  2:18 1  Deut.  8  :  3. 


Jesus.)  This  view  will  at  once  be  rejected  by  all 
those  who  hold  that  Jesus  Christ  was  the  sinless 
Son  of  God,  in  whose  pure  heart  no  solicitations 
of  evil  could  arise  of  themselves  to  lure  him  to 
sin.  If  we  accept  the  narrative  at  all,  we  must 
accept,  as  the  very  essence  of  it,  that  the  sugges- 
tion of  recreancy  did  not  spring  spontaneous  in 
his  heart  from  evil  desires  which  lurked  unrec- 
ognized there,  but  that  they  were  suggested  to 
him  by  the  tempter  only  to  be  instantly  and  in- 
dignantly rejected. 

5.  That  it  is  a  literal  narrative  ;  that  Satan  really 
appeared  in  tangible  form  to  Jesus,  and  proposed 
to  him  to  convert  the  stones  into  bread,  carried  him 
bodily  to  the  pinnacle  of  the  temple,  and  showed 
him  from  some  high  eminence  a  view  which  at  least 
suggested  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  world.  This  is  a 
common  view  among  evangelical  interpreters  ;  to 
it  there  are  serious  objections,  objections  which 
seem  to  me  to  be  conclusive,  a.  We  must  either  im- 
pute to  the  devil  a  degree  of  supernatural  power, 
which  the  Bible  nowhere  else  attributes  to  him, 
or  must  suppose  that  Jesus  exercised  it  in  his 
flight  to  the  pinnacle  of  the  temple,  and  this  for 
the  very  purpose  of  entering  into  temptation. 

b.  There  is  no  mountain  from  which  all  the  king- 
doms of  the  known  world  could  be  seen ;  in 
part,  then,-  the  narrative  cannot  be  a  literal  one. 

c.  The  Bible  nowhere  else  represents  the  devil 
appearing  undisguised  to  man ;  on  the  contraiy, 
his  power  lies  in  his  disguises  and  concealments 
(Gen.  ch.  3;  2  Cor.  11:3).  cl.  lu  this  particular  case 
the  temptation,  especially  the  last,  would  be 
robbed  of  all  its  power  if  the  devil  had  been  rec- 
ognized before  his  proposition.  It  seems  impos- 
sible that  the  suggestion  of  literal  worship  to  a 
bodily  fiend  could  offer  any  temptation — we  will 
not  say  to  Jesus — to  any  one  of  ordinary  purity 
of  heart  and  strength  of  conscience. 

6.  That  it  describes  in  dramatic  language  a 
real  but  internal  experience,  that  Satan  was 
really  present,  whispering  the  suggestions  of 
evil  to  the  soul  of  Jesus,  as  he  still  does  to  us 
(see  note  on  verse  below),  but  unrecognized  until 
the  last,  the  subtlest  and  worst  of  the  three 
temptations  ;  that  the  narrative  describes  a  suc- 
cession of  pictures  which  passed  before  Christ's 
imagination,  by  which  Satan  endeavored  to  se- 
duce him ;  that  it  was  in  imagination  that  Jesus 
was  carried  to  the  pinnacle  of  the  temple,  and  in 
imagination  was  shown  the  kingdoms  of  the 
world,  and  that  he  was  invited  to  gain  control  of 
them,  not  by  a  literal  worshiping  of  the  bodily 


fiend,  but  by  yielding  to  the  arts  of  the  evil  one, 
and  serving  him  as  the  previous  conquerors  of 
the  world,  Cyrus  and  Alexander,  for  example, 
had  done.  This  opinion  is  also  beset  with  diffi- 
culties. Our  temptations  possess  their  strength 
and  their  bitterness  in  large  measure  because  we 
possess  a  fallen  nature  which  Christ  did  not.  To 
us  Satan  is  often  undisclosed,  and  our  sluggish 
consciences  do  not  recognize  quickly  the  evil 
when  covertly  disguised  as  good.  But  we  can- 
not attribute  to  Christ  a  blunted  and  insensitive 
moral  nature.  These  and  kindred  difficulties, 
however,  are  inherent  in  any  conception  of  ChrisVs 
temptation  here,  a?id-  in  any  attempt  to  understand 
his  experiences  of  conflict  elsewhere  recorded.  We 
can  only  reverently  accept  the  declaration  that 
he  was  tempted  in  all  points  like  as  we  are,  yet 
without  sin,  and  interpret  his  experiences  by  our 
o\m,  fully  recognij.ing  the  truth  that  our  souls 
cannot  gauge  and  measure  his,  and  that  the  ut- 
most study  and  thought  will  yet  leave  m  this 
passage,  as  in  all  of  Christ's  mysterious  life,  an 
utterly  inexplicable  element,  a  mystery  that  is 
insoluble.  Fully  recognizing  this,  I  adopt  the 
last  of  the  interpretations  given  above  as  on  the 
whole  the  one  most  consonant  with  other  Scrip- 
ture, the  narrative  itself,  and  with  reason.  The 
grounds  on  which  I  accept  this  interpretation, 
have  been  in  part  indirectly  stated  in  disposing 
of  the  other  views ;  they  will  appear  more  fully 
in  interpreting  the  passage  itself.  It  is  to  be 
remembered  that,  though  Satan  is  more  distinctly 
embodied  in  this  narrative  than  in  any  other,  yet 
he  is  repeatedly  referred  to  in  Scripture  as  bring- 
mg  trouble  or  temptation  in  cases  in  which  no 
other  than  a  purely  spiritual  and  unrecognized 

presence  is  indicated  (l  Chron.  21  :  l ;  job  2  :  7 ;  Matt.  13  : 
19,  39  ;  Luke  13:16;  John  13  :  2). 

1.  Then.  Immediately  after  the  baptism  and 
the  descent  of  the  Spirit.  "Thou  didst  take  up 
arms,  not  to  be  idle,  but  to  fight." — (Chrysostom.) 
After  the  baptism  of  grace  comes  the  battle.  It 
is  the  wilderness,  not  Jordan  and  the  dove, 
which  tries  us  and  shows  our  true  character. 
Compare  2  Cor.  12  :  7-10.  Was  Jesns  led. 
Bather  brought  or  carried.  The  word  is  used  to 
signify  something  more  than  a  mere  leading,  and 
is  the  same  translated  brought  in  Luke  2  :  22 ; 
Acts  9  :  3!) ;  12  :  4.  It  is  used  also  in  describing 
the  bringing  of  sacrifice  to  the  altar.  In  Acts  7  : 
41,  it  is  translated  offered.  Under  an  irresistible 
impulse  Christ  was  carried  away  into  the  wilder- 
ness   (compare  AcU  7  :  39).       By     thC     Spirit,    %.    C, 


76 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  IV. 


the  Holy  Spirit.  God  tempteth  no  man,  but  he 
sometimes  brings  us  into  temptation  (compare  Matt. 

6:13;    20:41;    Job  1:12;    2:6;    2  Cor.  12 :  7).         IlltO      the 

Avilderuess  (see  note  on  Matt.  3:  i).  Between  Jeri- 
cho  and  the  Mount  of  Olives  is  a  wild  region, 
where  is  a  mountain  called  Quarantana,  which 
Eobinson  describes  as  "an  almost  perpendicular 
wall  of  rock,  twelve  or  fifteen  hundred  feet 
above  the  plain."  This  is  fixed  on  by  tradition 
as  the  site  of  the  temptation,  and  particularly  as 
the  mountain  to  which  Christ  was  carried  in  the 
last  one.  But  the  tradition  is  entirely  untrust- 
worthy. The  site  is  wholly  a  matter  of  conjec- 
ture. To  be  tempted.  This  was  the  purpose 
for  which  he  was  led  uito  the  wDdemess.  "  As  he 
had  been  subject  to  his  earthly  parents  at  Naza- 
reth, so  now  he  is  subject,  in  the  outset  of  his 
official  course,  to  his  Heavenly  Parent,  and  is  by 
his  will  thus  carried  up  to  be  tempted." — 
{Alford.)  By  the  devil.  Not  by  his  own 
heart,  nor  by  a  human  tempter.  The  term,  "the 
devil,"  is  always  used  in  the  Bible  to  signify 
an  evil  spirit,  never  to  personify  the  evil  in  man  or 
in  the  world.  On  the  contrary,  the  work  of  evil 
spirits  is  contrasted  with  the  evil  influence  of 
the  world  (Eph.  6 :  12).  Judas  Iscariot  is  called  a 
devil  but  not  the  devil  (John  g  :  io) ;  and  in  Rev.  2  : 
10,  the  devil  working  in  the  hearts  of  malignant 
persecutors  is  intended  ;  the  word  is  not  put  for 
the  persecutors  themselves.  The  word  devil 
(Gr.  diix;So/.i)g)  signifies  accuser  (Rev.  12 : 9, 10).  He 
is  also  called  Abaddon  (Hebrew)  or  Apollyon 
(Greek),  i.  e.,  destroyer  (Rev.  9 ;  11) ;  Belial,  i.  e.,  a 
good-for-nothing  (2Cor.  6: 15) ;  Satan,  i.  e.,  an  ad- 
versary (job  2 : 1).  See  also  for  descriptive  titles  : 
John  8  :  44 ;  13  :  31 ;  2  Cor.  4:4;  Ephes.  6  :  12  ; 
1  Pet.  5:8;  1  John  3:8;  Rev.  12  :  7 ;  20  :  10. 
Less  is  disclosed  concerning  him  in  Scripture 
than  many  suppose ;  much  of  the  popular  im- 
pression concerning  him  is  derived  from  mediae- 
val theology,  and  yet  more  from  Milton's  Para- 
dise Lost.  It  certainly  is  not  true  that  the  idea 
of  a  personal  devil  was  derived  by  the  Jews  from 
Persian  philosophy  during  their  captivity,  for  he 
appears  by  implication,  though  not  expressly 
named,  in  the  history  of  the  fall  (Gen.  ch.  3),  and 
more  distinctly,  probably,  in  Job,  one  of  the 
oldest  books  of  the  Bible,  if  not  the  very  oldest, 

than  anywhere  else  (job  I  :  G  ;  2:3-7;  compare  also  1  Chron. 

SI :  1).  He  is  represented  in  the  N.  T.  as  an  adver- 
sary of  human  souls,  endeavoring  by  various 
snares  to  take  us  captive,  suggesting  evil 
thoughts  to  our  minds,  or  erasing  good  impres- 
sions which  have  been  produced  there,  or  putting 
hindrances  in  the  way  of  Christian  M'ork,  or  in- 
spiring persecutors  of  the  faithful,  and  as  cer- 
tain at  last  to  be  bound  in  chains,  and  finally  cast 

into  torment  (Matt.  13  :  19  ;  Luke  22  :  31 ;  John  13:2;  2  Cor.  2  : 
11;  11:3,14;  Ephes.  6  :  11 ;  IThess.  2:18;  2  Tim.  2:26;  1  Pet. 
6  :  8,  9  J  Rev.  2  :  10 ;  12  :  9 ;  30  :  1-3  and  7-lo). 


2.  Fasted.  This  does  not  necessarily  imply 
that  he  ate  nothing  (can.  lo :  2, 3).  Some  commen- 
tators think  that  his  fasting  may  have  consisted 
simply  of  abstaining  from  all  ordinary  food  and 
subsisting  only  on  the  scanty  supplies  of  the 

desert     (compare    with    Matt.    3:4;     11  :  is).         But     the 

language  of  Luke  4  : 2,  taken  with  Exod.  34  :  28, 
and  1  Kings  19  : 8,  implies  that  he  literally 
ate  nothing,  being  miraculously  sustained  dur- 
ing the  period  of  fasting.  Observe  that  the 
duration  of  Christ's  fast  was  the  same  as  that  of 
Moses  and  that  of  Elijah,  who  were  transfigured 
with  him  (Matt,  v  ■.  s).  According  to  Luke  4  : 2, 
and  apparently  Mark  1 :  13,  he  was  subjected  to 
temptations  during  this  whole  period  of  forty 
days ;  those  here  recorded  would  seem  to  be 
the  culmination  of  these  temptations. 

3,  4.  The  first  temptation.  It  appeals  to 
a  natural  and  sinless  appetite — hunger.  It  sug- 
gests an  act  seemingly  innocent.  Why  should 
not  Christ  make  bread  of  the  stones,  and  so  sup- 
ply his  wants  ?  Because  he  had  taken  upon  him- 
self the  nature  of  man  and  the  condition  and 
sufferings  of  mankind  (Phii.  2 :  g-s).  To  have 
availed  himself  of  his  divine  power  to  escape  the 
bodily  discomforts  of  humanity,  would  have  been 
to  fail  in  his  mission  of  becoming  our  pattern  and 
our  sympathizing  high  priest  at  the  very  outset. 
Accordingly,  there  is  no  case  in  the  N.  T.  in 
which  Christ  exercises  miraculous  power  for  his 
own  benefit.  The  escapes  recorded  in  Luke 
4  :  30,  John  8  :  59,  and  10  :  39,  are  sometimes  re- 
garded as  miraculous,  but  there  is  no  Scripture 
authority  for  so  regarding  them ;  and  the  taking 
of  the  tax-money  from  the  fish's  mouth  (Matt. 
17 :  27)  was  for  a  moral  purpose.  (See  note  there.) 
I  doubt  whether  there  is  any  case  in  Scripture 
in  which  a  genuine  miracle  is  recorded  as  being 
wrought  for  the  benefit  of  him  at  whose  bidding 
it  is  performed. 

3.  If  thou  be.  Rather,  Since  thou  art.  The 
"if,"  says  Alford,  "implies  no  doubt." 

4.  It  is  Avritten,  in  Deut.  8  : 3,  The  refer- 
ence there  is  to  the  feeding  of  Israel  with  manna 
in  the  wilderness,  and  may  be  literally  rendered, 
"  by  every  outgoing  of  the  mouth  of  the  Lord ;  " 
i.  e.,  by  the  whole  course  of  God's  providential 
care  over  those  who  obey  his  word.  The  mean- 
ing is  the  same  as  that  involved  in  Matt.  6  :  24-34, 
viz. :  that  he  who  seeks  first  the  kingdom  of  God 
and  his  righteousness  may  leave  all  questions  of 
food  and  raiment  to  God.  If  man  obeys  the 
divine  will,  he  may  trust  himself  to  the  divine 
providence.  The  divine  will  respecting  Christ 
was  that  he  should  be  found  in  condition  as  a 
man.  He  obeys  that  will,  and  leaves  to  God 
to  provide  for  his  physical  wants  (compare  Dent. 
29:5,6).  "They  that  taunted  him  on  the  cross, 
'He  saved  others,  himself  he  cannot  save,'  bore 
an  unconscious  testimony  to  the  unselfishness  of 


Ch.  IV.] 


MATTHET\i. 


77 


5  Then  the  devil  taketh  him  up  into  the  holy  city," 
and  setteth  him  on  a  pinnacle  of  the  temple, 

6  And  saith  unto  him,  If  thou  be  the  Son  of  God, 
cast  thyself  down,  for  it  is  written,  He"  shall  give  his 
angels  charge  concerning  thee  :  and  in  their  hj^nds 
they  shall  bear  thee  up,  lest  at  any  time  thou  dash  thy 
foot  against  a  stone. 


7  Jesus  said  unto  him,  It  is  written  again,  Thou° 
Shalt  not  tempt  the  Lord  thy  God. 

8  Again,  the  devil  taketh  him  up  into  an  exceeding 
high  mountain,  and  sheweth  him  all  the  kingdoms  of 
the  world,  and  the  glory  of  them  ; 

9  And  saith  unto  him.  All  these  things  will  I  give 
thee,  if  thou  wilt  fall  down  and  worship  me. 


.  ch.  27:53;  Neh.  11: 


...n  Ps.  91  :  11,  12. . 


his  spirit  and  the  thoroughness  with  which  he 
tooli  upon  himself  the  life  of  common  humanity. 
He  that  fed  five  thousand  in  the  wilderness,  from 
two  small  loaves  and  five  little  fishes,  would  not 
supply  himself,  except  by  ordinary  means,  with 
one." 

5-7.  The  second  temptation.  The  devil 
appeals  to  love  of  fame,  and  proposes  to  Christ 
to  found  his  kingdom  upon  fame.  A  single  mir- 
acle wrought  before  all  the  people  shall  secure 
their  reverence  and  allegiance.  A  single  trial  of 
the  divine  power  which  belongs  to  the  Son  of 
God  will  put  an  end  to  all  doubts,  in  Christ's 
own  mind  and  in  the  mind  of  the  people.  "If  he 
would  have  a  prosperous  following  and  an  easy 
victory  over  the  world,  let  him  become  the  mas- 
ter of  marvels.  Let  him  show  men  that  a  Divin- 
ity was  among  them,  not  by  the  inspiration  of  a 
higher  life  in  their  souls,  but  by  such  a  use  of 
divine  power  as  should  captivate  the  fancy  of  all 
who  saw  the  wonders  of  skill,  of  beauty,  of  dar- 
ing, which  he  should  show." — {Beecher''s  Life  of . 
Christ.)  This,  I  think,  is  the  true  interpretation 
of  the  second  temptation,  which  is  one  of  ambi- 
tion, or  rather  vain  glory,  not  one  of  mere  pre- 
sumption, as  supposed  by  Alford.  The  same 
demand  for  a  wonder-working  evidence  of  his 
divine  authority  is  frequently  repeatcl  through- 
out Christ's  life  (Matt.  12 :  as,  39),  and  always  refused. 
It  reappears  in  demands  of  modern  skeptics  for 
modern  miracles,  and  in  the  language  of  Renan, 
who  treats  Christ  as  a  thaumaturgist,  i.  e.,  a 
mere  wonder-worker. 

5.  The  holy  city.  Jerusalem.  Pinnacle 
of  the  temple.  The  temple  was  built  on  Mount 
Moriah,  on  a  foundation  built  up  of  solid  ma- 
sonry, so  as  to  present  a  nearly  perpendicular 
wall  of  over  200  feet  from  the  floor  of  the  temple 
to  the  valley  below,  "almost  equal  in  height  to 
the  tallest  of  our  church  spires."  On  this  wall, 
overhanging  the  valley  of  the  Kedron,  was  Her- 
od's royal  portico.  From  the  roof  of  that  por- 
tico to  the  valley  below  was  not  less  than  300 
feet.  "The  valley  was  very  deep,  insomuch  that 
if  any  one  looked  down  from  the  top  of  the  bat- 
tlements, he  would  be  giddy,  v/hile  his  sight 
could  not  reach  to  such  an  immense  depth." — 
{JosepJms. )  According  to  Alford,  it  was  the  roof 
of  this  porch  which  is  intended  by  the  descrip- 
tion here.  According  to  others,  it  was  the  apex 
of  the  temple  proper  from  which  he  was  called 
upon  to  cast  himself  down  into  the  court  below 


among  the  people  who  were  always  assembled 
there.  If  we  suppose  the  whole  event  to  have 
taken  place  in  thought  only,  the  location  could 
not  have  been  very  definitely  described,  because 
it  would  not  necessarily  have  been  very  definitely 
conceived.  The  essence  of  the  temptation  ap- 
pears to  me  to  be  its  publicity,  and,  therefore, 
whatever  point  of  the  temple  was  brought  to 
Christ's  mind,  it  must  have  been  one  from  M'hich 
the  miracle  proposed  could  have  been  generally 
observed. 

6.  It  is  written,  in  Psalm  91 ;  11 ;  not,  how- 
ever, as  a  prophecy  of  the  Messiah,  but  as  appli- 
cable to  all  the  children  of  God.  Christ  has  re- 
plied to  the  devil's  first  suggestion  as  a  man,  and 
the  devil  cites  a  promise  of  God  applicable  to  all 
men  in  his  second  temptation.  Observe  that  the 
devil  misapplies  Scripture,  using  it  to  lead  into 
error.  "If,"  says  Jerome,  "the  text  which  ho 
quotes  refers  to  Christ,  he  ought  to  have  added 
what  there  follows  against  himself — the  dragon 
shalt  thou  tread  under  thy  feet "  (verso  13). 

7.  It  is  written,  in  Deut.  6  :  16 ;  thom  shalt 
not  tempt,  i.  e.,  try  him,' put  him  on  trial,  pre- 
sume on  his  aid,  and  therefore  attempt  exploits 
which  he  does  not  command,  or  neglect  precau- 
tions which  reason  dictates, 

8- 10.  The  third  temptation.  An  appeal 
to  ambition.  The  Pharisees  expected  a  literal 
establishment  of  a  universal  Jewish  domain.  As 
Alexander  had  conquered  all  the  world,  so  they 
expected  Judaism  would  conquer  all  the  world, 
and  Jerusalem  would  be  its  capital.  This  was 
unmistakably  the  expectation  of  Christ's  OAvn 
disciples,  even  to  the  close  of  his  life  (Matt.  20 :  20, 
21 ;  Luke  19 :  11 ;  24 :  2i).  The  third  temptation  of  the 
devil  was  an  appeal  to  Christ  to  realize  this 
dream  of  the  nation.  "  There  was  a  tremendous 
temptation  to  exhibit  before  men  his  real  place 
and  authority ;  to  appear  as  great  as  he  really 
was  ;  to  use  his  energies  that  men  should  admit 
him  to  be  greater  than  generals,  higher  than 
kings,  more  glorious  than  temple  or  palace." 
— {Beecher's  Lifeof  Chrid.)  "  It  v/as  a  proposition 
to  use  physical  force  for  the  accomplishment  of 
moral  results — to  turn  from  the  jjath  of  suffer- 
ing and  labor  and  martyrdom  for  the  truth." — 
{Deems'  ^' Jesus.")  "'All  this  power  and  glory 
will  I  give  thee,  if  thou  wilt  fall  down  and  wor- 
ship me.'  In  other  words,  the  glory  and  power 
shall  be  the  Messiah's,  if  he  consents  to  act  in  the 
spirit  of  the  prince  of  this  world.'"— {Pressense's 


78 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  IV. 


xo  Then  saith  Jesus  unto  him,  Get  thee  hence,  Satan : 
for  it  is  written,  ThouP  shalt  worship  the  Lord  thy 
God,  and  him  only  shalt  thou  serve. 


II  Then  the  devil  leaveth  him,  and  behold,  angels- 
came  and  ministered  unto  him. 


p  Deut.  6  :  13  ;  1  Sam.  7:3 q  Heb.  1  :  6, 14. 


Life  of  Chrint.)  "The  seductive  promise  was 
whispered  in  the  ear  of  Jesus,  'This  victory 
shall  be  thine.  Only  yield  something  of  your 
religious  zeal ;  only  consent  to  join  hands  with 
the  priestly  aristocracy  of  Judea ;  only  consent 
to  look  in  silence  on  their  sins ;  only  compromise 
a  little  with  conscience  ;  only  employ  the  arts  of 
policy  and  the  methods  of  state  diplomacy,  by 
which,  always  and  everywhere,  men  mount  to 
power.  Be  not  righteous  overmuch,  for  why 
shouldst  thou  destroy  thyself. " — {AbbotVs  Jesus 
of  Nazareth. )  This  temptation  was  repeated  in 
different  forms  several  times  in  Christ's  life, 
especially  in  the  effort  of  the  people  to  make 
him  king  (john  6 :  15),  and  in  the  endeavors  of  the 
disciples  to  dissuade  him  from  his  voluntary  sac- 
rifice of  himself  (Matt.  16 :  22, 23).  Compare  his 
language  to  Peter  in  the  last-quoted  passage 
with  verse  10  here. 

8.  Of  course  there  is  no  such  mountain,  and 
on  a  round  globe  can  be  none.  The  language 
"all  the  glory  of  them"  indicates  a  picture 
seen  in  imagination  rather  than  a  literal  view 
from  any  height.  We  must  at  all  events  dismiss 
at  once  all  such  puerile  explanations  as  that  the 
devil  showed  him  the  entire  Holy  Land,  i.  e.,  the 
Jewish  domain,  or  the  Roman  Empire,  which 
could  not  all  be  seen  from  any  elevation,  or 
pointed  out  the  direction  of  all  kingdoms. 
Either  the  sight  was  one  afforded  in  imagination 
only,  or  there  was  a  miraculous  extension  of 
Christ's  vision  for  the  purpose.  But  the  whole 
theory  of  a  series  of  miracles  wrought  for  the  ex- 
press imrpose  of  affording  a  temptation,  is  inconsis- 
tent with  the  general  tenor  of  Scripture,  and 
directly  contradictory  of  James  1  :  13 ;  and  the 


difliculty  of  understanding  how  Christ's  imagi- 
nation could  be  made  a  means  of  temptation  is 
only  part  of  the  greater  and  insoluble  difficulty 
of  understanding  how  he  could  be  truly  subject 
to  any  temptation.  Of  the  location  of  this 
mountain,  if  v/e  suppose  the  scene  to  be  real,  not 
in  imagination  only,  nothing  is  known.  (See 
ndte  on  ver.  1.) 

9.  All  these  things  Avill  I  give  thee* 
There  would  seem  to  be  little  or  no  temptation 
in  this  promise  if  we  suppose  that  the  proposi^ 
tion  was  made  by  a  fiend  in  bodily  form,  and  in- 
volved a  demand  of  divine  homage  paid  to  him. 
Christ,  vv'ho  knew  that  the  devil  was  a  liar  from 
the  beginning  (john8;44,)  would  not  be  deceived 
by  so  self-evident  a  lie  as  this  would  be  if  it  were 
made  in  this  form.  Nor  is  the  supposition  that 
he  did  not  till  the  last  recognize  the  devil  in  these 
suggestions  of  evil,  inconsistent  with  the  degree 
of  supernatural  knowledge  attributed  to  him  by 

the    N.    T. .       (See  notes  on  Matt.  8  :  10 ;  Mark  13  :  32 ;  and  Heb. 

6:8.) 

10.  Satan.  Christ  now  first  calls  him  by 
name,  as  though  he  now  for  the  first  time  recog- 
nized the  source  whence  these  suggestions  came 
to  his  mind.  It  is  Avritten.  A  quotation,  but 
a  free  one,  and  somewhat  modified,  of  Deut.  6  :  13. 

11.  Then  the  devil  leaveth  him.  For  a 
season,  but  only  to  return  with  various  tempta- 
tions in  the  subsequent  life  of  Christ  (Luke  4 :  13). 
From  this  time  the  devils  recognize  the  Lord, 
acknowledge  his  power,  and  are  cast  out  by  his 

word  (Mark  1  :  24,  34  ;  3  :  11  ;  5  :  ?).     AugelS  Came  and 

ministered  unto  him.  The  primary  meaning 
is  with  food  or  other  supplies,  as  in  the  case  of 
EUjah,l  Kings  19: 0,7. 


THOUGHTS  ON  THE  TEMPTATION  OF  JESUS  CHRIST. 


I.  The  nature  of  temptation  is  here  indicated. 
It  does  not  necessarily  involve  sin  or  even  moral 
imperfection.  We  are  tempted  whenever  desires, 
such  as  may  he  right  in  themselves,  conflict  with 
principles  which  are  morally  superior  and  should 
be  their  masters,  as  when  appetite  conflicts  vrith 
trust  in  God  ;  love  of  approbation  with  humble 
obedience  to  and  waiting  on  God ;  love  of  influ- 
ence and  power,  with  a  supreme  love  for  and  alle- 
giance to  God.  We  sin  only  when  the  higher 
principle  yields  to  the  lower  propensity.  In  us 
temptation  is  strengthened  by  the  fact  that  we 
have  yielded  to  it ;  yet  before  we  have  yielded 
we  learn  obedience-by  experience  of  conflict. 

II.  Christ  was  "  in  all  points  tempted  like  as 
we  are,  yet  without  sin ; "  i.  e.,  he  possessed  the 
same  propensities  and  was  subject  to  the  same 


conflicts,  but  never  yielded  (Hebrew5  4:]5).  That 
he  really  felt  the  power  of  temptation  and  con- 
quered onlj'  after  a  struggle  analogous  to  our 
own  heart  struggles,  is  abundantly  indicated  not 
only  in  this  passage  and  in  the  account  of  the 
struggle  in  Gethsemane  and  on  the  cross  (Matt.  26 : 

36-56 ;  27  :  46,  and  parallel  passages),  but  alSO  iu  SUCh  inci- 
dents as  those  recorded  in  Luke  12  :  50 ;  John 
12  :  27 ;  and  16  :  32,  and  in  such  direct  declara- 
tions as  those  of  Hebrews  2  :  10,  and  5  :  8. 

III.  In  this  threefold  temptation  there  is 
noticeable  a  regular  progression.  The  first  ap- 
pealed to  the  body ;  the  second  to  love  of  ad- 
miration ;  the  third  to  love  of  power.  The  first 
to  a  mere  bodily  appetite ;  the  second  to  a  more 
honorable  desire  of  fame,  founded  on  human 
sympathy ;  the  third  to  a  noble  ambition  which 


Ch.  IV.] 


MATTHEW. 


79 


12  Now  when  Jesus  had  heard  that  John  was  cast 
into  prison,  he  departed  into  Galilee : 

13  And  leaving  Nazareth,  he  came  and  dwelt  in 
Capernaum,  which  is  upon  the  sea  coast,  in  the  bor- 
ders ot  Zabulon  and  Nephthalim  : 


14  That  it  might  be  fulfilled  which  was  spoken  by 
Esaias  the  prophet,'  saying, 

15  The  land  of  Zabulon,  and  the  land  of  Nephtha- 
lim, by  the  way  of  the  sea,  beyond  Jordan,  Galilee  of 
the  Gentiles 


Satan  tried  to  pervert.  The  first  called  for  an 
act  seemingly  miraculous ;  the  second  for  one 
ostentatious  and  presumptuous,  the  third  for 
one  blasphemously  wicked.  The  first  disguised 
itself  under  an  appeal  to  reason;  the  second 
sustained  itself  by  an  appeal  to  Scripture ;  and 
in  the  third  all  disguise  was  cast  off,  and  Satan 
revealed  himself.  The  first  was  the  most  decep- 
tive ;  the  second  the  most  plausible ;  the  third 
the  most  audacious.  In  the  first,  Satan  tried  to 
mislead  by  hiding  the  sin ;  in  the  second,  by 
sanctioning  the  sin  because  of  a  greater  good  to 
be  accomplished  by  it ;  in  the  third,  to  compen- 
sate for  the  sin  by  a  promised  reward. 

IV'.  Christ  receives  the  temptation  as  a  man 
and  resists  it  as  a  man.  As  he  is  tempted  in  all 
points  like  as  we  are,  so  his  resistance  is  an  exam- 
ple to  us  how  to  resist.  He  conquers  the  temp- 
tation through  bodily  hunger  by  trust  in  God, 
the  temptation  to  presumption  and  ostentation 
by  humble  obedience  to  and  patient  waiting  on 
God,  the  temptation  to  worldly  ambition  by  su- 
preme love  and  reverence  for  God ;  thus  in  every 
onset  it  is  faith  in  God  which  is  the  shield  that 
quenches  the  darts  of  the  adversary  (Ephcs.  6 :  ig). 

V.  We  share  Christ's  first  experience  when 
poverty  tempts  us  to  violate  God's  law  that  we 
may  provide  for  our  daily  wants  ;  we  share  the 
second  experience  when  we  are  tempted  to  neg- 
lect duties  which  God's  providence  lays  upon  us 
or  to  run  into  needless  dangers  or  dlfi[iculties,  or 
to  assume  uncalled-for  hazards,  and  trust  the  re- 
sult to  God,  or  to  make  an  ostentatious  display 
of  our  faith  in  God  ;  we  share  the  third  experi- 
ence when  we  are  tempted,  for  the  sake  of 
power,  wealth,  or  influenco,  to  conform  to  the 
world  and  to  employ  Satan's  instruments  in  even 
seeming  to  do  God's  service.  We  yield  to  the 
first  temptation  when  we  distrust  God's  provi- 
dential care ;  we  yield  to  the  second  when  we 
presume  unwarrantably  on  his  grace,  or  make  a 
show  of  our  reliance  on  his  word ;  we  yield  to 
the  third  when  we  are  conformed  to  this  world 
and  adopt  its  policies  and  methods  and  imbibe  its 
spirit  for  the  sake  of  its  rewards.  The  first  sin 
is  forbidden  by  Matt.  6  :  25,  the  second  by  6  : 1-7, 
the  third  by  6  :  24.  We  resist  the  first  tempta- 
tion when  we  seek  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and 
his  righteousness,  and  trust  food,  raiment,  and 
shelter  to  Him ;  we  resist  the  second  when,  in 
humble  trust  in  Him,  we  do  all  that  God  has 
given  us  power  to  do,  looking  to  Him  only  to 
protect  us  from  ills  against  which  we  cannot,  by 


reasonable  precaution,  guard  ourselves,  and  pa- 
tiently waiting  for  Him  to  bring  about  his  own 
results  in  his  own  time  and  way  ;  we  resist  the 
third  when  we  make  a  supreme  love  to  God  the 
sole  inspiration  of  our  hearts,  and  a  supreme  al- 
legiance to  Him  the  sole  rule  of  our  lives. 

Ch.  4  :  12-25.  CHRIST'S  FIRST  MINISTRY  IN  GALILEE. 
—The  mission  of  Christ  :  to  give  light  to  those  in 

DAEKNESS,  LIFE    TO   THOSE   IN    DEATH.      ThE   MESSAGE 

OF  Christ  :  Eepent,  foe  the  kingdom  of  heaten  is 
AT  HAND.  The  call  of  Christ  :  to  Christian  labor  : 
i  will  hake  tou  fishers  of  men.— how  to  accept 
Christ's  call:  immediately,  though  it  require 
U8  to  leave  propertt,  business,  friends.— Christ, 
the  model  for  the  preacher  ;  Christ,  the  model 
for  the  physician. 

13.  Now.  Anintervalof  about  a  year,  perhaps 
more,  elapses  between  verses  11  and  12.  During 
this  time  Christ  goes  from  the  wilderness  to 
Cana  of  Galilee,  where  he  performs  the  miracle 
at  the  wedding  feast  (John  2:i-ii),  goes  up  to 
Jerusalem  to  inaugurate  his  ministry  there  (John 
2 :  ia-25;  3 :  i-2i) ;  after  the  Passover,  joins  the  Bap- 
tist in  Enon  (John  3 :  22-36) ;  leaves  Judea  to  avoid 
threatened  controversy,  going  through  Samaria 
on  his  way,  and  arriving  at  the  residence  eithei" 
of  his  mother  or  some  friends  in  Cana,  where  he 
heals  the  sick  child  by  a  word  (john,  ch.  4),  and 
where  he  hears  of  the  imprisonment  of  John  the 
Baptist,  which  takes  place  about  this  time.  There 
is  some  uncertainty  as  to  the  chronology,  but 
this  I  think  to  be  the  most  probable  order  of 
events.  See  AbhoWs  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  p.  139, 
note.  Jesus  had  heard.  John  (the  Evan- 
gelist) says  the  reason  why  he  departed  into  Gal- 
ilee was  that  "  the  Lord  knew  how  the  Pharisees 
had  heard  that  Jesus  made  and  baptized  more 
disciples  than  John,"  i.  e.  the  Baptist  (John  4 : 1,  s). 
The  true  explanation  seems  to  be  that  this  Avas 
the  reason  of  his  leaving  the  vicinity  of  the  Jor- 
dan, viz.  :  to  avoid  the  collision  of  his  disciples 
with  those  of  the  Baptist,  but  that  he  did  not 
commence  public  preaching  in  Galilee  until  after 
John's  imprisonment.  John  was  cast  into 
prison.  For  account  of  this  imprisonment  and 
its  result,  John's  death,  see  Matt.  14  : 3-13 ;  Mark 
6 :  14-29. 

13.  And  leaving  Nazareth.  He  was  driven 
out  of  it  by  a  mob,  in  consequence  of  a  sermon 
in  which  he  disclosed  the  opening  of  the  door  of 
salvation  to  the  Gentiles  (Luke4:  le-si).  Alford 
places  this  sermon  later ;  but  his  reasons  for  dif- 
fering from  the  opinions  of  most  other  scholars 


80 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  IV. 


i6  The  people  which  sat  in  darkness'  saw  great  light : 
and  to  them  which  sat  in  the  region  and  shadow  of 
death,  light  is  sprung  up. 

17  P'rotn  that  time  Jesus  began  to  preach,  and  to 
say,  Repent :  for'  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand. 

18  And  Jesus,  walldng  by  the  sea  of  Galilee,  saw 
two  brethren,  Simon"  called  Peter,  and  Andrew  his 


brother,  casting  a  net  into  the  sea  :   for  they  were  fish- 
ers. 

19  And  he  saith  unto  them,  Follow  me,  and  I  will 
make  you  fishers"  of  men. 

20  And  they  straightway  left"  their  nets,  and  fol- 
lowed him. 

21  And  going  on  from  thence,  he  saw  other  two 


Isa.  4-2:6,  7;  Luke  2  :  32. 


ch.  3:  2;  IO:'I....u  John  1  :42....v  Luke  5  ;  10;  1  Cor.  9  :  20-22;  2  Cor.  12:  16. 


Mark  10  :  £8-31. 


are  not  satisfactory.  Indeed,  his  views  in  gen- 
eral on  chronology  are  not  more  satisfactory  than 
might  be  expected  of  one  who  in  express  terms 
asserts  the  "impracticability  of  constructing  a 
formal  harmony  of  the  three  synoptic  Gospels." 
Capernaum.  One  of  the  chief  cities  of  Galilee. 
It  had  a  synagogue,  in  which  Jesus  often  taught, 
a  Roman  garrison,  and  a  customs  station,  and 
was  the  residence  of  Andrew,  Peter,  James,  and 
John,  and  prob-ibly  also  of  Matthew  (Matt.  9 : 1-9 ; 

Mark  1  :  21 ;  Luke  7:1,8;  5  :  27  ;  John  6  :  69).  It  WaS  de- 
nounced by  our  Lord  for  its  rejection  of  him 
(Matt.'n  :  23),  and  its  destruction  has  been  so  com- 
plete that  its  very  site  is  a  matter  of  uncertainty. 
The  better  opinion  fixes  it  at  Tel  Hum,  on  the 
northern  shore  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  The  new 
name  corresponds  with  the  old,  Cafar  or  Kefer, 
sig-nifying  village,  and  Tel  a  deserted  site.  The 
ruins  of  an  ancient  synagogue  have  been  recently 
discovered  at  Tel  Hum,  not  impossibly  the  veiy 
one  in  which  Christ  preached. 

14-16.  That  it  might  be  fulfilled.  As  the 
life  of  the  individual  is  ordered  by  God  in  such  a 
way  as  to  fulfill  the  divine  but  undisclosed  pur- 
pose, so  the  life  of  Christ  was  ordered  in  such  a 
way  as  to  fulfill  the  divine  will  concerning  him 
disclosed  in  the  prophets,  and  for  the  purpose  of 
60  doing.  Esaias.  Isaiah  9 : 1, 2.  The  quotation 
does  not  follow  the  original  literally,  nor  indeed 
are  the  quotations  in  the  New  Testament  from 
the  Old  Testament  generally  verbally  exact. 
Zabnlon  and  Nephthalim.  The  territories 
allotted  to  the  tribes  of  Zebulon  and  Naphthali 
are  referred  to.  They  embrace  the  territory 
west  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  and  constituted  one 
of  the  most  important,  if  not  the  most  import- 
ant, field  of  Christ's  ministry.  The  way  of 
the  sea,  beyond  Jordan.  Our  version  is  un- 
fortunate, if  not  inaccurate.  These  words  are 
not  descriptive  of  Zabulon  and  Nephthalim,  but 
descriptive  of  other  regions,  the  whole  being  em- 
braced in  the  last  term  of  the  sentence,  Galilee 
of  the  Gentiles.  (See  paraphrase  below.)  Gal- 
ilee of  the  Gentiles.  So  called  because  of 
the  intermixture  of  heathen  with  the  Jewish 
population  in  Galilee.  Which  sat  in  dark- 
ness. A  symbol  of  hopeless  gloom.  It  signifies 
more  than  "walked  in  darkness;"  they  do  not 
even  attempt  to  escape  from  it.  Zabulon  and 
Nephthalim  occupied  the  most  northerly  portion 
of  the  Holy  Land,  and  were  the  tribes  most  dis- 
tant from  Jerusalem.     The  history  and  char- 


acter of  Galilee  (see  note  on  Matt. :  2, 22)  had  brought 
it  into  contempt  among  the  Judeans,  and  its 
people,  intermixed  with  Gentiles,  were  certainly 
in  ignorance  of  the  ecclesiastical  rales  and  the 
traditions  and  ceremonies  which  prevailed  in 
Judea,  and  constituted  in  all  respects  a  more 
common  and  simple  population.  The  prophet 
declares  that  this  region  of  darkness  and  ignor- 
ance should  be  the  scene  of  the  Messiah's  illus- 
trious appearance.  Shadow  of  death.  A 
common  metaphor   in    the  Old  Testament  (job 

10  :  21 ;    P8.  23  :  4 ;    Jer.  2:6;    and  many  other  similar  passages). 

Death  is  represented  lilce  a  cloud  that  mtervenes 
between  the  sun  and  the  landscape  ;  it  thus  casts 
a  gloom  on  the  face  of  the  nation.  Light  is 
sprung  up.  "  The  light  of  itself  sprung  up  and 
shone  forth ;  it  was  not  that  they  first  ran  to  the 
light." — (Chrysostom.)  Compare  Ephes.  2  : 4,  5; 
John  4 :  10.  The  whole  passage  then  may  be 
paraphrased  thus  :  "The  territories  of  Zabulon 
and  Nephthalim,  the  region  about  the  Sea  of 
Gennesaret,  the  country  beyond  the  Jordan,  yea, 
the  whole  of  Galilee,  which  you  contemptuously 
designate  Galilee  of  the  Gentiles,  whose  inhabit- 
ants sit  in  the  darkness  of  ignorance  and  under 
the  gloom  of  impending  death,  from  which  there 
is  no  one  to  deliver,  shall  be  the  first  to  see  the 
light  which  the  Messiah  brings." 

17.  From  that  time.  Though  he  had  com- 
menced his  ministry  at  Jerusalem  by  casting  out 
the  traders,  and  by  his  conversation  with  Nico- 
demus  (john2: 13;  ch.  3),  and  some  public  instruc- 
tion in  Samaria  is  implied  by  John  4  :  40-42,  his 
sermon  at  Nazareth  appears  to  have  inaugurated 
his  entry  upon  his  life-work  as  a  preacher  of 
righteousness.  There  is  no  cessation  of  that 
work  from  this  time  until  his  death.  Even  dur- 
ing his  retirement,  after  his  rejection  by  the 
Galileans  ,(Jo>in  6 :  cg  and  Matt.  15 :  2i),  he  occupied 
himself  with  instructing  his  disciples  in  the 
principles  of  Christianity,  and  the  nature  and 
work  of  the  Christian  Church.  His  preaching 
is,  however,  at  first  only  a  preaching  of  repent- 
ance, like  that  of  John  the  Baptist.  It  grows 
more  explicit  in  its  disclosures  of  the  true  nature 
of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  afterwards. 

18-22.  The  CAXL  OF  FOUR  DISCIPLES.  The  ac- 
count in  Luke  5  : 1-11,  is  much  more  full.  See  notes 
there.  Sea  of  Galilee.  Also  called  Lake  of  Gen- 
nesaret (Luke  5  :  l),  Sca  of  ChinnCrcth   (Numb.  34  :  ll), 

of  Cinnereth  (josh.  11:2),  of  Cinneroth  (1  Kings  15 :  20), 
and  of  Tiberias  (John  6 : 1).    See  map,  Mark,  ch.  1. 


Ch.  IV.] 


MATTHEW. 


81 


brethren,^  James,  the  son  of  Zebedee,  and  John  his 
brother,  in  a  ship  with  Zebedee  their  father,  mending 
their  nets:  and  he  called  them. 

22  And  they  immediately   left   the    ship    and  their 
father,  and  followed  him. 

23  And  Jesus  went  about  all  Galilee,  teachings  in 


their  synagogues,  and  preaching  the  gospel^  of  the 
kingdom,  and  healing  all  manner  of  sickness,  and  all 
manner  of  disease"  among  the  people. 

24  And  his  fame  went  throughout  all  Syria  :  and 
they  brought  unto  him  all  sick  people  that  were  taken 
with  divers  diseases  and  torments,  and  those  which 


;  19,  20 y  ch.  9  :  35;  Luke  4  :  15,  44 i  ch.  24  :  14  ;  Mark  1 


ch.  8:16,  17:  Ps.  103  :  3. 


FISHFRMAN   CiSTIXG   HIS    NET 

Simon  called  Peter.  The  name  Peter  had 
been  previously  given  to  him  by  our  Lord  at  or 
about  the  time  of  his  own  baptism  by  John  the 
Baptist  (John  1 :  42).  The  reason  of  the  new  name 
is  given  in  Matt.  16  :  18.  See  note  there.  And 
Andrew  his  brother.  Simon  Peter,  Andrew, 
and  John  had  already  met  Jesus  at  the  ford  of 
the  Jordan,  where  they  had  partially  attached 
themselves  to  him  under  the  influence  of  John 
the  Baptist's  preaching  (john  i :  35-42,  note).  The 
fact  of  their  acquaintance  with  him,  coupled 
with  the  miraculous  draft  of  fishes  recorded  in 
Luke,  accounts  for  the  readiness  with  which 
they  responded  to  his  call.  It  was  not  the 
call  of  a  stranger,  but  of  one  whom  they  had 
already  recognized  as  a  prophet  if  not  as  the 
Messiah. 

20.  And  they  straightway  left  their  nets, 
etc.  "  Mark  both  their  faith  and  their  obedience. 
For  though  they  were  in  the  midst  of  their 
work  (and  ye  know  how  greedy  a  thing  fishing 
is),  when  they  heard  his  command  they  delayed 
not,  they  procrastinated  not,  they  said  not,  '  let 
us  return  home  and  converse  with  our  kinsfolk,' 
but  they  forsook  all  and  followed,  even  as  Elisha 
did  to  Elijah." — (Chrysostom.)  Compare  Matt. 
7  :  21,  23,  and  ch.  19  :  27-30. 

21.  Zebedee.  The  husband  of  Salome.  The 
latter  became  a  follower  of  Christ,  and  watched 
him  on  the  cross,  and  ministered  to  him  even  in 
the  grave  (Matt.  27 :  55, 66 ;  Mark  16 :  40 ;  16 :  i).    It  18  in- 


ferred from  the  mention  of  Zebedee's 
hired  servants  (Mark  i :  20),  and  from  the 
acquaintance  of  John  with  the  high 
priest  (John  18 :  is),  that  the  famUy  were 
m  easy  circumstances ;  and  that  the 
father  and  sons  were  actively  engaged 
=^  m  manual  labor  does  not  mUitate 
against  this  opinion.  Zebedee  is  never 
^      mentioned   after    this    incident,    and 

_    "    there  is  no  reason  to  believe  that  he 

^^       ~    erer  became  a  disciple  of  Jesus.    Com- 

-  pare  Matt.  24  :  40,  41.     One  is  taken 

J    md  the  other  left  in  the  call  of  Christ, 

^  a  3  in  his  final  coming. 

%      22.   Left    the    ship    and    their 

^  father.    Not  only  their  property  and 

^  their  business,   but  their  home  and 

-^=    their  father — for  Christ's  sake.    Com- 

'     pare  Matt.  10  :  37,  and  contrast  Luke 

""  ^  11  :  18-20. 

23.  Jesus  went  about.  John 
preached  in  one  locality  to  the  people  who 
came  to  him.  Jesus  went  about  seeking  the 
people  (Mark  1  :  37,  38).  Teaching  in  their 
synagogues.  Places  of  religious  assembly 
among  the  Jews.  Synagogues  were  first  con- 
stituted during  the  captivity  in  Babylon,  when 
access  to  the  Temple  was  denied,  and  received 
their  full  development  on  the  return  of  the 
Jews  from  captivity.  They  were  built  gener- 
ally on  elevated  ground;  worshippers,  as  they 
entered  and  as  they  prayed,  looked  toward  Je- 
rusalem. When  finished,  they  were  set  apart, 
as  the  Temple  had  been,  by  a  special  prayer  of 
dedication.  The  common  acts  of  life,  such  as 
eating,  drinking,  reckoning  up  accounts,  etc., 
were  forbidden  in  them.  Even  if  the  building 
ceased  to  be  used  for  worship,  it  was  not  to  be 
applied  to  any  base  purpose.  At  the  Christian 
era  there  were  synagogues  in  every  tovra,  and  in 
Jerusalem,  according  to  the  rabbinical  writings, 
there  were  upwards  of  450.  The  people  assem- 
bled in  them  on  Sabbath  and  other  sacred  days, 
for  public  prayer  and  the  hearing  of  portions  of 
Scripture  (Luke  4 :  i6 ;  Acts  13 :  is).  In  the  interior  ar- 
rangements of  the  synagogue  may  be  traced  an 
obvious  analogy  to  those  of  the  Tabernacle.  At 
the  upper  end  stood  the  ark  or  chest  which  con- 
tained the  Book  of  the  Law.     Here  were  the 

"  chief  seats  "  (Matt.  23  ;  6;  James  2  :  2,  s).      In  frOUt  of 

the  ark  was  a  lamp  kept  constantly  burning,  and 
an  eight-branched  lamp,  lighted  only  on  great 


82 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  IV. 


were  possessed  with  devils,  and  those  which  were 
lunatic,  and  those  that  had  the  palsy  ;  and  he  healed 
them. 


25  And  there  followed  him  great  multitudes"  of  peo- 
ple from  Galilee,  und/rom  Decapolis,  and  yrom  Jeru- 
salem, and/V-OOT  Judaea,  andyrom  beyond  Jordan, 


b  Luke  6  :  17,  19. 


festivals.  A  little  farther  toward  the  middle  of 
the  building  was  a  raised  platform  ;  and  in  the 
middle  of  this  rose  a  pulpit,  in  which  the  Scrip- 
ture was  publicly  read  and  the  sermon  or  address 
was  delivered.  The  officers  of  the  congregation 
were  composed  of  a  college  of  elders  (Luke  7: 3; 
Mark  5 :  22;  Acts  13 :  16),  presided  ovcr  by  One  who  was 
the  ruler  of  the  synagogue  (Luke  8 :  41, 49  j  Acts  is :  8,  n). 
These  managed  the  affairs  of  the  synagogue  and 
possessed  the  power  of  excommunicating.  There 
were  also  an  officer  who  was  the  chief  reader  of 
prayers,  a  minister  of  the  synagogue  (Luke  4 :  20), 
who  had  duties  of  a  lower  kind,  resembling  in 
part  those  of  the  modern  sexton,  in  part  those  of 
the  Christian  deacon  or  sub-deacon,  and  who  also 
often  acted  during  the  week  as  schoolmaster  of 
the  town  or  village,  and  ten  men  whose  func- 
tions are  not  well  ascertained.  The  latter  were 
to  be  men  of  leisure,  able  to  attend  the  week-day 
as  well  as  the  Sabbath  services,  and  were  proba- 
bly simply  a  body  of  men  permanently  on  duty 
making  up  a  congregation  (ten  being  the  mini- 
mum number),  so  that  there  might  be  no  delay 
in  beginning  the  service  at  the  proper  time.  The 
service  was  a  ritual,  probably  borrowed  and 
modified  from  the  established  service  of  the 
Temple.  The  first  five  books  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment were  read  through  in  a  course  of  lessons, 
one  lesson  being  read  every  Sabbath ;  the  proph- 
ets were  read  as  second  lessons.  There  was  also 
a  sermon  or  exposition  of  the  passage  of  Scrip- 
ture which  had  been  read,  on  which,  however, 
any  rabbi  present  might  speak,  by  invitation  of 

the   ruler  of  the   synagogue  (Luke  4  :  le,  17  ;  Acts  9 :  20 ; 

13 :  15).  The  liberty  of  preaching  was  not  ordina- 
rily granted  to  any  who  were  not  versed  in  the 
lore  of  the  rabbinical  schools ;  but  it  was  ac- 
corded to  prophets  and  others  who  were  recog- 
nized as  leaders  of  new  sects  or  representatives 
of  new  opinions,  in  order  that  they  might  not  be 
condemned  unheard.  Hence  the  permission 
granted  to  Christ,  and  subsequently  to  his  apos- 
tles, to  speak  in  the  synagogues.  The  synagogue 
was  a  place  of  trial,  and  even,  strange  as  it  may 
seem,  of  the  infliction  of  punishment  (Matt.  10 :  17 ; 

23  :34;  Acts  22  :  19). 

And  heralding  the  glad  tidings  of  the 
kingdom.  The  word  translated  preaching,  sig- 
nifies literally  proclaiming  as  a  herald  or  public 
crier ;  the  word  gospel  is  composed  of  two  words, 
god — spell,  good  tidings,  and  answers  almost  ex- 
actly to  the  Greek,  which  is  a  compound  word, 
signifying  good  news.  An  illustration  of  Christ's 
preaching  is  afforded  by  Luke  4  :  10-32.  The 
characteristics  of  Jesus  as  a  preacher  are  indi- 


cated by  references  in  the  various  Evangelists. 
He  possessed  in  a  remarkable  degree  that  mys- 
terious personal  magnetism  which  is  the  secret 
of  all  true  oratory.  No  sooner  did  he  rise  to 
speak  than  all  eyes  were  fastened  on  him  (Luk« 
4 :  so).     He  spoke  with  ease  and  grace  (ib.,  verae  22), 

but    with    peculiar    power    (Mark  1  :  22;    Luke  4:32). 

For  illustration  of  this  power,  see  Luke  4  :  SO ; 
John  10  :  39 ;  7  :  32,  45,  4(i ;  18  : 6.  He  showed  no 
respect  for  rabbinical  lore  (jiatt.  15 : 3-9;  Mark  7 : 6-13) ; 
but  was  familiar  with  and  referred  constantly  to 
the  Old  Testament  Scriptures  (Matt.  12:5-7;  22:. "i, 

32,  42-45;    Mark  2  :  25,  26;    John  5  :  39).       He   lOVCd  Dature 

and  interpreted  her  lessons  (Matt.  6 :  26-29 ;  7:24-27, 
etc.),  and  drew  innumerable  illustrations  from  the 
common  events  of  life  (Matt.  13 : 3-9,  24-30,  33,  45-5f ; 
Luke  5: 10;  14:16-24),  and  from  public  and  political 

events    of    importance     (Matt.    lO  :  7-15 ;    Luke   13  :  1-5 ; 

19 :  12-28,  and  note).  His  discourscs  Were  generally 
brief,  and  abounded  in  apothegms,  proverbs,  and 
even  startling  paradoxes  (see,  for  example,  Matt.  5 :  10-12, 

14,  29,  30,  44 ;  6  :  3,  21,  24,  34 ;  7:1,  7,  12,  20). 

And  healing.  For  a  graphic  description  of 
a  day's  work,  see  Mark  1 :  21-35.  To  this  period 
of  his  ministry  are  thought  to  belong  the  casting 
out  the  devil  in  the  synagogue  (Marki :  21-23 ;  Luke 
4 :  31-37),  the  healing  of  Peter's  mother-in-law  and 
others  (Matt.  8 :  14-n),  the  healing  of  the  leper  (Matt. 
8 : 2-4),  and  of  the  paralytic  (9 : 2-s).  The  fuller  ac- 
counts of  these  cures  thus  given  show  plainly 
that  they  were  miraculous.  Though  Jesus  some- 
times used  some  of  the  simple  remedies  of  his 

day    (Matt.  9:29;    Mark  6  :  13  ;    Luke  4:  10;    John  9  :  6,  7),  and 

though  some  of  the  diseases,  such  as  lunacy  in 
its  milder  forms,  hysteria,  and  some  cases  of  par- 
alysis, can  be  relieved,  if  not  cured,  by  a  strong 
influence  acting  upon  the  system  through  the 
mind  and  brain,  yet  this  is  not  true  of  the  dis- 
eases which  Christ  for  the  most  part  treated, 
such  as  malarious  fever  (Matt.  8 :  i4-n),  chronic  par- 
alysis (Luke  13 :  11-17),  Congenital  epilepsy  (Matt. 
17 :  14-21),  long-continued  ophthalmia  (Matt.  9 :  27-30), 

or  leprosy  (Matt.  8  :  1-1 ;  see  ako  Matt.  8  :  6-13 ;  9  :  13,  19,  23-26 ) 
Luke  7  :  1-16;  John  4  :  46-54 ;  17  :  12-19).     No  natural  CaUSCS 

can  possibly  explain  these  manifestations  of 
Christ's  power.  His  miracles,  too,  were  charac- 
teristically unlike  the  acts  of  a  necromancer.  He 
never  shrouded  them  in  mystery  ;  he  cured  in  his 
own  name  (Matt,  s :  3),  in  open  day,  and  before  all 

the   people    (Mark  3  :  2-5 ;  9  :  25),  by  a  word    (Mark  3  :  C), 

a  touch  (Matt.  9 :  29),  a  Command  (jobn  5 : 8).  For  a 
full  consideration  of  Jesus  Christ  as  a  preacher 
and  healer,  see  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  by  Lyman 
Abbott,  chapters  11,  12,  and  13,  from  which  this 
note  is  condensed. 


Ch.  v.] 


MATTHEW. 


83 


24,  25.  Comp.  Mark  1  :  28.  The  Sea  of  Galilee 
was  the  centre  of  a  busy  traffic,  and  on  the  high- 
way between  Damascus  and  the  Mediterranean. 
The  caravans  would  carry  his  f  iime  in  both  direc- 
tions. Possessed  with  devils.  See  note  on 
Matt.  8  :  28-34.  Lunatic.  Literally,  moon- 
struck; probably  subject  to  epilepsy.  The  same 
word  is  employed  in  describing  a  specific  case  in 
Matt.  17 :  15 ;  see  note  on  Mark  9 : 7,  8.  Palsy.  See, 
for  cure  of  a  specific  case  of  palsy,  Matt.  9  : 1-8  ; 
Mark  2  : 1-12 ;  Luke  5  :  17-2G  ;  and  for  descrip- 
tion of  disease,  notes  on  the  passage  in  Mark. 
Decapolis  {ten  cities),  a  region  in  the  northeast- 
em  part  of  Palestine,  near  the  lake  of  Gennesa- 
ret,  and  so  called  because  it  contained  ten  cities, 
which  seem  to  have  been  endowed  by  the  Ro- 
mans with  some  peculiar  privileges.  Their  pop- 
ulation was  mostly  heathen.  Jerusalem  :  in- 
cluding the  territory  round  about  Jerusalem. 
Beyond  Jordan.  East  of  the  Jordan.  In  sec- 
ular history  and  in  modern  books  of  travel  it  is 
known  as  Perea  (hcyond).  It  is  even  to  this  day 
a  comparatively  unknown  land.  See  as  to  its 
character,  note  on  Matt.  19  : 1. 

Ch.  5,  6,  7.  SERMON  OX  THE  MOUNT.— The  keug- 
lON  OP  Jesus  Cheist  is  a  religion  op  spieitual 

BLESSEDNESS  (1-16),  OP  SPIEITUAL  OBEDIENCE  (17^8), 
OP  HUMBLE  PIETY  (6  :  1-18),  OP  SINGLENESS  OF  SERVICE 
(19-34),  OP  CHILDLIKE  TRUST  IN  GOD  (24-34),  OP  CHARITY 
AND  PURITY  (7  :  \-%).  It  IS  A  DIVINE  GIFT,  IS  TO  BE 
ATTAINED  BY  PRAYER  (7-12),  BT  SELP-DENIAL  (13,  14), 
BY  PRACTICAL   OBEDIENCE    (15-27).      The    KINGDOM    OP 

Christ  contrasted  with  earthly  kingdoms  (1-16), 
with  the  Mosaic   commonwealth,  i.  e.,  the  law 

(17-48),    AND    WITH    the    RELIGION   OP   FORMALISM    (6  : 

1  to  7 : 6).  The  conditions  op  citizenship  in 
Christ's  kingdom  (7 :  7-27).— See  note  on  Object 
OP  Discourse,  and  Analysis  below. 

Preliminary  Note. — Of  this  sermon  there  are 
two  reports  having  some  points  in  common  and 
some  marked  differences,  one  and  the  fullest 
here,  the  other  in  Luke  (5  :  20-49.  The  sermon 
is  not  reported  by  Mark  or  John.  In  reconciling 
these  two  accounts  there  are  several  hypotheses 
proposed,  of  which  the  principal  are  the  follow- 
ing :  I.  That  Luke  has  given  a  report  of  the  ser- 
mon, and  that  Matthew  has  grouped  around  it 
a  collection  of  the  sayings  of  our  Lord,  uttered 
at  difEerent  times  during  this  period  of  his  minis- 
try. But  this  is  inconsistent  with  ch.  5 : 1, 2,  which 
represents  the  discourse  as  given  at  one  time, 
and  no  less  so  with  the  structure  of  the  dis- 
course, which  is  as  remarkable  for  its  unity  of 
thought  as  for  the  richness  and  the  power  of 
isolated. passages  (see  analysis  below).  II.  That 
Matthew  has  given  a  full  report  and  that  Luke 
has  condensed  from  it.  But  Luke  adds  matter 
which  Matthew  does  not  give  (Luke  6 :  24-26),  nor 
is  there  anything  in  his  account  to  indicate  that 
it  is  borrowed  or  condensed  from  the  previous 


report  of  another.  III.  That  there  were  two 
distinct  discourses,  one  preached  by  Christ  to 
the  disciples  alone  and  recorded  by  Matthew,  the 
other  and  briefer  preached  to  the  multitude,  and 
reported  by  Luke.  This  opinion  is  maintained 
by  Dr.  Eddy  {Life  of  Christ,  pages  312,  313\ 
Lange  {Life  of  Christ,  ii.  380-383),  H.  W.  Beecher 
{Jesus  the  Christ,  chap,  xiv),  following  Tholuck, 
"Sermon  on  the  Mount,"  and  apparently  Augus- 
tine. This  hypothesis  is  pronounced  "  clumsy 
and  artificial "  by  Jamieson,  Faussett,  and 
Brown,  and  "unlikely  and  unnatural"  by  Al- 
ford,  and  is  rejected  by  Ellicott  {Life  of  Christ, 
page  171,  note),  because  it  "has  so  much  the  ap- 
pearance of  having  been  formed  simply  to  recon- 
cile the  differences  as  to  locality  and  audiences, 
which  appear  in  the  two  Evangelists,  and  in- 
volves so  much  that  is  unlikely  and  indeed  unnat- 
ural."  It  can  at  best  be  said  to  be  but  a  possibly 
true  explanation.  IV.  That  there  was  but  one 
discourse,  that  it  was  delivered  to  the  disciples 
in  the  presence  of  the  multitude,  and  with  refer- 
ence to  the  wants  of  both  the  infant  church  and 
the  great  body  of  the  people,  and  that  of  it  we 
have  different  reports,  with  such  variations  as 
would  naturally  occur  in  the  subsequent  record 
by  different  writers.  This  is  the  view  of  Pres- 
sense  {Life  of  Christ,  page  361),  Ebrard  {Gospel 
History,  pages  270-272),  Neander  {Life  of  Christ, 
page  224),  Bengel  (Gnomon  on  Matthew  5:1; 
Luke  6  :  17),  Olshausen  (Commmto-?/,  Matt.  5  : 1), 
Wordsworth  {Commentary,  Luke  6  :  20),  Robin- 
son {Harmony  of  the  Gospels,  §  41),  and  Town- 
send  {JVeio  Testament,  page  75,  PI.  Ill,  note  42). 
Those  who  believe  in  the  verbal  inspiration  of 
the  Scripture  will  reject  this  view.  Those  who 
believe  that  the  Evangelists  were  left  to  use 
their  natural  faculties  in  recalling  and  recording 
the  events  and  discourses  they  reported,  being 
guarded  by  the  Spirit  of  God  from  all  material 
error,  such  as  could  affect  the  truth  they  were 
appointed  to  teach,  will  generally  regard  it,  as  I 
do,  as  the  most  rational  and  probable  opinion. 
"It  is,"  says  Alford,  "the  view  taken  by  ordi- 
nary readers  of  Scripture,"  and  is  "also  taken 
by  most  of  the  modern  German  commentators." 
Object  of  the  discourse.  Luke  has  given 
the  time  of  the  discourse ;  Matthew  has  not. 
Jesus  had  carried  on  his  ministry  for  some  time 
in  Galilee ;  his  fame  had  extended  throughout 
the  Holy  Land ;  he  had  wrought  the  cures  which 
Matthew  subsequently  records.  While  his  popu- 
larity was  constantly  increasmg  among  the  com- 
mon people  (Mark  1 :  45 ;  Luke  5 :  15, 16),  his  declaration 
that  the  Gospel  was  for  the  Gentiles  (Luke  4 :  24-2S), 
his  disregard  of  the  Pharisaic  ceremonials,  and 
his  controversies  with  the  Pharisees  respecting 
Sabbath  observance,  as  recorded  in  Matt.  12 : 1-9 ; 
Mark  2  :  23-28  ;  3:1-6;  John,  ch.  5,  which  had 
taken  place  previous  to  this  time  though  re- 


84 


MATTHEW. 


CHAPTER    V. 


AND   seeing  the  multitudes,  he  went  up  into  a 
mountain :   and  when  he  was  set,  his  disciples 


came  unto  him  : 


[Ch.  V. 


2  And  he  opened  his  mouth,  and  taught  them,  say- 
ing," 

3  Blessed  are  the  poor  in*  spirit :«  for  their's  is  the 
kingdom  of  heaven. 


,  etc d  Isa.  67  :  15  ;  66  :  2. 


corded  by  Matthew  subsequently,  indicated  the 
collision  which  was  inevitable  between  his  teach- 
ings and  those  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees.  He 
summoned  from  the  many  that  followed  him, 
twelve  to  be  his  apostles  (Lukee:  is-ic)  and  the 
founders  under  him  of  the  church  which  was  to 
carry  on  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  after  his 
death,  and  having  consecrated  them  to  their  work 
he  preached  this  sermon,  primarily  to  them,  but 
also  to  the  great  multitude  who  crowded  to  hear 
(Lake  6 :  n).  It  was  tlius  in  a  proper  sense  an  in- 
augural discourse.  It  sets  forth  to  his  disciples 
and  to  the  people  the  character  of  that  kingdom 
of  heaven  which  he  had  declared  to  be  at  hand, 
but  it  does  this  by  contrasting  it,  firstly,  with  the 
old  theocracy  which  it  was  to  fulfill,  and  sec- 
ondly, with  the  righteousness  of  which  the 
scribes  were  the  expositors,  and  which  it  was  to 
overthrow. 

Analysis. — The  sermon  may  be  briefly  ana- 
lyzed as  follows.  The  kmgdom  of  God  is  one  of 
blessedness,  a  blessedness  which  does  not  consist, 
however,  in  wealth  and  honor,  but  in  character, 
in  a  lowly  spirit,  a  merciful  disposition,  a  pure 
heart.  It  brings  earthly  persecution  but  eternal 
reward  (veraes  i-is),  and  no  one  is  worthy  of  it  who 
has  not  the  spirit  to  endure  suffering  for  its  sake 
(13-16).  To  make  clear  the  nature  of  this  king- 
dom, Christ  points  out  its  contrast  with,  first, 
the  Mosaic  law,  and  second,  the  traditional  and 
ceremonial  religion  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees. 
He  has  been  accused  of  disregarding  the  laws  of 
Moses  (Mark  2 :  24 ;  John  5 :  10, 16).  It  is  not  true.  The 
Messiah  comes  to  fulfill,  not  to  repeal,  the  Old 
Testament  law.  He  has  been  charged  with  irre- 
ligion ;  he  replies  that  the  religion  of  his  disci- 
ples must  exceed  that  of  their  accusers  or  they 
can  never  enter  the  kingdom  of  God  (n-20).  He 
explams  his  first  declaration  by  showing  how  the 
laws  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  require  all  that 
the  Mosaic  law  required,  and  much  more,  and 
illustrates  this  truth  by  pointing  out  that  while 
the  Mosaic  law  forbade  murder,  adultery,  and 
perjury,  and  restrained  revenge  within  certain 
definite  bounds,  Christ's  law  forbids  anger  and 
unhallowed  thoughts,  and  requires  simplicity  in 
aU  speech,  and  love  toward  all  men  (21-48).  He 
next  illustrates  the  second  declaration  by  depict- 
ing the  vices  which  nullify  all  that  is  seemingly 
good  in  Pharisaism,  the  ostentation  of  the  three 
good  works  of  all  formal  religions — alms-giving, 
prayer,  and  fasting ;  the  greed  which  accompa- 
nies their  pretended  piety ;  and  the  censoriousness 


which  is  the  result  of  their  self-righteous  spirit 
(ch.  6 ;  ch.  7 : 1-6).  He  finally,  in  a  few  brief  aphor- 
isms, points  out  the  way  by  which  the  soul  may 
enter  the  kingdom  of  God  (ch.  7 : 7-14) ;  cautions  his 
hearers  against  preachers  of  false  doctrine  ;  gives 
a  simple  test  of  truth  which  every  man,  however 
unlearned,  can  easily  apply  for  himself  (15-23); 
and  he  closes  by  the  declaration  that  discipleship 
consists  not  in  hearing  the  tinth,  nor  in  profess- 
ing the  truth,  but  in  living  the  truth  (24-29). 

The  fact  that  this  discourse  possesses  a  unity 
as  characteristic  as  that  of  any  address  of  equal 
length  in  the  Bible,  if  not  in  any  literature,  is  a 
sufllcient  refutation  of  the  idea  that  it  is  a  mosaic 
of  Christ's  sayings,  put  together  by  Matthew ; 
the  fact  that  it  was  preached  for  a  specific  pur- 
pose, viz.,  to  exhibit  the  contrast  of  the  religion 
of  the  Spirit  with  that  of  external  observance, 
suflSciently  indicates  the  reason  why  it  contains 
no  distinct  enunciation  of  those  doctrines  of  an 
atoning  sacrifice,  and  a  new  and  spiritual  birth, 
which  Jesus  had  already  enunciated  in  private 
conversation  with  Nicodemus  (John  3 :  i-s),  and 
which  he  at  a  later  period  emphasized,  not  only 
in  addresses  delivered  to  his  own  disciples,  but 
in  those  delivered  to  the  people  (Matt.  22 :  11-13;  25 : 
1-13;  John  ch.  6;  ch.  10,  etc.).  At  the  Same  time  the 
fundamental  truth  that  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is 
the  gift  of  God,  is  indicated  clearly  in  chapter  7  : 
7-11.    See  notes  there. 

1;  And  seeing  the  multitudes.  To  escape 
from  them  and  to  secure  a  private  interview 

with    his    disciples    (compare  Mark  3  :  9,  13).        3IOUn> 

tain.  Not  necessarily  a  particular  mountain ; 
rather  into  the  "hill-country."  Luke  says 
(ch.  6 :  n)  that  he  came  down  and  stood  in  the  plain 
(literally,  level  place).  Nothing  more  is  indicated 
by  this  than  that  he  descended  from  one  of  the 
higher  peaks  to  the  plateau  to  give  this  dis- 
course, where  it  might  be  heard  by  the  people  as 
well  as  by  the  twelve.  A  tradition  points  out  a 
hill,  kno^vn  as  Mount  Hattin,  as  the  place  where 
the  sermon  was  delivered.  The  tradition  is  of 
no  weight,  but  the  hill  itself  contains  a  platform 
"  evidently  suitable  for  the  collection  of  a  multi- 
tude, and  corresponding  precisely  to  the  '  level 
place '  to  which  he  would  '  come  down,'  as  from 
one  of  its  higher  horns,  to  address  the  people." 
— {Btajileifs  Sinai  and  Palestine,  page  360.)  And 
Avhen  he  ^vas  set.  The  Jewish  rabbis  gave 
their  instruction  sitting,  both  in  the  schools  and 
in  the  public  preaching  in  the  synagogues  (Luke  4 : 
20).    His  disciples.    It  is  evident  from  Luke 


Ch.  v.] 


MATTHEW. 


85 


4  Blessed  are  they  that  mourn :'  for  they  shall  be 
comforted.8 

5  Blessed  are  the  meek :  for  theyi"  shall  inherit  the 
earth. 


6  Blessed  are  they  which  do  hunger  and  thirst  after 
righteousness  :  for'  they  shall  be  filled. 

7  Blessed  are  the  merciful :    forJ  they  shall  obtain 
mercy. 


f  Isa.  61  :  3 ;  Eze.  7  :  16 g  John  16  :  20  ;  2  Cor.  1:7 h  Ps.  37  :  11 i  Ps.  145  :  19  ;  Isa.  65  :  13. . .  .j  Ps.  41  :  1,  2. 


6  :  13-16,  that  the  twelve  had  been  chosen  and 
set  apart  to  the  apostleship  immediately  preced- 
ing this  sermon.  The  account  of  their  selection 
is  given  later  by  Matt,  (lo :  i-s)  in  connection  with 
the  command  given  to  them  to  preach  the  gos- 
pel. This  commission  must,  however,  have 
been  preceded  by  some  preparatory  special  in- 
structioiL  Comparing  Luke  and  Matthew,  the 
whole  narrative  will  read  as  follows  :  "And  it 
came  to  pass  in  those  days  that  he  went  up  into 
a  mountain  (rather,  the  hill  coimtnj)  to  praj^,  and 
continued  all  night  in  prayer  to  God.  And  when 
it  was  day  he  called  unto  him  his  disciples,  and 
of  them  he  chose  twelve,  whom  also  he  named 
apostles  (Matt.  5:1;  Luke  6 :  12,  is) ;  and  he  came  down 
with  them,  and  stood  in  the  plain  (rather,  a  level 
place)  with  the  company  of  his  disciples,  and  a 
great  multitude  of  people  out  of  all  Judea,  etc., 
which  came  to  hear  him  (Luke  6 :  n) ;  and  he  opened 
his  mouth  and  taught  them  saying  "  (Matt.  5 : 2). 

2.  And  he  opened  his  mouth.  A  not  in- 
frequent introduction  to  a  solemn  and  weighty 

discourse  (Job  3  :  1 ;  Psalm  78  :  2,  referred  to  in  Matt.  13  :  35  ; 
Dan.   10  :  16  ;  Acts  8  :  35  ;  Ephes.  6  :  19).        In    the    light    of 

these  references  such  deductions  as  those  of  the 
fathers,  "He  who  before  had  opened  the  mouth 
of  Moses  and  the  prophets  opens  now  his  own 
mouth  "  (Gregory),  "  in  his  very  silence  he  gave 
instructions,  and  not  when  he  spoke  only  "  ( Chry- 
sostom),  though  true,  must  be  regarded  as  fanci- 
ful and  far-fetched. 

Ch.  5:3-16.  FIRST  GENERAL  DIVISION. -The  char- 
acteristics OF  Christ's  true  disciples. 

3-12.  The  Beatitudes.  These,  which  are 
eight  in  number  (Luke  adds  four  woes,  6 :  24-26),  are  not 
promises  of  blessings  to  be  fulfilled  in  another 
life;  they  are  enunciations  of  certain  general 
principles,  according  to  which  each  grace  of  dis- 
position receives  its  own  peculiar  experience  of 
blessedness.  The  Jewish  people  were  looking 
for  political  supremacy,  a  kingdom  like  that  of 
Greece  and  Rome,  when  the  long  promised  and 
now  more  lately  heralded  kingdom  of  God  should 
come.  In  these  beatitudes  Christ  teaches,  first, 
what  are  the  characteristics  of  the  kingdom  of 
God,  and  second,  what  is  its  true  pomp  and 
glorj'.  It  is  in  some  sense  a  contrast  with  the 
earthly  rewards  promised  by  the  Old  Testament 
(Deut.  30 :  20 ;  Isaiah  1 :  19, 2o).  Yet  a  hint  of  the  beati- 
tudes is  to  be  found  even  in  the  Old  Testament 
(see  refcrencts  below).  "  Prosperity  is  the  blessing  of 
the  Old  Testament ;  adversity  is  the  blessing  of 
the  New  ;  which  carrieth  the  greater  benediction 


and  the  clearer  revelation  of  God's  favor.  Tet 
even  in  the  Old  Testament,  if  you  listen  to  Da- 
vid's harp  you  shall  hear  as  many  hearse-like 
airs  as  carols  ;  and  the  pencil  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
hath  labored  more  in  describing  the  afflictions 
of  Job  than  the  felicities  of  Solomon." — [Lord 
Bacon.) 

3.  Poor  in  spirit.  Those  who  possess  a  dis- 
position the  reverse  of  proud  in  spirit  and  haugh- 
ty. The  world  still  honors  the  high  and  haughty 
spirit ;  it  is  the  lowly  in  spirit  whom  Christ  de- 
clares blessed.  Theirs  is  the  kingdom  of 
heaven.  Is  noiv,  not  shall  be  hereafter.  The 
kingdom  of  heaven  represents  not  a  future  state, 
but  the  condition  of  obedience  to  God  here. 

(See  note  on  chapter  3  :  2,  and  compare  Rom.  14  :  17.)      To    the 

lowly  in  spirit  repentance  and  confession  are  not 
difficult,  and,  therefore,  to  them  the  door  of  en- 
trance into  the  kingdom  of  heaven  swings  open 
readily.  A  parallel  teaching  is  that  of  Psalm 
51 :  17,  and  Isaiah 66  : 3.  "By  spirit  he  hath  here 
designated  the  soul,  and  the  faculty  of  choice. 
Since  many  are  humble  not  willingly,  but  com- 
pelled by  stress  of  circumstances,  letting  these 
pass  (for  this  were  no  matter  of  praise),  he 
blesses  them  first  who  by  choice  humble  and  con- 
tract themselves." — {Chrynostom.)  This  beati- 
tude comes  first  because  it  is  the  foundation  of 
all  that  follow,  as  repentance  and  confession  are 
the  entrance  door  into  all  the  blessings  which  are 
attributed  to  the  other  graces— graces  that  be- 
long alone  to  the  kingdom  of  God. 

4.  Blessed  are  they  that  mourn;  not 
merely  for  their  sins.  It  is  an  absolute  promise 
to  all  those  who  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven  are 
brought  into  the  experience  of  mourning,  and  is 
to  be  interpreted  by  such  passages  as  Romans 
5  : 3-5,  Hebrews  13  :  11,  and  Rev.  7  :  14.  "  Tears 
like  rain-drops  have  a  thousand  times  fallen  to 
the  ground  and  come  up  in  flowers." — {R.  W. 
Beecher.)  "Every  praying  Christian  will  find 
that  there  is  no  Gethsemane  without  its  angel." 
— {Binney. )  Compare  with  this  promise  Eccles. 
7  :  3,  3  ;  Isaiah  61 :  3,  3  ;  66  :  13. 

5.  Blessed  are  the  meek.  The  Greek  word 
here  rendered  meek  (mufilQ)  occurs  also  in  Matt. 
31 : 5  and  1  Pet.  3  : 4,  and  in  a  slightly  different 
form  in  James  1 :  31 ;  3  :  13,  and  1  Pet.  3  :  15.  A 
comparison  of  these  passages,  together  with 
those  where  the  English  word  is  the  same,  but 
the  Greek  is  different  in  form,  though  from  the 
same  root,  mdicates  its  significance  in  the  Scrip- 
ture. Meekness  is  a  spirit  the  opposite  of  the 
ambitious  and  self-seeking  one  which  is  charac- 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  V. 


8  Blessed  are  the  pure  in"  heart :  for  they  shall  see 
God. 

9  Blessed  are  the'  peacemakers:   for  they  shall  be 
called  the  children  of  God. 

10  Blessed  are  they  which  are  persecuted  for  right- 
eousness'"'  sake  :  for  their's  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 


11  Blessed  are  ye,  when  men  shall  revile  you,  and 
persecute  ^oa,  and  shall  say  ali  manner  of  evil  against 
you  falsely,  for  my  sake. 

12  Rejoice,  and  be  exceeding  glad  :  for  great  is  your 
reward"  in  heaven  :  for  so  persecuted  they  the  proph- 
ets which  were  before  you. 


k  Ps.  24  :  3,  4;  Heb.  12  :  14;  1  John  3  :  2,  3 1  Ps.  34  :  14. 


Pet.  3:13,  14 n  2  Cor.  4  :  17. 


teristic  of  kings  (Matt.  21 : 5),  the  opposite  of  the 
ambitious  and  self-assertive  one  which  is  charac- 
teristic of  controversialists  (1  Pet.  3 :  15).  The  root 
of  meekness  is  the  dominance  of  spiritual  over 
earthly  desires.  It  is  the  characteristic  of  one 
who  seeks  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  his 
righteousness,  and  leaves  all  other  things  to 
God's  care  (Matt.  6 :  33).  Inherit  the  earth. 
Not  the  new  heavens  and  the  new  earth,  nor  the 
land  of  promise,  i.  e.,  the  heavenly  kingdom  here- 
after, nor  great  spiritual  blessings  here,  but  lit- 
erally the  earth.  Christ  declares  that  the  enjoy- 
ment of  earthly  blessings  belongs  not  to  those 
who  grasp  for  them,  and  assert  and  maintain 
with  vehemence  and  care  their  right  to  them, 
but  to  those  who  hold  them  lightly,  and  who, 
ranking  them  inferior  to  spiritual  blessings,  are 
not  burdened  by  them  while  they  possess  them, 
nor  harassed  lest  they  lose  them.  "  Selfish  men 
may  possess  the  earth  ;  it  is  the  meek  alone  who 
inherit  it  from  the  heavenly  Father,  free  from  all 
defilements  and  perplexities  of  unrighteous- 
ness."—(/oAw  Woolman''s  Journal,  page  3G.)  This 
beatitude  is  found  almost  in  the  same  form  in 
Psalm  37  :  11 ;  and  the  substance  of  the  same 
truth  is  contained  in  Isaiah  57  :  13 ;  60  :  21.  See 
also  Matt.  19  :  29. 

6.  Hunger  and  thirst.  Not  merely  desire, 
but  so  desire  that  we  cannot  be  denied.  Though 
It  is  Satan  who  said,  "All  that  a  man  hath  will 
he  give  for  his  Life  "  (job  2:4),  it  is,  nevertheless, 
substantially  true  ;  and  he  who  has  a  similar  de- 
sire for  righteousness  will  count  no  sacrifice  too 

great    to    secure    it  (Matt.  10  :  37-39,  and   parallel  passages). 

Ri'j^hteousness.  Perfect  conformity  to  the  will 
of  God  respecting  us,  as  represented  to  us  m  the 
life  and  character  of  Christ,  our  example.  Shall 
be  filled.  All  other  desires  are  liable  to  be  dis- 
appointed ;  the  desire  for  righteousness,  if  it  be 
supreme — not  merely  the  wish,  but  the  choice  of 
the  soul,  can  never  be  disappointed.  Even  suc- 
cess fails  to  satisfy  other  desires ;  the  desire  for 
righteousness  shall  be  filled.  Compare  Psalm 
17  :  15  ;  65  :  4  ;  107  : 9. 

7.  Merciful.  Mercy  as  a  feeling  is  that  habit 
of  mind  which  leads  one  to  feel  pity  and  compas- 
sion rather  than  resentment  toward  a  wrong- 
doer ;  and  as  an  act,  it  is  the  exercise  of  forgive- 
ness in  the  largest  sense,  i.  e. ,  of  good-will  and 
helpfulness  toward  those  who  have  wronged  us 
and  who  are  desemng  of  punishment.  It  is  the 
highest  exercise  of  love,  because  it  is  love  to- 


ward not  only  the  undeserving,  but  the  ill-deserv- 
ing, and  involves  sympathy  not  only  for  the  un- 
fortunate, but  for  the  wrong-doer.  Shall  ob- 
tain mercy.  Not  only  from  men,  because  the 
tender  consideration  of  the  merciful  from  others 
reacts  in  tender  regard  of  others  for  ourselves, 

but  also   from    God  (Ps.  18:26;  Prov.  3:34;  compare  Matt. 

18 :  23-35).  "  Mercy  turns  her  back  to  the  unmer- 
ciful."— {Quarks.) 

8.  Pure  in  heart.  They  who  are  not  merely 
clean  ceremonially  or  morally,  i.  e.,  in  external 
conduct,  but  in  motive  and  purpose.  Compare 
Psalm  51  :  6 ;  Prov.  4  :  23.  Shall  see  God. 
Not  merely  hereafter,  but  now.  True  knowl- 
edge of  God  comes  not  through  an  intellectual 
study  of  his  attributes,  but  through  a  spiritual 
conformity  to  his  character  (John  u:  15,  n,  21,23; 

2  Cor.  3  :  13  ;    Heb.  12  :  14;    2  Pet.  1  :  s).        As    We    grOW    in 

grace  we  grow  in  the  knowledge  of  God  (2  Pet. 
3 :  is).  The  converse  is  also  true  ;  when  we  see 
him  as  he  is,  we  shall  be  by  the  sight  made  like 
him  (1  John  3 : 2).  For  parallel  to  this  promise,  see 
Psalm  24  :  4,  5.  "  We  must  be  in  some  way  like 
God  in  order  that  we  may  see  God  as  he  is." 

9.  Peace-makers.  Not  merely  they  who 
reconcile  differences  between  man  and  man, 
though  such  peace-making  is  included,  but  they 
who,  by  their  presence  and  disposition,  as  well 
as  by  their  conscious  acts,  carry  with  them  the 
spirit  of  peace  and  quietness,  and  bring  peace  to 
others  who  are  perturbed  and  troubled.  See  for 
a  wondrous  illustration  of  such  peace-making 
John  14 :  27.  One  condition  of  such  peace-making 
is  the  maintenance  of  a  quiet  and  peaceful  heart 
amidst  all  experiences  of  turmoil.  As  Solomon 
contrasts  him  who  maintains  peace  in  himself 
with  the  conqueror  (Prov.  16 :  32),  so  Christ  con- 
trasts him  who  produces  peace  with  the  war- 
makers  whose  victories  were  the  envy  of  the 
Jews,  and  by  whose  prowess  they  expected  to 
see  the  kingdom  of  God  ushered  in.  Shall  be 
called.  Shall  not  only  be  the  children  of  God, 
but  shall  also  be  recognized  as  such.  It  is  this 
peace-giving  quality  which  above  all  others  is 
counted  among  men  as  saintliness.  Observe 
that,  as  in  James  3  :  17,  so  here,  purity  precedes 
peace,  and  that  there  is  no  true  peace-making 
which  is  not  also  in  so  far  pure-making.  "No 
peace  was  ever  won  from  fate  by  subterfuge  or 
agreement ;  no  peace  is  ever  in  store  for  any  of 
us,  but  that  which  we  shall  win  by  victory  over 
shame  or  sin— victory  over  the  sin  that  oppresses 


Ch.  v.] 


MATTHEW. 


■87 


13  Ye  are  the  salt"  of  the  earth  :  but  if  the  salt  have 
lost  its  savour,  wherewith  shall  it  be  salted?  it  is 
thenceforth  good  tor  nothing,  but  to  be  cast  out,  and 
to  be  trodden  under  foot  ot  men. 

14  Ye  are  the  light?  of  the  world.  A  city  that  is  set 
on  an  hill  cannot  be  hid. 


15  rjeither  do  men  light  a  candle,  and  put  it  under  a 
bushel,  but  on  a  candlestick  ;  and  it  giveth  light  unto 
all  that  are  in  the  house. 

16  Let  your  light  so  shine  before  men,  that  they  may 
see  your  good  works,  and  glorify  your  father  which 
is  in  heaven. 


Mark  9  :  50 p  Phil.  2:15 q  1  Pet.  2:12. 


as  well  as  over  that  which  corrupts." — {Buskin.) 
In  this  truth  is  found  the  reconciliation  of  such 
passages  as  this  with  Matt.  10  :  o4. 

10.  Compare  1  Peter  3  :  14.  Not  merely  be- 
cause a  heavenly  reward  compensates  the  perse- 
cuted for  their  sufferings,  though  this  is  true 

(see  Luke  16:  25;  and  Rev.  7:14),  but    mOre    bCCaUSe    the 

persecution  itself  intensifies  the  martyr's  abhor- 
rence of  evil,  and  drives  him  to  a  closer  refuge 
in  God.  The  truth  is  illustrated  in  many  a  Chris- 
tian experience,  is  embodied  in  the  hymns  of  the 
Christian  Church,  as  in  the  lines, 

Man  may  trouble  and  distress  me, 
'T  will  but  drive  me  to  thy 


and  is  exemplified  in  the  fact  that  the  greatest 
purity  of  the  Christian  Church  has  been  m  times 
of  persecution,  its  greatest  corruption  in  the 
time  of  its  wealth,  its  honor,  and  its  worldly 
prosperity.  "So  long  as  the  waters  of  persecu- 
tion are  upon  the  earth,  so  long  we  dwell  in  the 
ark ;  but  where  the  land  is  dry,  the  dove  itself 
will  be  tempted  to  a  wandering  course  of  life, 
and  never  to  return  to  the  house  of  her  safety." 
— {Jeremy  Taylor.) 

11,  13.  The  preceding  verse  is  the  last  of  the 
beatitudes,  each  of  which  is  seen  to  be  the  enun- 
ciation of  a  law  which  connects  with  each  seem- 
ing lowliness  of  character,  or  bitterness  of 
sorrow,  a  real  experience  of  grace  and  glory. 
The  11th  and  12th  verses  are  addressed  more  di- 
rectly and  immediately  to  Christ's  own  disciples, 
as  an  encouragement  in  view  of  approaching 
contumely  and  persecution.  In  the  other  prom- 
ises Christ  says  not,  blessed  are  ye,  but  blessed 
are  the  poor,  they  that  mourn,  the  meek,  etc. 
Observe  the  qualifications  of  this  blessing: 
"Lest  thou  shouldest  think  that  the  mere  fact 
of  being  evil  spoken  of  makes  men  blessed,  he 
hath  set  two  limitations ;  when  it  is  for  his  sake, 
and  when  the  things  that  are  said  are  false  ;  for 
without  these  he  who  is  evil  spoken  of,  so  far 
from  being  blessed,  is  miserable." — {Chrysostom.) 
Reward.  Of  grace,  not  of  debt.  See  Romans, 
ch.  4,  and  parable  of  the  laborers.  Matt.  ch.  20, 
and  note  there.  For  so  persecuted  they,  etc. 
Compare  Matt.  23  :  29-31.  Every  age  persecutes 
its  own  prophets,  and  reveres  the  prophets  whom 
the  preceding  age  has  persecuted. 

13.  Ye  are  the  salt  of  the  earth.  The 
significance  of  the  metaphor  consists  not  merely 
in  the  fact  that  salt  is  the  great  antiseptic,  but 


also  in  its  peculiar  quality  of  imparting  a  flavor 
to  everything  with  which  it  is  mixed.  Livy  calls 
Greece  "the  salt  of  the  nations."  Observe  that 
salt  must  be  mingled  with  whatever  it  is  to  fla- 
vor ;  and  Christians  are  to  mingle  with  men,  not 
to  live  in  monkish  solitude  apart  from  them ; 
they  are  to  carry  religion  into  daily  life,  not  to 
keep  it  for  the  closet  and  the  church.  Lost  its 
savour.  "  It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  the  salt 
of  this  country  (Palestine),  when  in  contact  with 
the  ground,  or  exposed  to  rain  and  sun,  does  be- 
come insipid  and  useless.  From  the  manner  in 
which  it  is  gathered  much  earth  and  other  impu- 
rities are  necessarily  collected  with  it.  Not  a 
little  of  it  is  so  impure  that  it  cannot  be  used  at 
all,  and  such  salt  soon  effloresces  and  turns  to 
dust — not  to  fruitful  soil,  however.  It  is  not 
only  good  for  nothing  itself,  but  it  actually  de- 
stroys all  fertility  wherever  it  is  thrown;  and 
this  is  the  reason  why  it  is  cast  into  the  street. 
So  troublesome  is  this  corrupted  salt  that  no 
man  will  allow  it  to  be  thrown  on  to  his  field, 
and  the  only  place  for  it  is  the  street,  and  there 
it  is  cast  to  be  trodden  under  foot  of  men." — 
{Thompson'' s  Land  and  Book,  vol.  ii,  p.  44.)  Good 
for  nothing.  Salt  is  a  great  antiseptic.  Its  func- 
tion in  ordinary  culinary  purposes  is  to  prevent 
decay  and  corruption.  This  is  the  function  of 
the  Christian  Church.  It  does  this  by  its  spirit 
of  self-sacrifice ;  by  showing  itself  willing  to 
sufEer  for  truths  and  principles  which  the  world 
but  dimly  recognizes,  or  not  at  all.  If  the 
church  loses  this  spirit  of  self-sacrifice,  it  be- 
comes itself  corrupt,  ceases  to  be  a  purifier  and 
preserver,  and  is  '■'■good  for  nothing.''''  Observe, 
that  the  salt  cannot  restore  that  which  is  decayed, 
but  only  preserve  from  decay.  "That  men 
should  be  set  free  from  the  rottenness  of  their 
sins  was  the  good  work  of  Christ ;  but  their  not 
returning  to  it  again  any  more  was  the  object  of 
these  men's  diligence  and  travail." — {Chrysos- 
tom.) 

14.  Light  of  the  world.  Because  Christ  is 
in  the  midst  of  his  church,  which  otherwise  pos- 
sesses  no  light  (John  1  :  9;  8  :  12;  Epbes.  6:8;  Rev.  1  :  is). 

It  is  not  truth  in  abstract  forms,  but  truth  em- 
bodied in  living  men,  and  chiefly  incarnate  in  the 
man  Christ  Jesus,  which  is  the  light  of  the  world  ; 
i.  e.,  example  is  more  than  precept,  life  is  more 
than  philosophy.  A  city  set  on  a  hill.  Pos- 
sibly an  allusion  to  Jerusalem.  There  is  no  au- 
thority for  the  notion  that  some  city  was  in  sight 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  V. 


17  Think  not  that  I  am  come  to  destroy  the  law,  or 
the'  prophets  :  I  am  not  come  to  destroy,  but  to'  ful- 
fill. 


18  For  verily  I  say  unto  you.  Till  heaven  and  eartb 
pass,  one  jot  or  one  tittle"  stiaU  in  no  wise  pass  from 
the  law,  till  all  be  tulfiUed. 


•  ch.  3  :  IS E  Isa.  42  :  21 t  Ps.  40  :  7,  8 u  Luke  10  :  17. 


at  the  time  of  the  delivery  of  this  sermon,  though 
that  may  have  been  the  ease. 

15.  Candle.  This  word  often  occurs  in  our 
version  of  the  Scripture,  where  a  lamp  is  more 
probably  meant  (job  is :  6 ;  Ps.  is :  ss).  But  candles 
made  of  wax  or  tallow,  with  the  pith  of  a  kind 
of  rush  for  the  wick,  were  used  at  this  time 
among  the  Romans  and  probably  among  the 
Jews. 

16.  Good  works.  Does  this  conflict  with 
what  Paul  says  about  good  works  ?  No !  for 
though  we  are  saved  by  faith,  it  is  unto  good 
works  (Ephes.  2 :  lo).  Let  your  light  so  shine 
.  .  .  that  they  may  glorify  your  Father. 
The  Pharisee  displays  his  light  (see  ch.  e) ;  the  true 
Christian  simply  lets  his  shine.  The  Pharisee 
glorifies  himself  by  his  works ;  the  true  disciple 
of  Christ  glorifies  only  his  heavenly  Father.  Ob- 
serve that  in  these  verses  (13-16)  Christ  teaches 
that  the  pre-eminence  which  Christian  character 
and  conduct  gives  to  the  true  disciple  is  a  part 
of  the  divine  intention ;  and  hence  rebukes  the 
fear  of  being  odd,  and  the  tendency  to  conform 
to  the  world  in  its  habits  and  usages  ;  also  that 
he  puts  example  above  precept,  and  thus  impli- 
edly teaches,  what  Paul  declares  most  clearly, 
that  the  greatest  heresies  are  not  in  doctrine,  but 
in  life  (i  Tim.  i :  9-10). 

Ch.  5  :  17-48.  SECOND  GENERAL  DIVISION.— The 
Laws  op  the  kingdom  of  Christ  contrasted  with 
THOSE  OP  Moses. 

17.  Think  not  that  I  am  come  to  destroy. 

This  charge  had  already  been  made  against 
Jesus    (John  6 :  16,  is) ;    was    substantially    made 

against  Paul  (Acts  21  :  20,  21 ;  Rom.  3  :  8,  31 ;  6  :  1) ;  in  the 

sixteenth  century  was  made  against  Luther ; 
and  is  still  made  against  every  one  who  preaches 
the  liberty  of  the  Gospel.  I  am  not  come  to 
destroy,  but  to  fulfill,  i.  e.,  to  fill  to  the  full 
the  ancient  laws  with  their  own  true  and  spirit- 
ual meaning.  But  see  further  below.  In  these 
words  Christ  declares  the  relations  of  the  law 
and  the  Gospel,  a  theme  to  which  we  must  con- 
stantly recur,  especially  in  Paul's  writings. 
Without  essaying  a  full  interpretation,  a  work 
which  belongs  to  the  preacher  rather  than  to  the 
commentator,  it  must  suffice  to  say  here  : 

I.  That  by  the  term  law  the  whole  Mosaic  sys- 
tem is  meant.  The  Bible  nowhere  makes  a  dis- 
tinction between  the  moral  and  the  ceremonial 
law.  The  whole  is  treated  as  one  system,  and 
the  relation  of  the  Gospel  to  the  one  is  its  rela- 
tion to  the  other.  Observe  that  it  is  a  portion  of 
the  ceremonial  law  which  is  apparently  retained 


by  the  council  of  Jerusalem  (Acts  15 :  28, 29) ;  and 
the  moral  law,  written  in  the  hearts  of  the  Gen- 
tiles as  well  as  in  the  books  of  the  Jews,  which 
is  treated  of  in  Romans,  chaps.  2  and  3.  It  is  tam- 
pering with  the  plain  meaning  of  Scripture  to 
suppose  that  Christ  destroyed  the  ceremunial  but 
retains  and  enforces  the  moral  law.  See  par- 
ticularly verse  18,  and  James  2  :  10. 

II.  The  N.  T.  nowhere  treats  any  part  of  the 
law  as  abolished  or  repealed.  The  popular  idea 
that  it  repeals  the  Jewish  Sabbath  and  re-enacts 
a  new  one  has  no  warrant  in  Scripture.  There  is 
no  repealing  clause  in  the  New  Testament;  and 
nothing  in  it  to  set  aside  the  O.  T.,  or  any  part 
of  it,  as  obsolete,  common,  old-fashioned,  and 
useless.  Paul  may  seem  to  treat  a  part  of  the 
law  as  repealed,  in  such  passages  as  Ephes.  2 :  15 
and  Col.  2  :  14 ;  but  he  carefully  and  indignantly 
repudiates  this  inference  in  Rom.  3  :  31,  and  im- 
pliedly so  in  1  Timothy  1 :  8. 

III.  The  proximate  object  of  law  is  the  protec- 
tion and  welfare  of  the  community ;  its  ultimate 
object  is  the  development  of  character ;  but  this 
it  essays  to  accomplish  only  by  forming  right 
habits  of  conduct.  Law,  therefore,  regulates 
only  the  external  conduct.  In  the  nature  of  the 
case,  civU  laws,  enforced  by  civil  penalties,  can- 
not deal  directly  with  the  heart.  While,  there- 
fore, the  ultimate  object  of  law  (1  Tim.  1 :  i)  and  its 
indirect  effect  fps.  19 : 1, 8)  is  the  improvement  of 
character,  it  is  composed  necessarily  of  specific 
precepts  commanding  or  forbidding  actions.  It 
prohibits  adultery,  not  lust ;  murder,  not  anger ; 
because  this  is  all  mere  law  can  do. 

IV.  The  Gospel  operates  directly  on  the  heart. 
It  not  only  requires  purity  in  thought  and  love, 
and  forgiveness  in  feeling  (see  heiow) ;  it  bestows 
moral  and  spiritual  power  (john  1:12);  and  so,  by 
making  the  character  divine.,  removes  all  occa- 
sion for  laws  regulating  the  conduct.  "When  the 
character  is  conformed  to  the  divine  image,  the 
end  of  the  law  is  fulfilled,  and  the  law  itself  be- 
comes useless  and  is  forgotten.  "As  the  shell 
breaks  when  the  bird  is  hatched ;  as  the  sheath 
withers  when  the  bud  bursts  into  leaf ;  as  the 
rough  sketch  is  done  with  when  the  picture  is 
finished ;  as  the  toys  of  boyhood  are  laid  by  in 
adolescence ;"  so  the  system  of  law,  which  is  pre- 
paratory only,  is  superseded,  not  repealed  or  de- 
stroyed, and  this  just  in  the  proportion  in  which 
the  indi^^dual,  the  community,  or  the  race  comes 
into  a  moral  state  in  which  it  no  longer  needs 
to  be  commanded  and  forbidden  (Gai.  3 :  24, 2t ; 
4 :  1-6), 


Ch.  v.] 


MATTHEW. 


89 


V.  The  mere  external  law  regulating  conduct 
was  all  that  was  recognized  by  the  Pharisees  or 
by  the  great  majority  of  the  Jews  ;  just  as  even 
now  the  precepts  of  Christ  constitute  in  the 
thought  of  many  the  chief  part  of  Christianity. 
Yet  in  the  O.  T.  are  hints  that  the  law  looked  to- 
wards something  higher  than  a  well-regulated 
conduct.  See,  for  example,  such  commands  as 
Exod.  20  :  17 ;  Lev.  19  :  18 ;  Deut.  6:5;  10  :  13 ; 
and  such  passages  as  Isaiah  1 :  10,  17 ;  66  : 3  ;  and 
Micah  6  : 8.  Indeed,  the  prophets  are  full  of  a 
constant  protest  against  a  mere  obedience  to  the 
letter  of  the  law,  and  insist  on  a  spiritual  life. 
Thus  Christ  does  not  destroy  even  that  concep- 
tion of  the  law  which  the  ancient  Jews — that  is, 
the  best  among  them — entertained,  but  fulfills 
the  meaning  of  the  ancient  statutes  by  the  dis- 
closure of  a  life  more  deeply  spiritual  than  any 
of  which  the  prophets  had  ever  conceived.  It  is 
to  the  contrast  between  the  mere  legal  obedience 
rendered  by  the  Pharisees  and  the  spiritual  life 
to  which  the  law,  rightly  interpreted,  should 
conduct,  that  Christ  refers  in  verse  20. 

In  three  ways,  then,  does  Christ  fulfill  the  law  ; 
first,  by  giving  it  in  his  exposition  a  fuller  and 
more  spiritual  meaning  than  the  Pharisees  im- 
puted to  it  or  than  we  now  ordinarily  impute 
to  it,  or  even  to  his  precepts ;  second,  by  illustrat- 
ing its  end  and  object,  the  development  of  a  per- 
fect character,  by  his  own  life,  free  from  re- 
proach, even  by  the  Pharisees  (john  8 :  46),  because 
perfect  in  spirit ;  and  third,  by  giving  to  his  dis- 
ciples the  power,  which  the  law  never  gave,  of 
obedience,  by  changing  the  desires  and  aspira- 
tions of  the  heart,  and  so  making  the  character 
to  act  out,  naturally  and  free  from  restraint,  the 
life  which  the  law  alone  required  from  unwilling 
subjects  through  fear,  but  was  unable  to  secure 
(Rom.  8 : 3, 5 ;  Heb.  2 ;  lo).  Thesc  principles  will  be 
recurred  to  hereafter  in  this  work,  and  are  em- 
bodied here  m  a  brief  statement  partly  for  that 
purpose.  They  explain  and  are  explained  by  the 
illustrations  which  follow.  What  becomes  of  the 
law  against  murder  to  one  who  is  never  under 
the  dommion  of  anger,  or  of  the  law  against 
adultery  to  one  who  is  perfectly  pure  in  thought, 
or  of  the  law  against  forswearing  to  one  who  has 
been  cured  of  the  evil,  from  which  all  exaggera- 
tions and  undue  expletives  come  (see  verse  3?),  or 
of  the  law  against  excessive  punishment  and  re- 
venge to  one  who  loves  his  enemies  ? 

Observe  in  this  connection  how  Christ  set  him- 
self before  the  people  as  the  one  that  was  to 
come,  and  as  the  fulfiller  of  the  whole  imperfect 
and  prophetic  system  of  Moses.  "When  you 
know  what  it  means  and  how  long  mankind  had 
been  kept  waiting  for  it,  there  is  sublimity  in  the 
composure  with  which  this  simple  preacher  of 
God  sets  himself  forth  as  the  fulfiller." — {Dykes.) 
Observe,  also,  th^t  he  declares  it  his  mission  to 


fulfill  the  prophets  as  well  as  the  law ;  that  is,  in 
him  and  the  kingdom  he  has  come  to  establish, 
the  whole  system  of  O.  T.  prophecy,  type,  and 
symboUsm,  is  fulfilled. 

18.  Verily.  A  common  precursor  of  a  sol- 
emn and  weighty  declaration ;  but  so  used  only 
by  Christ.  See,  for  examples,  6  : 3,  5 ;  John 
3  : 3,  5,  11 ;  and  Concordance,  word  verily.  It  is 
the  Greek  word  Amen,  and  is  used  in  the  N.  T. 
as  an  appellation  of  Christ  (Rev.  3 :  w),  and  also  as 
a  solemn  close  of  prayer,  being  repeated  by  the 
people  as  their  ratification  or  endorsement  of  it 
(i  Cor.  14 ;  16 ;  Rev.  6 :  14 ;  19 : 4),  in  which  casc  it  is  ren- 
dered in  our  version  by  the  word  Amen.  I  say 
unto  you.  Christ  appeals  to  himself  as  author- 
ity, here  and  elsewhere,  in  his  most  solemn  and 
weighty  disclosures  of  truth;  his  "I  say  unto 
you"  is  equivalent  to  the  prophetic  formula, 
"thus  saith  the  Lord."  Jot  or  tittle.  Jot  is 
the  Hebrew  Jod,  the  smallest  letter  in  the  He- 
brew alphabet ;  tittles,  Uterally  horns,  are  the 
Mttle  turns  of  the  strokes  by  which  one  Hebrew 
letter  differs  from  another  similar  to  it.  At  the 
time  of  Christ  the  O.  T.  scripture  existed  of 
course  only  in  manuscript.  In'  the  Hebrew 
Bible  are  over  66,000  jots.  The  Hebrew  copyists 
were  scrupulous  to  the  last  degree,  and  regarded 
the  shghtest  error  in  their  copy  fatal.  For  the 
purpose  of  illustration,  Christ  takes  this  well- 
known  veneration  of  the  copyists  for  the  most 
minute  details  in  their  copying.  Till  all  be 
fulfilled.  Just  in  the  proportion  in  which,  by 
the  baptism  of  the  spirit  and  the  regeneration 
and  sanctification  of  the  character,  the  law  is 
fulfilled,  it  ceases  to  bind,  but  no  farther.  If  lust 
and  anger  are  still  in  the  heart,  the  law  against 
adultery  and  murder  are  not  superseded.  It  is 
in  the  failure  to  recognize  this  truth  that  the 
Antiuomians  fell  into  capital  error. 

The  note  of  Dean  Alford  on  this  verse  appears 
to  me  so  important  that  I  transcribe  the  most 
essential  portion  of  it  in  full :  "It  is  important 
to  observe  in  these  days  how  the  Lord  here  in- 
cludes the  Old  Testament  and  all  its  u7ifolding  of 
the  diviou  purposes  regarding  himself,  in  his  teach- 
ing of  the  citizens  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  I 
say  this,  because  it  is  always  in  contem,pt  and  set- 
ting aside  of  the  Old  Testament  that  rationalism 
has  begun.  First,  its  historical  truth,  then  its 
theocratic  dispensation  and  the  types  and  prophe- 
cies connected  with  it  are  swept  away  ;  so  that 
Christ  came  to  fulfill  nothing,  and  becomes  only 
a  teacher  or  a  martyr ;  and  thus  the  way  is  paved 
for  a  similar  rejection  of  the  New  Testament, 
beginning  with  the  narratives  of  the  birth  and 
infancy,  as  theocratic  myths,  advancing  to  the 
denial  of  his  miracles,  then  attacking  the  truth- 
fulness of  his  own  sayings,  which  are  grounded 
on  the  Old  Testament  as  a  revelation  from  God, 
and  so  finally  leaving  us  nothing  in  the  Scriptures 


90 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  V. 


19  Whosoever  therefore  shall  break  one  of  these 
least  commandments,  and  shall  teach  men  so,  he  shall 
be  called  the  least  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven  :  but 
Whosoever  shall  do  and  teach  tluin,  the  same  shall  be 
called  great^  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 


20  For  I  say  unto  you,  That  except  your  righteous- 
ness shall  exceed"  the  righteousness  of  the  scribes 
and  Pharisees,  ye  shall  in  no  case  enter  the  kingdom 
of  heaven. 

21  Ye  have  heard  that  it  was  said  by  them  of  old 


1  Sam.  2  :  30 w  ch.  23  :  23-28 ;  Phil.  3  :  9. 


but,  as  a  German  ^'riter  of  this  school  has  ex- 
pressed it,  'a  mythology  not  so  attractive  as 
that  of  Greece. '  That  this  is  the  course  which 
unbelief  has  run  in  Germany  should  be  a  preg- 
nant warning  to  the  decriers  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment among  ourselves.  It  should  be  a  maxim  for 
every  expositor  and  every  student,  that  Scripture 
Is  a  whole,  and  stands  or  falls  together." 

19.  Break.  Rather  relax.  The  Greek  word 
here  used  {ivuj)  is  generally  translated  loose,  and 
when  not  used  metaphorically  embodies  the  idea 
of  freeing  from  restraints,  as  in  Mark  1:7;  Luke 
13  :  15 ;  19  :  30,  31 ;  John  11  :  44.  The  same  idea 
appears  to  be  generally  involved  in  its  metaphor- 
ical use,  as  in  Matt.  IG  :  19 ;  Acts  3  :  24.  And 
even  when  it  embodies  the  idea  of  destruction,  a 
general  dissolution  is  ordinarily  involved,  as  in 
2  Pet.  3  :  11,  12.  Least  in  the  kingdom  of 
heaven.  See  note  on  next  clause  ;  and  on  mean- 
ing of  phrase,  kingdom  of  heaven,  see  note  on 
Matt.  3  :  2.  Whosoever  shall  do— m  the  spirit 
and  fulness  with  which  Christ  fulfilled  all  right- 
eousness— and  teach — expounding  the  law  as 
Christ  in  this  chapter  expounds  it,  so  as  to  bring 
out  its  spiritual  meaning,  and  accomplish  its  spir- 
itual purposes  —  shall  be  called  great  in 
the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Chrysostom,  and 
following  him  Owen,  interpret  the  phrase  "  king- 
dom of  heaven  "  here  as  equivalent  to  the  "  time 
of  the  resurrection  and  that  awful  coming,"  and 
"least  in  the  kingdom  "  as  equivalent  to  cast  out 
from  it.  But  our  Lord  does  not  say  that  he  who 
loosens  the  obligations  of  the  law  shall  be  ex- 
cluded from  the  kingdom,  but  shall  be  least  in 
it,  and  our  duty  is  to  find  out  what  he  says,  not 
to  substitute  for  it  something  which  we  re- 
gard as  equivalent.  The  question  of  admis- 
sion to  or  exclusion  from  the  kingdom  is  not 
raised  here  at  all,  and  to  regard  "least  in  the 
kingdom"  as  equivalent  to  excluded  from  it, 
and  great  "in  the  kingdom"  as  not  denoting 
grade  or  rank,  but  a  full  and  free  entrance  into 
it,  is  not  only  to  miss  the  meaning  of  this  pass- 
age, but  to  make  admission  into  the  kingdom  to 
rest  upon  obedience  to  law,  which  is  never  rec- 
ognized in  the  JH.  T.  as  the  condition  of  admis- 
sion. The  natural  and  plain  meaning  of  Christ's 
words  affords  the  true  interpretation.  To  relax 
the  obligation  of  law  either  by  precept  or  exam- 
ple is  not  the  way  to  attain  eminence  in  piety 
ourselves,  or  to  promote  it  in  others.  The  true 
way  to  overcome  the  spirit  of  externalism  and 
legalism  in  the  church  is  not  by  relaxing  the 


obligations  of  obedience,  but  by  teaching  men 
the  doctrine  of  a  higher  obedience.  The  true  way, 
for  example,  to  correct  a  formal  technical  and 
servile  observance  of  the  Sabbath,  is  not  by  re- 
laxing the  Sabbath-law,  but  by  leading  up  to  a 
higher  appreciation  of  Sabbath  rest  and  Sabbath 
worship  ;  and  so  of  all  law.  Of  such  true  teach- 
ing Paul's  Epistle  to  the  Romans  affords,  when 
studied  as  a  whole,  a  wondrous  illustration. 

20.  Scribes.  This  term,  which  is  sometimes 
used  in  the  N.  T.  to  designate  certain  officers 
whose  duty  it  was  to  keep  the  official  records  of 
the  Jewish  nation,  or  to  act  as  private  secreta- 
ries of  distinguished  individuals,  is  ordinarily 
applied  in  the  N.  T.  to  persons  devoted  to  read- 
ing and  expounding  the  law.  They  generally 
appear  in  connection  with  the  Pharisees ;  but  it 
would  appear  from  Acts  23  :  9,  that  there  were 
Scribes  attached  to  the  other  sects  also.  The 
Scribes  customarily  opposed  themselves  to  our 
Lord ;  watching  him  to  find  matter  of  accusation 
(Luke  6: 7,  n) ;  peiTerting  his  sayings  and  his  ac- 
tions   (Matt.  9:3;    Luke   6  :  30 ;    15:2);     and     Seeking 

to  entangle  and    embarrass    him  by  questions 

(Matt.   12  :  38;     21  :  23;     Luke   20  :  21,   22).         They      tOOk 

the  place,  though  they  did  not  fulfill  the 
functions,  of  the  ancient  prophets;  and  their 
authority  as  expounders  of  the  law  is  recognized 
by  our  Lord  himself  (Matt.  23 : 1, 2),  They  kept 
schools  for  the  teaching  of  the  law  and  the  com- 
mentaries thereon  (Luke  2  :  46 :  Acts  6  ;  34 ;  compare  with  22 ; 
3,  and  see  Jos.  Antiq.  17  :  6,  2)  ;   they  alSO  COpicd  the  laW, 

and  at  a  later  date  wrote  commentaries  upon  it, 
and  engaged  with  each  other  in  fruitless  and  often 
heated  discussions,  respecting  questions  in  rab- 
binical theology  and  casuistry.  Pharisees. 
See  note  on  Matt.  3  :  7.  Their  righteousness 
was  one  of  external  obedience  to  law  merely ; 
that  of  Christ's  disciples  must  be  higher — the 
obedience  of  the  heart  and  the  spirit.  Observe, 
that  Christ  does  not  denounce  the  obedience  of 
the  Pharisees,  here  or  anywhere  in  the  N.  T  (com- 
pare 23 :  23) ;  he  denounces  their  hypocrisies ;  but  he 
overturns  formalism  and  legalism,  not  by  de- 
nouncing it,  but  by  propounding  a  higher  stand- 
ard. The  true  way  to  overcome  evil  is  always 
by  pointing  out  and  inciting  to  a  better  way. 
Ye  shall  in  no  case  enter,  etc.  Compare 
7  :  21 ;  25  :  31-46  ;  John  3:5;  Phil.  3  :  4-10. 

21-48.  These  verses  embody  in  five  examples 
illustrations  of  the  general  principles  laid  down 
in  verses  17-20.  They  show  how  it  is  that  Christ 
fulfills  the  law,  and  in  what  sense  the  Christian 


Ch.  v.] 


MATTHEW. 


91 


time,"  Thou  shalt  not  kill :  and  whosoever  shall  kill 
shall  be  in  danger  of  the  judgment  : 

22  But  I  say  unto  you,  That  whosoever  is  angry 
■with  his  brother  without  a  cause,  shall  be  in  danger  of 


the  judgment;  and  whosoever  shall  say  to  his  broth- 
er, Raca,  shall  be  in  danger  of  the  council :  but  who- 
soever shall  say.  Thou  fool,  shall  be  in  danger  of  hell 
fire. 


Ex.  20  :  13  ;  Deut.  5  :  17. 


righteousness  must  exceed  that  of  the  Scribes 
and  Pharisees, 

21-iJ6.  First  EXAMPLE.    Law  against  murder. 

til.  Ye  have  heard — viz.,  in  the  synagogues 
where  the  O.  T.  Scriptures  were  read  iu  a  course  of 

lessons,  on  the  Sabbath  (compare  Luke  IC  .-  29;  Acts  13  :  27) 

— that  it  was  said  by  them  of  old  time 
—  rather,    probably,    to   them  of  old  time. 

Either  rendering  is  grammatically  correct,  but 
the  weight  of  authority  appears  to  sanction  the 
latter,  and  the  contrast  throughout  this  chapter 
is  not  between  Christ  and  Moses  as  law-givers, 
but  between  the  laws  addressed  to  the  world  in 
its  childhood,  and  those  addressed  to  the  disci- 
ples of  Christ  as  the  children  of  God ;  between 
the  law  of  servitude  of  the  old  time,  and  the  law 
of  liberty  which  Christ  ushers  in  (Gai.  4 : 1-3, 7 ;  james 
1 :  25).  Thou  Shalt  not  kill.  Murder  was 
prohibited  (Exod.  20 :  is) ;  the  penalty  was  death 
(ch.  21 :  12) ;  but  provision  was  made  for  the  escape 
of  one  accidentally  killing  another,  from  the  re- 
venge of  the  next  of  kin,  and  for  determining 
whether  the  killing  was  or  was  not  intentional 
(xumb.,  ch.  35).  Judgment.  Not  the  final  judg- 
ment ;  the  laws  of  Moses,  like  any  other  code  of 
civil  laws,  depended  for  their  enforcement  on 
temporal  rewards  and  punishments.  Judges 
were  appointed  in  every  city  (Deut.  le :  is),  accord- 
ing to  Josephus,  seven  to  each  city.  It  was  by 
this  tribunal  the  case  of  the  manslayer  was  de- 
termined (compare  Numb.  33  :  13,  24,  25  with  Josh.  20  :  4).      It 

is  to  this  judgment  Christ  here  refers.  The  tri- 
bunal might,  if  they  could  not  determine  the 
case,  certify  it  for  decision  to  the  Sanhedrim,  the 
chief  court  of  the  Jews  at  Jerusalem, — {Jo^e- 
pkm'  Ant.  4  :  8,  14.) 

22.  Without  a  cause.  There  is  some  doubt 
whether  this  word  has  not  been  inserted  by  the 
copyists  to  soften  the  apparent  rigor  of  the  pre- 
cept. However  that  may  be,  the  Bible  recog- 
nizes elsewhere   a   righteous  anger   (Ephcs.  4:26; 

Jaaies  1  :  19 ;  Ps.  7  ;  11  ;  Rev.  6  :  16).       Judgment,  l.  €.,  in 

Christ's  kingdom,  not  as  in  verse  21,  judgment 
in  the  Jewish  commonwealth.  There  is  between 
verses  31  and  33  a  transition  from  the  ancient 
law,  which  was  enforced  by  temporal  punish- 
ments, to  the  spiritual  law,  which  is  enforced  by 
the  judgments  of  God.  But  the  Jewish  terms 
"judgment,"  "council,"  and  "hell-fire"  are 
used  metaphorically  to  indicate  degrees  in  the 
divine  penalties  of  the  future  world.  Raca — 
empty.  A  general  term  of  contempt.  Coun- 
cil. The  Sanhedrim,  the  highest  court  of  judi- 
cature, answering  as  a  judicial  body  to  our  Su- 


preme Court,  or  rather  to  the  English  House  of 
Lords,  since  it  exercised  both  judicial  and  legis- 
lative functions.  Fool.  Rather,  probably,  rebel. 
Baca  is  a  Hebrew  word  ;  probably  the  word  used 
here  was  also,  in  the  original,  Hebrew  ;  but  in  at- 
tempting to  preserve  the  Hebrew  sound  in  Greek 
characters,  a  Greek  word  was  used.  The  Greek 
word  means  fool,  the  Hebrew  rebel.  If  we  pre- 
serve the  Hebrew  significance  here  the  climax  is 
preserved.  Fool  and  Raca  would,  on  the  contrary, 
be  nearly  synonymous.  If  I  am  right  in  this  the 
obnoxious  word  embodies  a  bitter  judgment  of 
one's  spiritual  state,  decrees  him  to  certain  de- 
struction, and  answers  to  the  most  common 
form  of  modern  profanity.  Hell-fire.  There 
are  two  words  in  the  N.  T.  translated  hell. 
One  is  Hades  («t'>/c),  and  always  signifies  sim- 
ply the  place  of  departed  spirits ;  the  other 
is  Oehemia  (ytfia),  and  is  the  word  used 
here.  It  indicates,  by  a  significant  metaphor, 
the  place  of  future  punishment.  To  the 
southeast  of  Jerusalem  was  a  deep  and  fer- 
tile valley  called  the  vale  of  Hinnom,  or,  in 
Greek,  Gehenna.  In  a  particular  portion  of  this 
valley,  known  as  Tophet  (isa.  so :  33;  Jtr.  7 ;  31,32; 
19 : 6, 11),  the  idolatrous  Jews  burned  their  chil- 
dren in  sacrifice  to  Moloch,  In  the  reformation 
instituted  by  Josiah  (2  Kings  23 :  10)  this  valley  was 
polluted,  and  thereafter  became  the  place  for 
casting  out  and  burning  offal  and  the  corpses  of 
criminals.  Hence  the  phrase,  "fire  of  Gehenna," 
translated  "hell-fire,"  was  employed  to  indicate 
the  place  of  future  punishment.  Here  and  in 
Matt.  10  :  38  ;  18  : 9  ;  S3  :  15,  33 ;  Mark  9  :  43,  45, 
47  ;  Luke  13  : 5 ;  Jas.  3  ;  6,  the  word  translated 
by  hell  is  Gehenna ;  and  the  idea  conveyed  is, 
undoubtedly,  a  place  of  punishment.  In  all 
other  passages  in  the  Bible  where  the  word  hell 
occurs,  the  meaning  of  the  original  would  be  more 
appropriately  expressed  by  the  word  Hades. 

Observe  :  1.  That  the  comparison  of  judgment, 
council,  and  hell-flre  indicates  that  future  punish- 
ment is  adjusted  according  to  the  sin  of  the  con- 
demned ;  2.  That  adjustment  of  punishment  is 
graded  exactly  according  to  the  sin,  "to  unjust 
anger  the  just  anger  and  judgment  of  God,  to 
public  reproach  a  public  trial,  and  hell-fire  to 
that  censure  that  adjudgeth  another  thither." — 
{Lightfooi} ;  3.  That  the  outward  expression  of 
anger  in  words  enhances  the  sin ;  the  highest 
duty  is  not  to  be  angry ;  nevertheless,  if  one  is 
angry,  it  is  a  secondary  duty  to  restrain  all  ex- 
pression of  it.  Observe,  also,  how  these  two 
verses  illustrate  the  meaning  of  the  general  prin- 


92 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  V. 


23  Therefore,  if  thou  bring  thy  gifV  to  the  altar,  and 
there  remeniDerest  that  thy  brother  hath  aught  against 
thee, 

24  Leave  there  thy  gift  before  the  altar,  and  go  thy 
way  ;  first  be  reconciled  to  thy  brother,  and  then  come 
and  offer  thy  gilt. 

25  Agree  with  thine  adversary  quickly,  whiles  thou 
art  in  the  way  with  him  ;  lest  at  any  time  the  adversary 


deliver  thee^  to  the  judge,  and  the  judge  deliver  thee 
to  the  officer,  and  thou  be  cast  into  prison. 

26  Verily  I  say  unto  thee.  Thou  shalt  by  no  means 
come  out  thence,  till  thou  hast  paid  the  uttermost 
farthing. 

27  V'e  have  heard  that  it  was  said  by  them  of  old 
time.  Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery : 

28  But  I  say  unto  you,  That  whosoever  looketh'  on 


y  Dent.  16  :  16,  17 z  Prov.  25  :  8 ;  Luke  12  :  68,  ! 


Job  31  :  1 ;  Prov.  6  :  25. 


ciple  laid  down  in  verse  17.  "Is  'Be  not  angiy ' 
contrary  to  '  Do  no  murder  ? '  or  is  not  the  one 
commandment  the  completion  and  the  develop- 
ment of  the  other  ?  Clearly,  the  one  is  the  ful- 
filling of  the  other,  and  that  is  greater  on  this 
very  account.  Since  he  who  is  not  stirred  up  to 
anger  will  much  more  refrain  from  murder,  and 
he  who  bridles  wrath  will  much  more  keep  his 
hands  to  himself.  For  wrath  is  the  root  of  mur- 
der, and  you  see  that  he  who  cuts  up  the  root 
will  much  more  remove  the  branches,  or,  rather, 
will  not  permit  them  so  much  as  to  shoot  out  at 
all. " — ( Chrysotitom. ) 

23,  24.  Gift.  Sacrifice.  Compare  Matt. 
8:4;  23:18,  19.  Altar— in  the  Temple.  To 
bring  a  sacrifice  to  the  altar  was  the  Jewish 
method  of  public  worship.  The  modem  equiva- 
lent would  be,  "If  thou  goest  to  church." 
Hath  aught.  Justly  or  unjustly.  The  question 
whether  you  are  in  the  right  or  wrong  does  not 
arise.  If  there  is  a  variance,  it  is  to  be  reconciled. 
As  God  in  Christ  sought  to  reconcile  the  world 
unto  himself  (2  Cor.  5;  19),  so  are  we  to  seek  to  rec- 
oncile those  that  are  in  enmity  to  us.  He  that 
is  sure  he  is  right  is  the  one  to  seek  reconcilia- 
tion. Against  thee.  If  others  have  any  com- 
plaints against  us,  and  we  have  not  done  all  we  can 
to  remove  them,  our  worship  is  unacceptable ; 
on  the  other  hand,  if  we  have  aught  against 
others,  we  are  to  forgive  before  we  bring  our 
offering  (Mark  11 :  25, 26).  Leave  there  thy  gift. 
.  .  .  then  come  and  oifer  thy  gift.  The 
whole  language  implies  the  urgency  of  the  case. 
It  is  better  to  let  even  the  worship  of  God  be  in- 
terrupted than  that  brotherly  love  should  not 
continue ;  and  indeed  there  is  no  true  worship 
where  the  heart  fails  in  brotherly  love.  Compare 
with  this  teaching  John  14:21,  23,  with  15:12, 
17 ;  and  1  John  4 : 7,  8,  20.  It  gives  a  hint  why 
prayer  is  often  unavailing  and  worship  unsatisfy- 
ing.    Compare  John  9  :  31  and  Isaiah  1 :  10-15. 

Is  Christ^s  direction  here  to  he  literally  interpreted  ? 
Must  the  Christian,  for  example,  stay  away 
from  the  communion  table  if  there  is  an  unrec- 
onciled variance  between  himself  and  another  ? 
No  !  not  if  either,  first,  he  has  done  all  he  can  to 
remove  it,  or,  second,  he  is  ready  to  do  all  that 
he  can  and  will  put  his  resolution  in  execution  at 
the  first  opportunity.  If,  however,  he  is  unwil- 
ling to  obey  Christ's  law  of  love,  his  worship  is 
worse  than  useless.     "  The  important  thmg  is  to 


go  to  thy  brother,  not  with  the  feet,  but  with 
the  heart." — {Augustine.)  Provided,  however, 
that  the  feet  go  as  soon  as  possible.  It  is  the 
love,  not  of  sentiment,  but  of  action,  which  is 
commanded.     Compare  James  2  :  15,  16. 

25,  26.  Officer.  An  official  among  the  Jews 
whose  position  and  duties  were  substantially 
those  of  a  modern  constable  or  police-oflicer. 
There  is  some  difficulty  in  the  interpretation  of 
these  verses,  and  an  effort  has  been  made  to  give 
them  a  symbolical  meaning.  But  such  a  meaning 
is  certainly  secondary,  not  primary.  Adver- 
sary. Not  the  devil,  for  we  are  not  to  agree 
with  him ;  nor  God,  who  is  never  represented  in 
the  N.  T.  as  our  adversary.  The  Roman  law 
directed  the  plaintiff  and  defendant  to  make  up 
the  matter  on  their  way  to  the  judge  ;  after  the 
case  came  before  the  judge,  the  law  must  take 
its  course.  The  primary  reference  is  perhaps  to 
this  provision.  It  is,  at  all  events,  counsel  on 
the  side  of  earthly  prudence.  Worldly  wisdom, 
as  well  as  duty  toward  God,  advises  to  speedy 
reconciliation ;  and  the  more  imperious  your  op- 
ponent and  the  farther  the  quarrel  has  gone,  the 
wiser  is  it  to  seek  reconciliation.  This  is  sub- 
stantially the  view  of  Chrysostom,  of  Lightfoot, 
and  of  Barnes.  Alford  adds  a  spiritual  deduc- 
tion, which  is  legitimate  and  may  have  been  in- 
tended, but  is  not  necessarily  involved  in  the 
words.  "As  in  worldly  affairs  it  is  prudent  to 
make  up  a  matter  with  an  adversary  before 
judgment  is  passed,  which  may  deliver  a  man  to 
a  hard  and  rigorous  imprisonment,  so  reconcilia- 
tion with  an  offended  brother  in  this  life  is  abso- 
lutely necessary  before  his  wrong  cry  against  us 
to  the  Great  Judge,  and  we  be  cast  into  eternal 
condemnation."  Farthing.  A  small  coin  equal 
to  two  mites  and  equivalent  to  about  seven  mills 
of  our  money.  "These  words,  as  in  the  earthly 
example  they  imply  future  liberation,  because 
an  earthly  debt  can  be  paid  in  most  cases,  so  in 
the  spu"itual  counterpart  they  amount  to  a  nega-' 
tion  of  it,  because  the  debt  can  never  be  dis- 
charged."—(4//brd.)    Matt.  18 :  30 ;  Luke  7 :  43. 

27-32.  Second  example.  Law  against  adidtei-y. 

27.  Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery. 
(Exod.  20 :  14.)  By  the  Mosaic  law  the  punishment 
of  this  crime  was  the  death  of  both  parties  by 
stoning,  Lev.  20  :  10 ;  Deut.  22  :  22-27 ;  but  if  the 
woman  were  a  slave  she  was  to  be  whipped,  not 
put  to  death,  and  the  man  was  to  bring  a  tres- 


Ch.  v.] 


MATTHEW. 


93 


a  woman  to  lust  after  her,  hath  committed  adultery 
with  her  already  in  his  heart. 

29  And  if  thy  right  eye  offend  thee,  pluck  it  out,  and 
cast  it  from  thee :  for  it  is  profitable  lor  thee  that  one 
of  thy  members  should  perish,  and  not  that  thy  whole 
body  should  be  cast  into  hell.'' 

30  And  if  thy  right  hand  offend  thee,  cut  it  off,  and 
cast  it  from  thee  :  for  it  is  profitable  for  thee  that  one 
of  thy  members  should  perish,  and  not  that  thy  whole 
body  should  be  cast  into  hell. 

31  It  hath  been  said.  Whosoever  shall  put  away  his 
wife,  let  him  give  her  a  writing  of  divorcement :" 

32  But  I  say  unto  you,  That  whosoever  shall  put 


away  his  wife,''  saving  for  the  cause  of  fornication, 
causeth  her  to  commit  adultery  :  and  whosoever  shall 
marry  her  that  is  divorced,  committeth  adultery. 

33  Again,  ye  have  heard  that  it  hath  been  said  by 
them  of  old  time,  Thou  shalt  not  forswear  thyself,=  but 
shalt  perform  unto  the  Lord  thine  oaths : 

34  But  I  say  unto  you.  Swear  not  at  all  :■■  neither  by 
heaven  ;  for  it  is  God's  tnrone  : 

35  Nor  by  the  earth  ;  for  it  is  his  footstool :  neither 
by  Jerusalem  ;  lor  it  iss  the  city  ot  the  great  King. 

36  Neither  shalt  thou  swear  by  thy  head,  because 
thou  canst  not  make  one  hair  white  or  black. 

37  But  let  your  communication  be,  Yea,  yea ;    Nay, 


Rom.  8  :  13  ;    1  Cor.  9  :  27. . . 


pass  offering  (Lev.  w :  iMV-as).  In  case  a  wife  were 
suspected  of  adultery  by  her  husband,  a  singular 
ordeal  was  provided  for  her  trial,  the  only  case 
of  trial  by  ordeal  known  to  the  Jewish  law  (Numb. 

6  :  11-31). 

28.  Looketh  ....  to  lust.  Not  every  ris- 
ing of  evil  inclination  is  classed  with  adultery  ; 
not  every  lust,  nor  every  looking,  but  the  looking 
to  lust,  i.  e.,  the  indulgence  in  an  evil  imagination. 
Whether  the  evil  act  be  outwardly  committed, 
or  be  committed  in  imagination  only,  the  out- 
ward act  being  restrained  by  fear  or  shame,  does 
not  determine  the  question  of  guilt.  Neither 
does  our  Lord  say  that  there  is  no  difference  be- 
tween the  act  of  imagination  and  the  actual  overt 
sin ;  but  that  God  sees,  recognizes,  and  con- 
demns the  former  as  a  real  violation  of  the  law 
against  adultery  :  as  a  civil  statute  it  affects  only 
the  conduct ;  as  interpreted  by  Christ,  it  applies 

to  the  inward  man  also,     (compare  job  31  :  l ;  Prov.  6  :  25.) 

For  illustration  of  the  violation  of  this  law,  thus 
interpreted,  and  the  crimes  to  which  it  led,  see 
the  story  of  David  and  Bathsheba,  2  Sam.,  ch.  11. 

29.  If  thy  right  eye — the  more  important 
of  the  two— offend  thee— i.  e.,  tempts  thee  to 
6in.  The  original  means  primarily  to  cause  one 
to  stumble,  or  to  fall.  It  is  used  in  the  N.  T, 
generally,  if  not  exclusively,  in  the  sense  of  lead- 
ing one  into  sin,  or  at  least  into  moral  perplexity. 
The  following  passages  will  suffice  to  indicate  its 
various  uses  :  Matt.  15  :  12 ;  17  :  27 ;  18  :  6  ;  John 
6  :  61 ;  1  Cor.  8  :  13.  Pluck  it  out.  A  symbol 
of  the  thoroughness  of  the  work.  If  self-denial 
is  required,  it  is  best  to  do  it  quickly  and  com- 
pletely. For  it  is  better.  The  greatest  self- 
sacrifice  is  really  for  our  self-interest,  "  The  eye 
to  be  plucked  out  is  the  eye  of  concupiscence, 
and  the  hand  to  be  cut  off  is  the  hand  of  violence 
and  vengeance ;  i.  e.,  those  passions  are  to  be 
checked  and  subdued,  let  the  conflict  cost  us 
what  it  may." — {Porteus.)  But  much  more  than 
that  is  meant ;  these  verses  make  short  work  of 
all  defenses  of  habits  and  recreations  confessed 
to  be  injurious  in  their  effects,  but  defended  on 
the  ground  that  they  are  not  wrong  per  se.  The 
hand  and  eye  are  not  only  in  themselves  innocent, 
they  are,  in  their  right  use,  highly  important.   To 


deprive  one's  self  of  them  is  both  to  maim  the 
person  and  to  lessen  one's  means  of  usefulness. 
Whatever,  then,  tempts  the  individual,  or  his 
neighbor,  or  the  community,  into  sinful  courses, 
even  though  it  be  not  only  in  itself  innocent,  but  in 
its  right  employment  important,  is  to  be  put  away 
until  it  ceases  to  be  a  source  of  temptation. 
Asceticism — that  is,  the  denial  of  a  real  good  for 
the  sake  of  a  higher  good — has  its  root  in  a  right 
principle,  though  its  common  manifestations 
have  many  of  them  been  egregiously  wrong. 
Compare  for  other  Dlustrations  of  this  general 
principle,  in  its  wider  application,  Matt.  18  : 6-10 ; 
Rom.  14  :  19-21. 

31,  32.  The  law  referred  to  is  to  be  found 
in  Deut.  24  : 1.  Fornication.  This  is  not 
cited  as  another  example  of  the  contrast  be- 
tween the  external  law  of  Moses  and  the  spirit- 
ual law  of  Christ,  but  as  a  further  illustration 
of  the  subject  of  adultery.  To  put  away 
one's  wife,  save  for  the  one  cause,  or  to  marry 
one  that  has  been  put  away,  Christ  declares  to 
be  embraced  among  the  sins  which  the  law 
against  adultery,  spiritually  interpreted,  prohib- 
its. The  general  subject  of  divorce  is  more  fully 
considered  by  Christ  in  Matt.  19  :  3-9.  See 
notes  there. 

33-37.'  Thibd  example.  Law  against  smearing. 

33-35.  Thou  shalt  not  forswear  thyself— 
swear  falsely.  False  swearing  and  profane  and 
idle  use  of  the  name  of  God  are  both  prohibited  by 
the  third  commandment  (Exod.  20 :  ?).  The  Hebrew 
word  which  answers  to  in  vain  may  certainly  be 
rendered  either  way,  and  probably  includes  both. 
Compare  Lev.  19  :  12.  False  swearing  is  yet  more 
distinctly  forbidden  by  Numb.  30  :  3  and' Deut. 
23  :  21-33.  The  false  witness  received  the  same 
punishment  which  was  due  for  the  crime  to 
which  he  testified.  (Deut.  19 :  16-19.)  Neither  by 
heaven  .  .  .  nor  by  the  earth.  "  The  Jews 
held  all  those  oaths  not  to  be  binding  in  which 
the  sacred  name  of  God  did  not  directly  occur." 
—(Alford  quoting  Philo.)  So  Lightfoot  quotmg 
from  the  rabbinical  books,  "If  any  one  swear  by 
the  heavens,  by  the  earth,  by  the  sun,  it  is  not 
an  oath."  See,  however.  Matt.  23  :  16-23. 
Swearing,    in   ordinary  conversation,    is   much 


94 


nay:  for  whatsoever 
evil.'' 


MATTHEW. 


more  than  these,  cometh  of 


[Ch.  V. 


38  Ye  have  heard  that  it  hath  been  said,  An'  eye  for 
an  eye,  and  a  tooth  for  a  tooth  : 


h  Jas.  5  :  12 i  Ex.  21  :  24. 


more  common  in  the  East  than  here.  "The 
people  now  use  the  very  same  sort  of  oaths  that 
are  mentioned  and  condemned  by  our  Lord. 
They  swear  by  the  head,  by  their  life,  by  heaven, 
and  by  the  Temple,  or  what  is  in  its  place,  the 
church.  The  forms  of  cursing  and  swearing, 
however,  are  almost  infinite,  and  fall  on  the 
pained  ear  all  day  long." — {Thompson' s Land  arid 
Book,  2  :  p.  284.)  God's  throne  ....  God's 
footstool  .  .  .  the  city  of  the  great  King. 
The  significance  of  an  oath  consists  in  its  calling 
God  to  witness  the  truth  of  the  assertion.  All 
such  quasi  oaths  do  this  indirectly. 

36.  Neither by  thy  head,  because 

thou  canst  not  make  one  hair  white  or 
black.  Protestations  of  friendship  were  fre- 
quently confirmed  by  touching  the  forehead  and 
swearing  by  it;  and  this  custom  is  still  main- 
tamed  in  the  East.  Christ  says :  Even  your  head 
is  not  your  own ;  to  swear  by  it  is  to  swear  by 
him  who  made  it. 

Christ  here  condemns  all  those  "  half- veiled  " 
blasphemies  which,  common  in  our  times  as 
in  his,  are  nearly  all  traceable,  historically, 
to  an  appeal,  more  or  less  direct,  to  the  name 
of  God.  The^'  are  either,  (a,)  like  I  svjan,  I 
8WOW,  I  vum,  corruptions  of  I  swear,  1  vow ;  or, 
(6,)  like  gosh,  gol,  golly,  corruptions  of  the  name  of 
God  ;  or,  (c,)  like  gracious,  goodness,  mercy,  glory, 
etc.,  appeals  to  God  by  some  one  of  his  prominent 
attributes  ;  or,  (fZ,)  like  mercy  on  me,  or  laws-a-mas- 
sey,  an  abbreviation  of  the  solemn  oath,  "If  this 
be  not  true,  may  the  Lord  have  mercy  on  me  ;  " 
or,  (e,)  like  darri  it,  dang  it,  darnation,  palpable  ab- 
breviations of  damn  and  damnation,  the  most 
solemn  possible  of  all  forms  of  imprecation,  gen- 
erally on  an  enemy,  real  or  imaginary,  living  or 
inanimate,  a  travestie  on  the  Christian  appeal  to 
the  God  of  Justice  to  do  justice  to  wrong-doers 
(Rom.  12: 19) ;  Or,  (/,)  like  the  fZciicc,  fhedickens,  the 
old  nick,  all  terms  for  the  devil,  and  abbrevia- 
tions of  "to  the  devil,"  or  "the  devil  take  it," 
a  less  solemn  form  of  the  same  imprecation ;  or, 
(g,)  like  confound  it,  2)lague  take  it,  etc.,  an  uncon- 
scious prayer  to  God  to  bring  real  or  supposed 
enemies  into  confusion  and  failure  (compare  Psaim  4o : 
14;  70 : 2) ;  or,  (/(,)  like  upon  my  soul,  by  my  life,  a 
pledging  of  one's  life,  or  one's  eternal  destiny, 
in  support  of  his  assertion,  as  in  Josh.  3  :  13-14,  in 
which  case  there  is  an  implied  call  on  God  to  exe- 
cute the  penalty.  Thus  nearly  all  the  expletives 
used  in  common  and  even  fashionable  life  to 
strengthen  or  confirm  our  assertions  are  de- 
generate oaths,  a  direct  violation  of  the  third 
commandment  as  Christ  here  interprets  it.    And 


it  is  no  answer  to  this  to  say  that  those  who  use 
such  phrases  do  not  intend  blasphemy  by  them ; 
frequently  those  who  use  more  directly  the  name 
of  God  in  vain,  mean  nothing  by  their  impreca- 
tion. The  meaningless  use  of  such  language  is  itself 
a  violation  of  the  simplicity  of  Christian  discourse, 
even  when  it  does  not  indicate  a  bitter,  angry,  or 
irreverent  mood. 

37.  Cometh  of  the  evil.  The  word  here  trans- 
lated "evil,"  when  coupled  with  the  article  as  it 
is  here,  in  the  Greek  though  not  in  our  version  (J 
Tturijwic,  the  evil),  sometimes  stands  for  the  evil- 
one,  i.  e.  Satan  (Matt.  i3 :  19 ;  i  John  2 :  13, 14),  and  is  ren- 
dered the  wicked  one.  This  signification  here 
would  be  in  accordance  with  James  3:6.  In  the 
other  and  more  general  sense,  it  is  true  that  all 
swearing,  genteel  or  otherwise,  comes  of  evil,  i.  e., 
of  an  underlying  consciousness  thafsimple  asser- 
tion is  not  enough,  that  our  word  is  not  to  be 
trusted,  that  some  witness  must  be  called  in  to 
attest  it ;  and  as  God,  who  knows  all  things,  is 
the  only  witness,  we  call  on  him.  If  truth  were 
perfect  there  would  be  no  occasion  to  emphasize 
our  assertions  by  such  appeals ;  and  in  point  of 
fact,  falsehood  and  profanity  generally  are  close 
companions.  Throughout  this  chapter  Christ  is 
giving  directions  for  the  individual  character, 
not  for  the  community.  This  passage  does  not, 
therefore,  necessarily  forbid  oaths  in  courts  of 
justice,  any  more  than  verses  38  and  39  forbid 
punishment  from  being  inflicted  by  the  State. 
Tet  it  is  true  that  even  judicial  oaths  come  of  evil ; 
i.  e. ,  if  truth  were  never  violated  in  the  community, 
there  would  be  no  need  of  solemn  asseverations 
to  give  weight  to  testimony  in  the  administra- 
tion of  justice.  And,  in  fact,  in  Christian  courts 
the  oath,  as  an  appeal  to  God,  has  been  in  a  con- 
siderable measure  superseded  by  a  mere  affirma- 
tion. 

38-42.  Fourth  example.    Laio  of  retaliation. 

38.  An  eye  for  an  eye,  etc.  Exod,  31  : 
24 ;  Lev,  24  :  20  ;  Deut.  19  :  21.  Natural  revenge 
does  not  stop  at  mere  retaliation.  For  an  insult 
is  given  a  Liow  ;  for  a  blow  with  the  fist  one  with 
the  knife.  The  laws  of  Moses  were  a  check  on 
personal  revenge  and  undue  severity  of  punish- 
ment, for  they  forbade  the  injury  inflicted  to  ex- 
ceed the  injury  received.  The  same  principle, 
viz.,  that  the  punishment  should  be  as  the 
ofEence,  and  determined  by  it,  is  found  in  the 
laws  of  Solon  of  Greece,  in  the  laws  of  the 
twelve  tables  of  Rome,  and  others.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  laws  of  Draco  (7th  century  B.C.)  pun- 
ished every  crime,  even  petty  theft  and  idleness, 
with  death;   and  those  of  England,  a.d.  1600, 


Ch.  v.] 


MATTHEW. 


95 


39  But  I  say  unto  you,J  That  ye  resist  not  evil :  but 
whosoever  shall  smite  thee''  on  tliy  right  cheek,  turn  to 
him  the  other  also. 

40  And  if  any  man  will  sue  thee  at  the  law,  and  take 
away  thy  coat,  let  him  have  thy  cloak  also. 


41  And  whosover  shall  compel  thee  to  go  a  mile,  go 
with  him  twain. 

42  Give  to  him  that  asketh  thee,  and  from  him  that 
would  borrow  of  thee  turn  not  tUou'  away. 


j  Prov.  20  :  22  ;  24  :  29 ;  Rom.  12  :  17-19 k  Isa.  50  :  6 1  Deut.  15  :  7,  11. 


263  crimes  in  the  same  manner,  while  those  of 
Moses  provided  capital  punishment  but  for 
twelve  crimes.  The  Mosaic  law  of  retaliation 
was  permissive,  not  compulsory.  The  injured 
party  might  require  retaliation  in  kind  at  the 
hands  of  the  magistrate  ;  but  except  In  the  case 
of  murder  (Numb.  35 :  31)  he  might  take  satisfaction 
in  money,  in  which  case  the  damages  were  ad- 
justed according  to  the  injury  done  (see  Exod.  21 :  30). 
Such  money  redemption  was  ordinarily  substi- 
tuted for  the  infliction  of  the  penalty.  This  law 
was  for  the  regulation  of  the  administration  of 
justice  by  the  government.  Christ  does  not 
condemn  it  as  a  law  of  jmtice,  but  he  declares  in 
this  and  the  next  section  (43-43)  that  his  followers 
are  to  be  governed  in  their  personal  relations  by 
the  law  of  love. 

39.  Resist  not  the  evil— literally  the  evil, 
i.  e.,  the  evil  one.  Christ  implies  here  what  the 
Scripture  elsewhere  abundantly  asserts,  that  the 
malice  and  wrong-doing  of  the  world  to  the  dis- 
ciples of  Christ  is  the  work  of  the  devU  (compare 
1  joiin  2 :  13, 14 ;  Rev.  2 :  lo).  So  he  transfers  our  anger 
from  the  instrument  to  the  real  cause  of  the 
wrong-doing.  "What  then,  it  is  said  ;  ought  we 
not  to  resist  the  evil-one?  Indeed  we  ought, 
but  not  in  this  way,  but  as  he  hath  commanded, 
by  giving  one's-self  up  to  suffer  wrongfully  ;  for 
thus  Shalt  thou  prevail  over  him." — {C/iryxos- 
tom.)  So  Christ  conquered  Satan  by  yielding 
himself  an  unresisting  victim  to  his  malice. 

40.  Coat  .  .  .  cloak.  The  coat  was  a  tunic 
made  commonly  of  linen,  and  extending  to  the 
knees.  The  cloak  or  mantle  was  larger  and  more 
expensive,  was  commonly  made  nearly  square, 
and  was  wrapped  round  the  body  like  a  cloak,  but 
v/as  thrown  off  for  the  purposes  of  labor.  It 
was  also  used  as  a  wrapper  at  night,  hence  might 
not  be  taken  by  a  creditor  (Exod.  22 :  23, 27).  Christ's 
precept,  then,  is  in  principle,  Submit  to  even  a 
palpable  injustice,  without  color  of  law,  rather 
than  resist  even  by  an  appeal  to  the  lav/.  This 
is  not  merely  a  precept  of  worldly  wisdom, 
though  worldly  wisdom  justifies  it,  nor  an  obso- 
lete requirement  applicable  only  to  the  heathen 
tribunals  of  Christ's  day,  nor  an  absolute  law,  so 
that  a  follower  of  Christ  cannot  ever  apply  to 
the  courts  for  redress  without  violating  Christ's 
prohibition.  TJiese  aphorisms  are  expressions  of  a 
ChriMian  spirit,  7iot  enactments  of  a  new  law. 
See  below.  It  is,  nevertheless,  noticeable  that 
the  tendency  of  Christianity  has  been,  first, 
to  lessen  personal   resistance  to  evil,   and  sec- 


ond, to  discourage  lawsuits  ;  and  that  while 
the  commentators  have  difficulty  with  this 
passage,  Christian  lawyers  constantly  advise 
their  clients,  as  matter  of  worldly  wisdom,  to 
submit  to  almost  any  injustice  rather  than  to 
involve  themselves  in  a  lawsuit.  "To  seek  the 
redress  of  grievances  by  going  to  law  is  like  sheep 
running  for  shelter  to  a  bramble-bush." — {Sel- 
wyn.)  "To  go  to  law  is  for  two  persons  to  kin- 
dle a  fire  at  their  own  cost  to  warm  others,  and 
singe  themselves  to  cmders." — {Bentham.)  A 
lawyer  "is  a  learned  gentleman  who  rescues 
your  estate  from  your  enemies,  and  keeps  it  him- 
self."— (Brougham.)  So  far  has  this  conviction 
gone  that  the  abolition  of  all  laws  for  the  collec- 
tion of  debt,  except  in  cases  of  fraud,  is  seriously 
considered  by  able  jurists  in  this  country.  And 
yet  English  and  American  justice  is  immeasura- 
bly superior  to  that  administered  by  Oriental  or 
Roman  courts  in  the  time  of  Christ.  Compare 
with  this  precept  1  Cor.  6  :  7. 

41.  Whosoever  shall  compel  thee  to  go, 
etc.  The  word  translated  compel  is  of  Persian 
origin.  Footmen  were  employed  from  a  very 
early  period  of  history  hi  carrying  despatches  (1  Sam. 
22 :  17 ;  2  chron.  30 : 6,  lo).  At  a  later  period  this  service 
was  performed  with  mules  and  camels  (Esther  3 :  13, 
with  15 ;  8 :  10,  u).  It  was  Continued  under  the  Roman 
government,  and  these  heralds  were  authorized 
to  compel  any  person  to  accompany  them  as 
guides  or  assistants,  or  to  lend  them  a  horse, 
boat,  or  other  means  of  transportation.  A  simi- 
lar law  is  in  force  in  Persia  to  this  day.  The 
Jews  particularly  objected  to  the  duty  thus  im- 
posed on  them.  Christ's  disciples  were  to  yield 
to  the  demand,  though  oppressive  and  injurious. 

42.  Give  to  him  that  asketh  of  thee. 
Compare  for  a  proper  understanding  of  this 
verse  Christ's  promise  to  his  disciples  (john  i4 :  u), 
and  his  own  practical  interpretation  of  it.  He  does 
not  always  give  what  we  ask,  but  often  far  dif- 
ferent (2  Cor.  12 : 8,  o).  Sometimcs,  too,  we  do  not 
receive  because  we  ask  amiss  (James  4 : 3).  In  this, 
as  in  all  else,  Christ  is  his  own  interpreter,  and 
his  example  explains  his  precept.  "To  give 
every  thing  to  every  one— the  sword  to  the  mad- 
man, the  alms  to  the  impostor,  the  criminal  re- 
quest to  the  temptress — would  be  to  act  as  the 
enemy  of  others  and  ourselves." — (Alford.)  It 
must  never  be  forgotten  that  Christ  throughout 
this  sermon  is  speaking  of  the  spirit  which  should 
animate  his  followers ;  and  the  spirit  of  Christi- 
anity is  one  which  leads  the  followers  of  Jesus 


96 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  V. 


43  Ye  have  heard  that  it  hath  been  said,"  Thou  shalt 
love  thy  neighbour,  and  hate  thine  enemy  : 


44  But  I  say  unto  you,  Love"  your  enemies,  bless 
them  that  curse  you,  do  good  to  them  that  hate  you, 


Dent.  23  :  6 n  Rom.  12  :  U,  20. 


Christ  to  give  to  every  true  want;  judgment 
keeps  it  from  becoming  indiscriminating,  and 
60  injurious.  Borrow.  Contrast  witli  this 
verse  the  spirit  of  the  heathen  world,  as  exem- 
plified in  the  saying  of  Cicero,  that  alms  should 
be  given  to  a  stranger  only  when  it  involves  no 
privation  to  ourselves.  Compare  with  it,  as  an 
evidence  and  illustration  that  Christ  does  but 
fulfill  the  spirit  of  the  ancient  law,  the  provision 
in  Deut.  15  :  8-10. 

Cheist's  principles  respecting  retalia- 
tion. In  considering  the  significance  of  this  en- 
tire passage  respecting  retaliation  (vs.  38-12),  it  is  to 
be  remembered,  (a,)  that  Christ  throughout  this 
sermon  inculcates  principles  for  the  government 
of  the  individual,  not  of  the  community  ;  and 
that,  therefore,  it  does  not  affect,  except  indi- 
rectly, the  right  or  duty  of  the  community  to  use 
force  in  protecting  itself  or  its  members  from 
evil ;  (&,)  that  it  does  not  affect  the  question  of 
the  right  of  the  community  to  overturn  a  tyran- 
nical government,  and  substitute  another  and 
more  just  and  equable  one  in  its  stead;  (c,)  that 
it  does  not  necessarily  deny  the  right  or  duty  of 
one  to  use  force,  if  need  be,  in  defending  others 
intrusted  to  his  protection,  as  the  husband  his 
wife,  or  the  father  his  child ;  {d,)  that  it  incul- 
cates the  spirit  in  which  the  disciple  of  Christ  is 
to  receive  injuries  personal  to  himself,  and  that 
to  interpret  it  as  a  series  of  mere  rules  for  the 
regulation  of  conduct  is  to  fall  into  the  very 
error  of  Pharisaism,  which  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount  is  aimed  to  correct.  With  these  qualifi- 
cations (if  they  are  to  be  regarded  as  qualifica- 
tions) the  precepts  are  not  diiflcult  to  be  under- 
stood ;  the  only  serious  difficulty  is  in  complying 
with  them.  To  set  them  aside,  by  treating  them 
as  Oriental  forms  of  speech,  as  exaggerations 
which  we  are  to  qualify,  as  impracticable  rules 
l)roposed  only  to  stimulate  us  to  greater  gentle- 
ness, as  an  ideal  which  we  are  not  to  expect 
to  realize  in  the  present  state  of  society,  but 
only  to  strive  toward,  appears  to  me  to  be  sub- 
versive of  all  right  reading  of  the  Bible.  Let 
us  either  frankly  say  that  Jesus  was  mistaken, 
and  laid  down  principles  which  cannot  be  applied 
in  the  common  intercourse  of  life,  or  let  us  ac- 
cept those  principles  as  coming  with  divine  au- 
thority from  a  divine  master,  and  measure  our 
common  intercourse  of  life  by  them.  So  accept- 
ed they  will  be  seen  to  cover  the  whole  ground 
of  personal  resistance  and  retaliation  to  wrong. 
They  include  injustice  inflicted  by  personal  vio- 
lence (v.  39),  that  attempted  to  be  inflicted  by  an 
appeal  to  the  law  (v.  40),  and  that  inflicted  by  an 


oppressive  and  tyranical  government  (v.  41).  In 
each  case  Christ  counsels  submission  to  wrong, 
rather  than  resistance  to  it ;  and  he  has  abun- 
dantly interpreted  these  precepts  by  his  own 
illustrious  example  ;  the  first  precept  by  his  pa- 
tient suffering  of  personal  indignity  (Matt,  eo :  67,68; 
and  compare  isa.  53 : 7) ;  the  sccoud  by  hls  payment  of 

a  tax    unjustly  exacted    (Matt,  n  :  24-27,  and  note  tbere)  ; 

the  third  by  his  yielding  to  the  infliction  of 
scourging  and  crucifixion  after  a  trial  which  vio- 
lated the  forms  of  law  as  palpably  as  it  contra- 
vened justice,  and  his  refusal  to  permit  the  use 
of  violence  as  a  means  of  rescue.  See  report  of 
his  trial,  and  notes  there,  and  compare  Matt.  26  : 
51-53 ;  Luke  22  :  50,  51.  Observe  that,  yielding 
himself,  he  protested  against  the  injustice  to 
which  he  nevertheless  submitted  {mm.  26 :  55 ;  John 
18 :  19, 23),  and,  seemingly  by  a  mii'acle,  provided  for 
the  escape  of  his  disciples  (John  18 :  e-s). 

On  the  other  hand  observe  that,  etmi  regarded 
merely  as  Unas,  these  aphorisms  do  not  require  un- 
limiied  yielding  to  wrong.  Turning  the  other  cheek 
does  not  require  continued  submission  if  experi- 
ment proves  it  unavailmg ;  giving  the  cloak  does 
not  forbid  the  Christian  from  having  recourse  to 
the  law ;  going  two  miles  is  not  going  indefinitely. 
Paul's  precept,  "  If  it  be  possilole,  as  much  as  lieth 
in  you,  live  peaceat^ly  with  all  men"  (Rom.  12 :  is), evi- 
dently implies  limits  to  non-resistance.  He  recog- 
nizes a  right  use  of  the  sword  (Rom.  13 : 4) ;  and  he 
himself  appealed  to  Roman  law  for  protection  (  acu 
16 :  37 ;  22 :  25),  and  dircctly  to  Ctesar  from  an  unjust 
judge  and  a  malignant  prosecutor  (Acts  25 :  ii). 

43-48.  Fifth  example.  The  law  regulating 
our  relations  ivith  enemies. 

43.  No  law  is  to  be  found  in  the  O.  T.  answer- 
ing the  description  here  given.  But  the  O.  T. 
does  inculcate  in  many  passages  an  abhorrence 
of  heathen  character  and  heathen  habits  (oeut.  7 : 1, 

2,  16,  23-26 ;  12  :  27,  32  ;  Josh.  23  :  12,  13  ;  Ps.  139  :  21,  22)  ;    whils 

the  law  of  love  has  an  appearance  of  being  con- 
fined in  its  application  to  the  Israelites  (Lev.  19 :  n, 

18  ;  compare  Deut.  23  :  3-6).      As  WC    tcacll    OUr    chUdren 

to  abhor  that  which  is  evil  in  character  and  con- 
duct, and  to  avoid  all  evil  companions,  but  after- 
ward build  up  on  that  a  love  for  those  who  are 
evil  and  a  spirit  that  seeks  them  out  to  redeem 
them,  so  God,  in  the  childhood  of  the  race, 
taught  it  only  to  abhor  the  evil  practices  and 
character  of  the  heathen ;  but  on  this  Christ 
built  up  the  higher  law  of  personal  love  to  the 
wrong-doer,  a  love  which  is  practically  perfectly 
consonant  with  an  abhorrence  of  their  sinful  prac- 
tices, and  of  the  sinful  character  of  which  those 
practices  are  the  fruit.    The  Pharisee  had  con- 


Ch.  Y.] 


MATTHEW. 


97 


and  pray"  for  them  which  despitefully  use  you,  and 
persecute  you  ; 

^5  That  ye  may  be  the  children  of  your  Father  which 
is  in  heaven  :  for  he  malieth  his  sun  to  riseP  on  the  evil 
and  on  the  good,  and  sendeth  rain  on  the  just  and  on 
the  unjust. 


46  For  if  ye  love  them  which  love  you,  what  reward 
have  ye  ?  do  not  even  the  publicans  the  same  ? 

47  And  if  ye  salute  your  brethren  only,  what  do  ye 
more  than  others  ?  do  not  even  the  publicans  so  ? 

48  Be  ye  therefore  perfect,')  even  as  your  Father 
which  is  m  heaven  is  perfect. 


i  Lake  23:  34:  Acts  7  ! 


.p  Job  25  :  3 q  Gen.  17  :  1  ;  Deut.  18  :  13  ;  Luie  6  :  36, 


founded  the  moral  abhorrence  of  the  sin  with 
personal  hate  of  the  man ;  and  the  exact  parallel 
to  the  precept  here  condemned  is  to  be  found  in 
the  rabbinical  writings  ;  e.  g.,  "An  Israelite  who 
sees  another  Israelite  transgressing  and  admon- 
ishes him,  if  he  repents  not,  is  bound  to  hate 
him." 

44.  liOve  your  enemies.  This  is  in  a  meas- 
ure interpreted  by  what  follows.  Yet  it  is  a  law 
of  the  heart,  not  of  conduct  merely ;  it  means 
more  than  bless,  do  good,  pray  for ;  it  is  inter- 
preted by  God's  love  for  us  when  we  were  yet 
enemies  (Rom.  6:8;  Ephes.  2 : 4,  s),  and  it  is  quite  con- 
sistent with  the  utmost  abhorrence  of  their 
wrong-doing,  from  which  by  love  we  seek  to  re- 
deem them.  Bless  them  that  curse.  Seek 
God's  blessing  on  those  who  call  down  upon  you 
God's  curses  (compare  Rom.  12 :  14,  i9-2i).  The  Greek 
word  (su'Aoyiw),  which  in  our  version  is  here  trans- 
lated "Wess,"  never  means  in  the  N.  T.  to  speak 
well  of,  nor  does  the  word  (xaruQuoixai),  trans- 
lated curse,  ever  mean  to  slander.  The  one  sig- 
nifies to  invoke  the  divine  blessing,  the  other  to 
imprecate  a  curse.  The  latter  is  composed  of 
two  Greek  words,  signifjing  prayer  against.  For 
parallel  to  the  direction  of  this  verse,  see  Ephes. 
4:3;i;  for  illustration  of  the  precept  Joseph's 
treatment  of  his  brethren,  Gen.  ch.  45,  especially 
verses  5,  10,  11,  15,  and  ch.  50  :  15-31.  It  should, 
perhaps,  be  added  that  the  clauses  in  this  verse, 
"Bless  them  that  curse  you  and  do  good  to 
them  that  hate  you,"  are  omitted  from  some  of 
the  best  manuscripts.  But  as  they  appear  in 
Luke  6:27,  28,  where  there  is  no  question  of 
their  genuineness,  therp  is  no  reason  to  doubt 
that  they  were  uttered  by  Christ  as  we  have 
them  in  our  present  report,  though  Matthew 
may  have  omitted  them  and  they  have  been 
transferred  from  Luke  to  Matthew  by  some  of 
the  copyists  of  the  latter.  The  44th  verse  is  the 
climax  to  which  the  sermon  from  verse  21  has 
conducted.  "Seest  thou  how  many  steps  He 
hath  ascended,  and  how  He  hath  set  us  on  the 
very  summit  of  virtue  ?  Nay,  mark  it,  number- 
ing from  the  beginning.  A  first  step  is,  not  to 
begin  with  injustice;  a  second,  after  he  hath 
begun,  not  to  vindicate  one's  self  by  equal  retal- 
iation ;  a  third,  not  to  do  unto  him  that  is  vexing 
us  the  same  that  one  hath  suffered,  but  to  be 
quiet ;  a  fourth,  even  to  give  one's  self  up  to 
sutler  wrongfully  ;  a  fifth,  to  give  up  yet  more 
than  the  other  wishes,  who  did  the  wrong;  a 


sixth,  not  to  hate  him  who  hath  done  so ;  a  sev- 
enth, even  to  love  him  ;  an  eighth,  to  do  him 
good  also;  a  ninth,  to  entreat  God  Himself  on 
his  behalf." — {Chrysostom.) 

45.  In  this  way  ye  shall  become  the 
children  of  your  Father.  Both  a  reason  for 
and  the  reward  of  so  loving  and  doing  good  to 
our  enemies.  As  the  climax  of  Christian  duty  is 
loving  one's  enemies,  so  the  climax  of  Christian 
reward  is  the  becoming  like  God  (compare  Ephes. 

6:1. 

46.  The  publicans.  The  Eoman  tax-gath- 
erers. See  note  on  Matt.  9  :  10,  11.  They  are 
here  a  type  of  purely  worldly  men.  If  the 
Christian  acts  on  the  same  principles  as  the  man 
of  the  world,  what  right  has  he  to  expect  any 
different  regard  or  treatment  from  God  ? 

47.  Salute.  The  Oriental  salutation  was 
generally  in  form  a  prayer  for  divine  blessing 

(Gen.   43:29;    Ruth    2:4;    1  Sam.   15:13;    Ps.   129:8).        The 

Pharisees  only  saluted  members  of  the  same  re- 
ligious faith ;  the  modern  Mohammedan  con- 
fines his  salutation  to  Mohammedans.  Hence, 
Christ's  inculcation  was  a  direct  innovation  on 
the  almost  universal  usage  of  his  day.  Its  ap- 
plication to  professing  Christians  who  refuse  to 
speak  to  those  who  have  offended  them  is  so 
plain  as  to  need  no  enforcement.  More  than 
others.  The  Christian  may  not  compare  him- 
self with  others  and  be  satisfied  because  he  is  as 
others.  Both  God  and  men  expect  more  of  him 
than  of  others,  and  this  in  the  common  inter- 
course of  daily  life. 

48.  Perfect.  Rather  complete.  The  word 
never  signifies  in  N.  T.  usage  sinlessness,  but 
completion  in  Christian  character  in  contrast 
with  a  half-finished  and  partial  character,  a 
character  that  is  Christian  in  some  parts  and 
worldly  and  selfish  in  others.  This  verse  sums 
up  that  portion  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  in 
which  Christ  has  developed  the  Christian  ideal 
of  character.  It  is  the  complement  of  verses  17  and 
20.  In  it  Christ  explains  in  what  consists  the  ful- 
fillment of  the  law  and  the  prophets.  "  The  an- 
cient statutes,"  says  Christ  in  effect,  "forbade 
murder,  adultery,  false-swearing,  cruelty  in  re- 
venge. A  complete  obedience  embraces  the 
whole  man,  and  brings  the  spirit  as  well  as  the 
members  under  allegiance  to  these  laws.  The 
ancient  statute  commanded  love  to  your  neigh- 
bor ;  the  spirit  of  that  statute  requires  love  to 
all  mankind.    You  are  to  aim  not  at  an  external 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  VL 


CHAPTER    VI. 


TAKE  heed  that  ye  do  not  your  alms  before  men,  to 
be  seen  of  theai :    otherwise  ye  have  no  reward 
of  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven.' 


2  Therefore  when  thou  doest  thine  alms,  do  not 
sound  a  trumpet  before  thee,  as  the  hypocrites  do  in 
the  synagogues  and  in  the  streets,  that  they  may  have 
glory  ol  men.  Verily  I  say  unto  you.  They  have  their 
reward. 


obedience  to  laws  and  regulations,  but  at  the  at- 
tainment of  a  character  which  in  all  its  conduct 
shall  conform  to  the  law,  and  in  all  its  faculties 
to  the  image  of  Him  whose  sons  you  are  called 
to  be."  In  brief,  one  may  be  an  imperfect,  but 
one  cannot  be  a  partial  Christian.  He  may  obey 
Christ  imperfectly,  but  he  cannot  obey  in  part 

and  disobey  in  part  (e  :  24 ;  compare  Ephes.  4  :  13 ;  Col.  1  :  28  J 

4 :  12).  The  lesser  interpretation,  as  Alford,  "Com- 
plete in  your  love  of  others,  not  one-sided  or  ex- 
clusive," has  grown  out  of  a  fear  of  giving  coun- 
tenance to  the  doctrine  of  human  perfectibility. 
But  the  passages  which  require  perfection,  i.  e., 
completion  of  character,  are  numerous  and  can- 
not be  explained  away.  God  requires  perfection 
of  his  disciples  as  the  wise  teacher  continually 
holds  perfection  before  his  pupils ;  not  condemn- 
ing those  who  fall  short  (see  Rom.  8 : 1),  but  not  al- 
lowing them  to  rest  satisfied  with  incomplete 
attainment.  "The  goal  is  not  brought  to  the 
racers,  but  the  racers  must  strive  to  reach  the 
goal." — (Conder.) 

Ch.  6  : 1-34!  7  : 1-6.  THIRD  GENERAL  DIVISION.— 
The  pbinciples  of  lifb  in  Christ's  Kingdom  con- 
tkastbd  with  the  practices  of  thb  pharisees. 

1-18.  The  first  eighteen  verses  of  this  chapter 
constitute  a  warning  against  the  dangers  of  os- 
tentation in  religion,  appUed  to  almsgiving,  2-4 ; 
prayer,  G-15 ;  and  fasting,  16-18.  The  word 
almsgiving  in  the  first  verse  should  be  ren- 
dered righteousness  (see  below),  and  the  verse  itself 
constitutes  a  general  precept  of  which  the  verses 
following  are  particular  applications,  and  consti- 
tutes, as  it  were,  the  text  of  this  portion  of  the 
discourse,  as  do  verses  17-20  of  chapter  5  of  the 
rest  of  that  chapter.  It  may  be  paraphrased 
thus :  I  have  set  before  you  the  nature  of  that 
righteousness  of  the  spirit  which  the  laws  of  God, 
as  spiritually  interpreted,  require  of  you ;  I  now 
warn  you  to  be  on  your  guard  lest  you  fall  into 
the  snare  of  doing  the  deeds  of  your  righteous- 
ness before  men  for  the  sake  of  securing  their 
approval,  instead  of  seeking  only  the  approval  of 
your  heavenly  Father. 

1-4.  First  example.    Aim^giving. 

1.  Take  heed.  For  the  danger  of  ostenta- 
tion in  religion  is  one  that  must  be  watched 
against,  one  that  easily  ensnares  the  unwary  dis- 
ciple  (compare  Eiod.  23  :  13 ;  Deut.  11:16;   Matt.  26  :  41 ;   1  Cor. 

10 :  12).      Not    to    do    your    righteousness. 

The  best  manuscripts  have  here  nghteous7iess 
(dtxaioavrt]),  not  alms  (JAtjjuootSn;),  as  in  the  re- 
ceived text  and  in  our  English  version.  There 
is   some   uncertainty  about  the  reading ;    that 


which  I  have  adopted  is  sustained  by  Lange, 
SchafE,  Wordsworth,  Alford,  Tregelles,  Tischen- 
dorf,  Lachmann,  Griesbach.  To  be  seen.  This 
qualifies  the  preceding  clause.  Not  all  doing  of 
righteousness  before  men  is  condemned,  not  all 
public  almsgiving,  prayer,  and  fasting,  but  that 
tJie  object  of  which  is  human  applause.  "We  are 
to  be  seen  to  do  good,  but  not  to  do  good  to  be 
seen  (oai.  i :  lo)."  —  ( Wordsivorth.)  Otherwise, 
i.  e.,  as  explained  below,  if  your  object  is  human 
applause.  No  reward  of  your  Father.  Not 
no  reward,  but  no  reward  from  God.  They  who 
do  righteousness  for  public  applause  receive 
public  applause,  i.  e.,  the  very  reward  for  which 
they  strive. 

2.  Therefore.  A  specific  deduction  from  the 
general  principle.  When  thou  doest  alms. 
There  is  no  question  here  as  to  whether  almsgiv- 
ing is  or  is  not  a  wise  form  of  charity,  nor  how 
far  it  is  to  be  carried ;  nor  in  the  sections  below 
are  the  general  que^stions  of  prayer  and  fasting 
considered.  Christ  simply  takes  the  three  chief 
"good  works"  of  Pharisaism  to  illustrate  the 
principle  that  in  our  religious  life  we  are  to  avoid 
ostentation.  Almsgiving,  however,  is  abund- 
antly enforced  as  a  religious  duty  both  in  the 
Old  and  the  New  Testaments.  The  laws  of 
Moses  required  provision  to  be  made  for  the  poor 

(Lev.  19  :  9,  10 ;  23  :  22 ;  Deut.  14  :  28,  29  ;  15  :  11 ;  24 :  19 ;  26  :  2-13)  ; 

and  the  importance  of  obedience  to  these  pre- 
cepts is  recognized  elsewhere  in  the  Scriptures 

(Job  29:13;    Ps.  41  :  1 ;    112:9;    Prov.  14  :  3l).       The    N.    T. 

abounds  not  less  in  precepts  whose  spirit  requires 

charity  toward  the  poor  (Luke  14:13;  Acts  ll  :  27-30; 
20  :  35 ;  Rom.  16  :  25,  27  ;  1  Cor.  16:1-1;  Gal.  2  ;  10 ;  1  Tim.  5  :  lo)  ; 

whUe  at  the  same  time  the  systematic  beggmg 
carried  on  by  the  mendicant  monks  finds  no 
sanction  in  its  pages, .  and  we  are  impliedly 
guarded  against  encouraging  idleness  by  indis- 
criminate giving  (2  Thess.  3 ;  lo).  Do  not  sound 
a  trumpet.  "  Not  that  they  had  trumpets,  but 
he  means  to  display  the  greatness  of  their  frenzy 
by  the  use  of  this  figure  of  speech,  deriding  and 
making  a  show  of  them  thereby." — {Chrijsostmn.) 
It  was  customary  to  call  the  people  together  by 
a  trumpet  to  see  a  great  spectacle  (Numb. io:3; 
2  Kings  9:13;  Ps.  81 :  s) ;  and  cvcn  up  to  as  late  a 
period  as  the  fifth  century,  when  bells  were  first 
introduced  in  the  churches,  the  people  were 
summoned  to  public  worship  by  the  blowing  of 
a  trumpet.  It  is  probable  the  reference  is  to  this 
custom.  It  is  possible  that  Mr.  Barnes'  conjec- 
ture may  be  correct,  and  that  the  Pharisees 
really  did  summon  the  beggars  by  the  use  of  a 
trumpet,  blown  ostensibly  to  call  them  together, 


Ch.  VI.] 


MATTHEW. 


3  But  when  thou  doest  alms,  let  not  thy  left  hand 
know  what  thy  right  hand  death. 

4  That  thine  alms  maybe  in  secret:  and  thy  Fa- 
ther, which  seeth  in  secret,  himself  shall  reward'  thee 
openly. 


5  And  when  thou  prayest,  thou  shalt  not  be  as  the 
hypocrites  are  :  for  they  love  to  pray  standing  in  the 
synagogues  arid  in  the  corners  of  the  streets,  that  they 
may  be  seen  of  men.  Verily  I  say  unto  you.  They 
have  their  reward.' 


r  Lnke  8  :  17  :  14  :  14 3  Prov.  16  :  5;  Jas.  4  :  6. 


really  to  make  public  proclamation  of  the  charity 
about  to  be  bestowed.  It  is  said  that  the  Mus- 
Bulmen  to  this  day  are  accustomed  to  call  the 
poor  together  by  a  trumpet  to  receive  gifts  of 
rice  and  other  kinds  of  food.  Hypocrites. 
Literally,  stage-player  or  actor ;  %.  e.,  one  who 
puts  on  his  religion  as  an  actor  puts  on  his  char- 
acter for  the  evening's  performance.  The  vir- 
tues which  he  assumes  as  Hamlet  and  the  vices 
which  he  represents  as  Macbeth  are  not  his  own. 
The  word  is  said  to  be  found  in  a  religious  sense 
only  in  the  N.  T.  Our  translation  and  our  habit- 
ual usage  of  the  word  hypocrite  deprives  the 
sentence  of  its  keen  but  delicate  satire.  They 
have.  Gr.  {dnt^w),  receive  in  full.  In  Phil.  4  :  IS, 
"I  have  all,"  the  verb  is  the  same.  Their  re- 
ward.    The  reward  they  seek. 

3.  Let  not  thy  left  hand  know.  Simply  a 
pithy  enforcement  of  the  doctrine.  Compare 
with  it  the  Eastern  proverb,  "If  thou  doest  any 
good,  cast  it  into  the  sea ;  if  the  fish  shall  not 
know  it,  the  Lord  knows  it ;"  or  the  rabbinical 
maxim,  "He  who  gives  in  secret  is  greater  than 
Moses  himself ;"  or  the  saying  of  Dryden,  "  The 
secret  pleasure  of  a  generous  act  is  the  great 
man's  great  bribe."  For  illustration  of  this  pre- 
cept, see  Ruth  3  : 1.5-17. 

4.  Openly.  Not  only  in  the  judgment  at  the 
last  day  (Matt.  25  -.  40;  Luke  12 ;  8),  but  also  in  the  be- 
Btowal  of  the  divine  favor,  in  the  recognition  of 
the  invisible  world  now  (Heb.  12  :i),  and  some- 
times in  providential  disclosures  in  this  life.  See 
for  example  the  case  of  Cornelius,  Acts  10  : 4, 
whose  secret  almsgiving  has  been  published  to 
the  whole  world.  Observe  that  Christ  does  not 
condemn  the  desire  for  the  approval  of  others  ; 
but  he  lifts  it  up  into  a  higher  sphere.  Strive, 
he  says,  not  for  the  approval  of  men,  whose 
standard  of  moral  judgment  is  low,  but  for  the 
approval  of  God  and  his  holy  angels.  "  It  were 
not  meet  for  him  who  desires  glory  to  let  go 
this  our  theatre,  and  take  in  exchange  that  of 
men.  For  who  is  there  so  wretched  as  that 
when  the  king  was  hastening  to  come  and  see 
his  achievements,  he  would  let  him  go,  and  make 
up  his  assembly  of  spectators  of  poor  men  and 
beggars  ?  " — {Chrysostom.) 

In  this  passage  Christ  does  not  forbid  public 
giving  which  he  elsewhere  commends  (Mark  12 :  44), 
which  the  apostles  by  their  example  approved 
and  by  their  words  commanded  in  connection 
with  the  services  of  the  early  church  (Acts  4 :  34, 35 ; 

n  :  30 ;    Romans  15  :  26,  27  ;   1  Cor.  16  :  1,  s),    but   giving  f  Or 


the  sake  of  publicity  to  be  seen  of  men.  It  is  the 
sjnrit  of  ostentation  which  our  Lord  here  con- 
demns, as  it  is  the  spirit  of  purity  and  love  which 
he  has  before  commended.  Neither  does  he 
directly  condemn  all  appeals  to  men  to  give  for 
the  sake  of  what  is  expected  of  them  by  us ;  and 
Paul  based  appeals  to  the  Corinthians  on  this 

ground    (2  Cor.  a  :  24  ;  and  see  that  chapter  throughout).      But 

all  exhibiting  charities,  whether  given  with  pub- 
lic announcement  in  great  congregations  or  with 
a  blazoning  forth  in  the  newspapers,  are,  when 
bestowed  thus  publicly  in  order  to  be  seen  and  ap- 
plauded of  m£n,  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  these 
precepts ;  of  such  givers  we  may  say,  as  our 
Lord  did,  They  receive  here  their  full  reward. 

5-15.  Second  example.    Prayer. 

The  significance  of  this  passage  is  interpreted 
by  an  acquaintance  with  the  prayer  customs  of 
the  East  formerly  in  existence  among  the  Jews 
and  still  among  the  Mohammedans.  The  former 
had  eighteen  stated  prayers  which  the  pious 
were  expected  to  repeat  every  day ;  a  summary 
of  these  was  composed  for  those  who  had  not 
the  time  or  the  memory  to  repeat  the  fuller 
forms.  Special  prayer  was  given  by  individual 
rabbis  to  their  disciples  for  special  occasions. 
Ejaculations,  prayers,  and  blessings  were  added, 
to  be  repeated  on  various  occasions.  Certain  set 
times  for  prayer  were  established,  which  the 
pious  observed,  leaving  their  work  and  repeating 
their  prayer  wherever  they  chanced  to  be.  Long 
pauses  were  added  before  and  after  these  prayers, 
so  that  it  was  not  unfrequent  to  see  a  Jewish 
Rabbi  in  a  praying  position  for  three  hours  to- 
gether. In  their  liturgies  they  repeated  over 
and  over  again  the  same  petition  in  slightly  dif- 
ferent phraseology  ;  and  it  was  a  proverb  with 
them,  "Every  one  that  multiplies  prayer  is 
heard."  The  same  practices  still  exist  among 
the  Mohammedans.  The  rules  for  daily  and  es- 
pecial prayer  are  prescribed  with  a  most  minute 
detail.  Five  daily  caponical  prayers  are  pre- 
scribed ;  they  must  be  uttered  at  the  appointed 
time,  wherever  the  Mussulman  may  chance  to 
be,  whether  in  the  mosque,  the  market-place,  or 
the  house  ;  each  prayer  must  be  repeated  a  pre- 
scribed number  of  times  and  in  a  prescribed  pos- 
ture ;  any  failure  in  the  slightest  particular  ruins 
the  whole,  and  the  prayer  must  be  repeated  again 
from  the  beginning.  Notwithstanding  Christ's 
precepts,  the  same  ritualism  was  introduced  into 
the  Christian  church.  In  the  fourth  century 
seven  times  of  devotion  were  required  to  be  ob- 


100 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  VI. 


6  But  thou,  when  thou  prayest,  enter  into  thy  closet, 
and,  when  thou  hast  shut  thy  door,  pray  to  thy  Father 
which  is  in  secret  ;  and  thy  Father,  which  seeth  in  se- 
cret,' shall  reward  thee  openly. 

7  But  when  ye  pray,  use  not  vain  repetitions,"  as 


the  heathen  do  :  for  they  think  that  they  shall  be  heard 
for"  their  much  speaking. 

8  Be  not  ye  therefore  like  unto  them  :  for  your  Fa- 
ther knowcth"  what  things  ye  have  need  of,  before 
ye  ask  him. 


t  P«.  34  :  15 ;  Isa.  65  :  24. , 


1  Kings  18  :  26,  etc w  Luke  12  :  30;  John  16  :  23-27. 


served  at  least  by  all  the  clergy  and  members  of 
religious  bodies  ;  prayers  were  appointed  to  be 
said  and  Psalms  to  be  repeated  for  each  hour ; 
and  to  such  an  extent  was  the  ritualism  carried, 
that  if  the  entire  service  were  observed,  it  would 
have  required  nearly  the  whole  twenty-four 
hours.  These  canonical  hours  of  prayer  are  still 
maintained  by  the  religious  devotees  of  the  Ro- 
man Catholic  church. 

5.  Standing.  This  was  not  in  itself  a  sign  of 
ostentation ;  it  was  a  common  attitude  of  prayer 

(I  Sam.  1  :  26 ;    1  Kings  8  ;  22).       It   iS    UOt    the    Standing, 

but  standing  in  public  places,  which  Christ  con- 
demns ;  and  this  not  as  an  act,  but  as  an  indica- 
tion of  an  ostentatious  spirit.  Synagogues. 
As  with  the  Roman  Catholic  the  cathedral,  and 
with  the  Moslem  the  mosque,  so  with  the  Jews 
the  synagogue  stood  open  for  purposes  of  prayer. 

6.  Closet.  Sometimes  in  the  women's  apart- 
ments, sometimes  over  the  porch  or  on  a  part  of 
the  roof,  is  a  room  in  most  Oriental  houses,  from 
which  all  are  excluded  except  the  women,  their 
domestics,  and  the  master  of  the  house.  This 
was,  perhaps,  the  inner  chamber  referred  to  in 
1  Kings  20  :  30  and  22  :  25,  and  the  closet  referred 
to  here  and  in  Matt.  24  :  26  ;  Luke  12  : 3. 

The  true  significance  of  these  verses  is  lost 
if  they  are  made  a  rule  for  the  regulation  of 
times  or  places  of  prayer.  The  whole  gist  of 
the  caution  is  in  the  words,  ^^that  they  may  be 
seen  of  men.'' ^  If  one  makes  an  ostentation  of 
his  secret  prayer,  he  violates  the  spirit  of  this 
law ;  if  he  prays  in  public  places,  but  in  secrecy 
of  heart  and  feeling,  he  obeys  its  spirit.  Cer- 
tainly Christ  does  not  condemn  public  prayer, 
nor  even  all  private  prayer  in  public  places ;  at 
least  his  own  disciples  did  not  so  understand 
him,  for  they  went  to  the  Temple  to  pray  (Acts 
3 :  i).  The  habit  of  employing  the  church  as  a 
place  of  private  prayer,  universal  in  the  Roman 
Catholic  church,  and  borrowed  by  that  church 
from  the  East,  probably,  grew  out  of  the  fact 
that  the  worshippers  had  not,  and  many  of 
them  still  have  not,  any  privacy  at  home.  To 
such  the  church  is  the  closet.  Compare  Luke 
18  :  10  for  an  instance  in  which  it  was  a  closet 
to  the  publican  and  a  public  place  to  the  Phar- 
isee. There  may  even  be  cases  in  which  it  be- 
comes a  duty  to  pray  publicly  to  be  seen  of 
men;  in  Daniel's  case  retirement  would  have 
been  cowardice  (nan.  6 :  lo).  On  the  other  hand, 
there  is  no  virtue  in  a  closet.  "Isaac's  closet 
was  a  field  (Qen.24:63);  David's  closet  was  his 


bed-chamber  (Ps.  4 : 4;  7? :  e) ;  our  Lord's  closet  was 
a  mountain  (Matt.  14:23);  Peter's  closet  was  a 
housetop"  (Acts  10: 9).  It  is  as  possible  to  be 
ostentatious  of  private  prayer  as  it  is  to  be 
humble  and  indifferent  to  men  in  prayer  in  pub- 
lic places.  The  commentators,  especially  the 
ancient  ones,  have  given  to  this  deduction  its 
true  significance.  "If  thou  shouldest  enter  into 
thy  closet,  and  having  shut  the  door,  shouldest 
do  it  for  display,  the  doors  will  do  thee  no 
good." — {Chrysosiom.)  "Enter  into  the  secret 
chamber  of  thine  own  mind,  wherever  thou  art, 
shut  the  door  thereof  against  the  world,  and 
commune  with  God." — {Ambrose.)  "We  may 
enter  the  chamber  of  our  hearts  even  in  a 
crowd." — (^Wordsworth.)  "  Every  man  can  buUd 
a  chapel  ia  his  heart." — {Jeremy  Taylor.)  Christ 
condemns  not  the  place,  the  attitude,  or  the 
act,  but  the  spirit  which  chooses  the  place,  de- 
termines the  attitude,  and  inspires  the  act. 

7,  8.  Use  not  vain  repetitions,  etc.  The 
meaning  of  this  prohibition  is  interpreted  to  us 
by  the  Eastern  custom  of  repetition  in  prayer, 
on  which   see   note  above.     Not  much  praying 

is  condemned  (see  Luke  11  :  5-8;  is  :  1-7;  21  :  36;  Rom.  12  :  12j 

Ephes.  6 :  18 ;  1  Thess.  5 :  17) ;  nor  cven  cvcry  kind  of 
repetition  (Matt.  26 :  41) ;  but  repeating  for  the  sake 
of  repetition,  of  which  the  devotions  of  the 
prophets  of  Baal  afford  an  illustration  (1  Kings 
18 :  26).  This  warning  does  not  aflect  the  use  of 
a  liturgy  in  public  prayers,  nor  even  in  private 
devotion,  but  the  repeating  of  prayers,  whether 
written  and  learned,  or  fallen  into  as  a  mere  routine^ 
without  real  consideration  of  its  meaning,  which 
latter  habits  many  parents,  with  the  best  inten- 
tions, unconsciously  form  in  their  children.  It 
condemns  all  mere  saying  of  prayers.  The  prac- 
tice in  the  Roman  Catholic  church  of  repeating 
pater  noslers,  i.  e.,  the  Lord's  prayer,  and  meas- 
urmg  the  merit  of  the  observance  by  the  num- 
ber of  times  the  prayer  is  repeated,  is  in  direct 
contravention  of  the  precept  here  given.  Thus 
the  very  prayer  which  our  Lord  gave,  not  as  a 
form,  but  as  a  prohibition  to  all  formalism  in 
prayer,  has  been  made  a  means  of  perpetuating 
the  very  evil  which  he  required  his  disciples  to 
shun,  a  striking  illustration  of  the  truth  of  the 
precept,  "the  letter  kUleth."  Contrast  with 
Christ's  prohibition  the  direction  of  Liguori,  a 
Roman  Catholic  writer  of  acknowledged  stand- 
ing in  that  church:  "We  must  always  act  like 
beggars  with  God,  always  saying.  Lord,  assist 
me ;  Lord,  assist  me  ;  keep  your  hand  upon  me ; 


Ch.  VI.] 


MATTHEW. 


101 


9  After  this  manner  therefore  pray  ye :   Our»  Fa- 
thery  which  art  in»  heaven,  Hallowed  be*  thy  name. 


lo  Thy  kingdom''  come.    Thy  will  be  done  in  earth,' 
as  it  is  in  heaven. 


Luke  n  :  2,  etc y  Rom.  8  :  15. . .  .i  Ps.  115:3 a  Ps.  111:9;  139  :  20. . 


ch.  16  :  28 ;  Rev.  11  :  16 c  Pb.  103  :  20,  21. 


give  me  perseverance;  give  me  your  love." 
Your  Father  knoweth  what  things  ye 
have  need   of  before   ye  ask  him.     And 

better  than  we  know,  and  answers  more  fully 
than  we  ask  or  even  think  (Ephes.  3: 20),  and 
teaches  us  both  how  to  pray  and  what  to  pray 
for  (Rom.  8 :  26).  Why  then  pray  ?  Because  God 
wUls  it  (Ezek.  36 : 3?) ;  it  f  orms  in  us  the  wish, 
though  it  does  not  inform  Him  of  the  need ;  it 
prepares  us  to  receive  what  he  is  willing  to 
grant ;  it  strengthens  us,  because  it  brings  us 
into  communion  with  Him  who  is  our  strength ; 
it  is  due  to  Him  as  well  as  needed  by  ourselves. 
"  Not  to  inform  Him,  but  to  exercise  ourselves 
in  communion  with  Him." — {Ghrysostmn.)  "It 
is  one  thing  to  inform  the  ignorant  and  another 
thing  to  beseech  the  omniscient."  —  (Jerome.) 
Nor  is  this  all.  Though  he  knows  what  things 
we  have  need  of,  he  has  made  our  preferring 
of  requests  the  condition  of  his  promise  to  sup- 
ply our  need  (Ezek.  36  :  37  ;  Matt.  18:19;  21  :  22 ;  Luke 
11:13;  John  14  :  13,  14 ;  Heb.  4  :  16,  etc.)  ;  and  he  VOUChsatCS 

blessings  in  answer  to  persistent  prayer  which 
are  not  given  to  the  prayerless,  nor  even  to  the 
lukewarm  petitioner  (Matt,  n :  21 ;  Luke  is  s  i-s).  If  we 
ask  why,  the  sufficient  answer  is,  Even  so, 
Father,  for  so  it  seemed  good  in  thy  sight. 
But  the  recognition  of  this  truth  that  our 
Father  knoweth  what  things  we  have  need  of, 
and  not  merely  what  things  we  desire,  should 
always  underlie  our  praying :  it  it  does,  it  will 
make  "Thy  will,  not  mine,  be  done,"  to  be  the 
accompaniment  of  every  prayer. 

9-13.  The  Lord's  Pr.4.ter.  This  prayer 
is  given  in  a  slightly  different  form  by  Luke 
11  : 1-4,  who  says  that  Christ  gave  it  to  his  dis- 
ciples in  answer  to  their  request,  "Teach  us 
to  pray."  The  improbability  that  Christ  should 
have  twice  taught  the  same  form  of  prayer  to 
his  disciples,  or  that  they,  having  once  received 
from  him  a  form  of  prayer,  should  have  re- 
quested one  again,  has  led  some  to  the  opinion 
that  the  prayer  was  really  given  at  that  time, 
but  was  inserted  by  Matthew  here  because 
cognate  to  the  subject  of  the  sermon.  But  this 
opinion  is,  at  best,  only  a  surmise.,  and  the  ques- 
tion is  not  very  important.  We  have  the  prayer  ; 
when  it  was  given,  and  whether  once  or  twice, 
is  a  matter  of  secondary  moment.  The  opinion 
that  it  is  composed  largely  of  forms  then  al- 
ready existing  in  Jewish  formulae  is  said  by  Al- 
ford  to  rest  on  "very  slender  proof."  That 
there  are  parallels  to  some  petitions  in  the  rab- 
binical writings  is  certain ;  but  it  is  also  certain 
that  no  one  can  be  sure  how  much  of  the  seem- 


ingly Christian  precepts  of  the  Talmud,  no  part 
of  which  was  reduced  to  writing  until  the  2d 
century  after  Christ,  was  in  fact  taken  from 
the  instructions  of  Christ.  The  literature  upon 
this  prayer  would  of  itself  make  a  library.  For 
eighteen  centuries  the  Christian  church  has  been 
studying  it.  To  attempt  to  condense  into  a  few 
paragraphs  the  fruits  of  this  study  would  be 
idle  ;  the  result  would  be  unsatisfactory.  I  shall 
simply  attempt  to  give  the  meaning  of  the  pe- 
titions of  which  the  prayer  is  composed,  leav- 
ing tae  reader  to  deduce  his  own  spiritual  con- 
clusions, or  to  look  for  them  in  some  of  the 
sermons  and  homilies  that  have  been  written  on 
this  prayer  of  prayers. 

9.  After  tliis  manner.  Does  Christ  pre- 
scribe this  as  a  set  form  of  prayer  for  public  or 
private  use,  or  both,  to  take  the  place  of  the 
forms  of  prayer  in  vogue  then  among  the  Jews, 
and  now  among  the  Mohammedans,  or  does  he 
merely  indicate  the  spirit  and  manner  in  which 
we  should  approach  God  ?  In  favor  of  the  first 
opinion  are — first.  The  language  of  this  verse, 
which  ia  literally  Thus  therefore  pray  ye,  and  that 
of  Luke,  which  is  yet  more  definite,  '■'■When  ye 
pray  say;''''  second,  The  fact  that  the  early 
fathers  all  treated  it  as  not  only  a  pattern  or 
model  of  prayer,  but  also  as  a  form  to  be  used  in 
the  words  in  which  Christ  prescribed  it ;  their 
opinions  are  collated  in  Bingham's  Antiquities, 
book  13,  chap.  7.  In  favor  of  the  latter  opinion 
are — first.  That  it  is  reported  in  different  forms 
by  Matthew  and  Luke,  and  if  the  Holy  Spirit  had 
intended  to  give  a  form,  that  form  would  have 
been  preserved  unimpaired  by  the  Evangelists 
m  both  reports ;  second,  That  there  is  no  indi- 
cation that  it  was  ever  used  as  a  form  by  Christ 
himself,  or  by  his  Apostles  subsequent  to  his 
ascension ;  it  first  appears  as  part  of  a  ritual  in 

the    third    century,    (see  Tholuck  on  the    Lord's    Prayer)  ; 

third,  Christ  here  offers  this  prayer  in  illus- 
tration and  enforcement  of  the  doctrine  that 
our  prayers  are  not  to  be  vain  repetitions  ;  and 
the  doctrine  that  he  substituted  one  form  for  an- 
other, and  made  its  use  obligatory  on  hisfollowerSy 
violates  the  spirit  of  his  teaching  here  and  else- 
where, which  is,  not  indeed  against  all  religious 
forms,  but  strongly  against  all  formalism  in  re- 
hgion  (compare  John  4 :  23, 24).  I  need  uot  Say  that 
I  hold  to  the  latter  view  ;  though  in  that 
view  there  is  nothing  opposed  to  the  practice 
of  employing  the  Lord's  Prayer  in  formal  ser- 
vice either  in  the  family,  the  Sabbath  school,  or 
the  church,  provided  it  is  not  imposed  on  the  wor- 
shipper as  a  laWf  but  is  simply  employed  as  a  ve- 


103 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  VI 


hide  for  tlie  expression  of  his  real  desires. 

Onr  Father.  Observe  the  signiflcance  of 
the  word  our.  "  How  can  we  look  round  upon 
the  people  whom  we  habitually  feel  to  be  sepa- 
rated from  us,  those  of  an  opposite  faction,  or 
whom  we  have  reason  to  despise,  or  who  have 
made  themselves  vile  and  are  helping  to  make 
others  vile,  and  then  teach  ourselves  to  think 
that  in  the  very  highest  exercise  of  our  lives  they 
are  associated  with  us,  that  when  we  pray  we  are 
praying  for  them  and  with  them,  that  ii  we  do 
not  carry  their  sins  to  the  throne  of  God's  grace 
we  cannot  cany  our  own?" — {Condensed  from 
Maurice  on  the  Lord's  Prayer.)  So  Chrysostom, 
referring    to    the    use    of    the    plural    number 

throughout      (see  verses  11,   12  and   is),      deduCCS     the 

doctrine  that,  whether  we  pray  alone  or  in  com- 
mon with  others,  we  are  always  to  pray  for  our 
brethren.  To  the  same  effect  Augustine  :  "  The 
Prayer  is  fraternal ;  he  does  not  say  'My  Father,' 
but  'Our  Father.'"  The  Fatherhood  of  God 
does  not  here  appear  for  the  first  time.  Some 
traces  of  it  are  to  be  found  in  the  O.  T.  (isa.  i :  2 ; 
63 :  16 ;  Mai.  1 ;  6).  Thc  similc  was  uot  unkuown  in 
heathen  religions.  Among  the  North  American 
Indians  the  Great  Spirit  was  sometimes  known 
as  the  "Father  and  Mother  of  Life."  In  the 
hymns  of  the  Vedas,  of  the  Hindoos,  he  is  ad- 
dressed sometimes  as  "Father."  In  the  Zend- 
Avesta,  the  Persian  sacred  writings,  is  an  appeal 
to  him  "  who  was  from  the  beginning  the  Father 
of  the  pure  creatures."  In  Plato's  Timaeus  is  a 
reference  to  "the  supreme  God,  Father  and 
Maker  of  all  things."  And  Plutarch  both  em- 
bodies and  interprets  the  symbol  in  the  declara- 
tion, "Since,  therefore,  the  world  is  neither  like 
a  piece  of  potter's  work  nor  joiner's  work,  but 
there  is  a  great  share  of  life  and  divinity  in  it, 
which  God  himself  communicated  to  and  mixed 
with  matter,  God  may  properly  be  called  Father 
of  the  world."  But  in  all  heathen  use  of  this 
symbol,  so  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  discover, 
the  idea  involved  is  not  parental  love,  or  paren- 
tal care,  but  simply  production  and  begetting, 
God  is  represented  as  the  Father,  not  particu- 
larly of  humanity  but  of  all  life,  because  all 
comes  forth  from  him.  The  same  belief  under- 
laid even  the  worship  of  Baal  and  Ashtoreth,  who 
personified  the  producing  powers  of  nature,  one 
in  the  person  of  a  male,  the  other  in  the  person 
of  a  female.  But  nowhere  in  literature,  outside 
of  the  Bible,  and  that  which  has  been  inspired  by 
the  Bible,  is  to  be  found  a  recognition  of  the 
truth  that  the  relation  of  a  father  to  his  child, 
and  the  government  of  a  father  over  his  child, 
that  is,  the  government  of  a  personal,  providing, 
sympathizing  love,  is  the  best  symbol  for  the  in- 
terpretation of  the  relations  between  God  and 
man.  Even  the  early  fathers  would  not  allow 
any  but  communicants  to  use  this  passage,  be- 


cause "no  one  that  was  not  baptized  could  pre- 
sume to  say  'Our  Father  which  art  in  heaven.'  " 
— {Theodoret,  quoted  in  Bingham's  Antiquities, 
10  :  5.)  And  some  relic  of  this  idea  lingers  in 
modern  theology.  Yet  that  there  is  a  peculiar 
sense  in  which  those  are  the  children  of  God  who 
have  been  adopted  into  the  household  of  faith 
through  Jesus  Christ,  is  implied  in  such  passages 
as  Rom.  8  :  14 ;  Gal.  o  :  2(j ;  1  John  3  : 1.  For 
practical  deductions  from  this  truth  see  Gal.  4:6; 
Ephes.  5  : 1 ;  3  Pet.  1  :  4  ;  1  John  3  :  10  ;  5:1. 
Which  art  in  heaven.  The  abode  of 
the  blessed,  which  is  generally  represented  in 
the  Bible  as  in  the  heavens.  The  Bible,  while  it 
recognizes  and  teaches  the  omnipresence  of  God, 
teaches  also,  and  nowhere  more  clearly  than 
here,  his  proper  personality.  We  are  not,  how- 
ever, to  conclude  from  this  or  other  parallel  pas- 
sages   (e.  g.,  Ps.  115  :  3  ;  Isa.  57  :  16  ;  66  :  l)    that   God   haS, 

in  any  proper  sense  of  the  term,  a  local  habita- 
tion ;  on  the  contrary,  while  it  sometimes  pic- 
tures him  to  our  thought  as  in  the  heavens,  in 
order  to  give  definiteness  to  our  conception,  it 
also  declares  that  he  dwells  in  the  hearts  of  the 

contrite  and  humble  (isa.  5?  :  is ;  compare  John  U  :  20,  23), 

and  that  no  place  is  mthout  his  presence  (Psaim 
139 : 7-10).  Contrast  with  the  spirit  of  this  opening 
address  of  our  Lord's  Prayer  the  modern  phil- 
osophy which  declares  that  "God  is  the  highest 
dream  of  which  the  human  soul  is  capable,"  of 
that  he  is  "  an  Inscrutable  Power,"  whose  "na- 
ture transcends  intuition  and  is  beyond  imagina- 
tion," and  whose  mode  of  being  may  "  transcend 
Intelligence  and  Will."  Let  any  one  who  wishes 
to  contrast  modern  philosophy  and  the  religion  of 
Jesus  essay  a  prayer  to  ' '  The  Inscrutable  Power, ' ' 
or  "The  Infinite,"  or  "  The  Ultimate  Cause,"  or 
the  "  Unconditional, "  the  common  appellations 
which  rationalism  employs. 

Hallowed  be  thy  name.  At  first  it 
might  seem  this  should  be  a  commandment  ad- 
dressed to  us  rather  than  a  prayer  addressed  by 
us.  In  truth,  however,  the  whole  prayer  is  an 
amplification  of  this.  God's  name  is  hallowed, 
honored,  lifted  up  for  worship  and  adoration, 
just  in  the  measure  in  which  his  kingdom  comes, 
his  will  is  done,  his  providential  care  and  his  for- 
giving kindness  is  manifested  among  men.  The 
highest  appeal  we  can  make  to  him  is  for  his 
own  name's  sake,  for  his  great  mercy's  sake, 
or  for  Jesus'  sake,  which  is,  in  fact,  the  same 

thing    (Psalm  6:4;    25  :  11 ;    31  :  3,  16 ;    44  :  26).         To    SUp- 

pose  that  we  are  required  to  begin  every  prayer 
with  an  ascription  of  praise  to  God  is  entirely  to 
miss  the  meaning.  But  underlying  every  true 
prayer  is  the  deep  wish,  born  of  a  supreme  and 
filial  love  for  God,  that  in  all  that  he  does  for  us, 
and  enables  us  to  do,  his  name  may  be  hallowed. 
We  come  into  the  true  spirit  of  prayer  only  as, 
in  all  our  praying,  his  name  is  in  our  thought 


Ch.  VI.] 


MATTHEW. 


103 


11  Give  us  this  day  our<*  daily  bread  : 

12  And  forgive  us  our  debts,"  as  we  forgive  our 
debtors. 


13  And  lead  us  not  into^  temptation,  but  deliver  us^ 
from  evil :  For  thine*"  is  the  kingdom,  and  the  power, 
and  the  glory,  forever.    Amen. 


d  Prov.  30  :  8 ;  Isa.  33  :  16. . .  .e  ch.  18  :  21-35  j  Lake  7  :  40-48 f  ch.  26  :  41 ;  Luke  22  :  40, 46. . .  .g  John  17  :  15 h  Rev.  5  :  12, 13. 


above  every  name,  and  we  have  the  desire  to  see 
it  everywhere  so  recognized. 

10.  Thy  kingdom  come,  (see  on  Matt.  3 : 2.) 
Here  the  kingdom  of  God  means  all  that  the 
words  in  all  their  applications  involve  ;  the  per- 
fect obedience  and  allegiance  of  all  created 
beings  to  the  wiU  and  word  of  God.  Thy  will 
be  done — respecting  us,  in  God's  providential 
dealings  (Luke  22 :  42 ;  Acts  21 :  14);  by  US,  in  our  daily 
life  (John  6 :  38 ;  17 :  18 ;  Ephes.  6:6.);  in  US,  by  the  Con- 
formity of  our  character  to  the   divine  image 

(John  17:  23;  Rom.  12:2;  Col.  4:12;  1  Theas.  4  :  s).  Ob- 
serve that  this  is  much  more  than  a  mere  sub- 
mission to  the  will  of  God.  It  is  not  "Give  us 
such  and  such  things,  nevertheless  thy  will  be 
done."  This  petition  stands  first  in  the  prayer 
as  it  should  stand  first  in  our  hearts ;  the  ex- 
pression of  the  pre-eminent  desire  of  our  souls 
that  God's' \vill,  not  our  own,  may  be  accom- 
plished, and  that  ours  may  be  made  subject  to  it. 
In  heaven.  Not  among  the  heavenly  bodies, 
though  the  perfect  conformity  of  the  stars  to  the 
divine  law  may  serve  as  an  illustration  of  that 
perfect  obedience  for  which  we  are  to  look  and 
pray,  but  in  the  spiritual  heavens.  "Not  by 
blind  agents,  but  by  intelUgent,  spiritual  crea- 
tures; by  wills  which  might  have  fallen  but 
which  stood  in  holy,  cheerful  obedience." — 
(Maurice. ) 

11.  Our  daily  bread.  There  is  some  diffi- 
culty in  translating  the  Greek  word  rendered  in 
our  version  daily.  The  better  opinion  appears  to 
be  that  it  signifies  not  daily  but  necessary  for  our 
sustenance.  It  is,  then,  a  prayer  simply  for  suffi- 
cient bread  to  satisfy  our  real  wants,  and  receives 
an  interpretation  from  Paul's  exhortation,  "hav- 
ing food  and  raiment,  let  us  be  therewith  con- 
tent" (1  Tim.  6:8).  The  word  translated  bread 
(aoroc)  is  said  to  stand  generally  for  food,  and 
by  Mr.  Barnes  to  denote  everything  necessary  to 
sustain  life.  Yet  literally  it  signifies  only  bread, 
and  the  fact  that  this  word  is  used,  and  not  one 
of  the  more  general  ones  ((^^loj^ta  or  rQO(pij) 
translated  respectively  meat  and  food,  is  an  indi- 
cation of  the  simplicity  which  should  characterize 
our  earthly  desires,  and  our  petitions  for  their 
satisfaction.  The  ancient  commentators  con- 
sidered that  the  term  bread,  as  here  used,  signi- 
fies food  for  the  soul  as  well  as  food  for  the 
body,  and  some  of  them  even  referred  it  directly 
to  the  body  of  Christ,  and  from  it  framed  an  ar- 
gument for  the  daily  celebration  of  the  Lord's 
Supper.  But  the  word  bread  (uqtov)  is  never 
used  in  the  N.  T.  to  signify  anything  but  mate- 


rial food,  except  in  cases  where  the  context 
clearly  indicates  a  purely  metaphorical  use,  as  in 
John,  ch.  6,  where  Christ  employs  it  emblemati- 
cally, but  distinguishes  spiritual  from  material 
food  by  such  phrases  as  "bread  from  heaven," 
or  " true  bread,"  or  "bread  of  life."  We  are  to 
take  the  words  of  Scripture  in  the  sense  in  which 
the  speaker  or  writer  would  have  expected  his 
audience  or  readers  to  have  taken  them,  except 
where  he  himself  gives  a  different  interpretation, 
or  peculiar  circumstances  compel  the  beUef  that 
he  was  willing  to  be  misunderstood  for  the  time  ; 
and  it  is  very  clear  from  John  6  :  34  (compare  John 

4  :  15,  and  Mark  8  :  15,  16),    that    the    dlSCipleS    WOUld 

not  have  understood  this  passage  in  a  spiritual 
sense.  This  petition  is  not,  then,  a  prayer  for  a 
supply  of  all  our  wants ;  so  to  interpret  it  is  to 
lose  its  significance.  It  is  our  warrant  for  carry- 
ing to  God  our  physical  wants.  The  lowest  and 
most  animal  of  them  all,  hunger,  is  taken  be- 
cause that  includes  by  necessary  implication  all 
the  rest ;  and  the  limits  on  our  right  of  petition, 
so  to  speak,  are  given  in  the  fact  that  we  are 
taught  to  pray  for  just  so  much  bread  as  is  neces- 
sary day  by  day  for  our  sustenance,  leaving  all 
the  future  in  God's  hands.  He  who  can  be  con- 
tent with  to-day's  loaf,  and  trust  the  morrow 
wholly  to  God,  has  learned  the  spirit  of  this 
prayer  as  interpreted  by  verses  25-34  below. 

12.  And  forgive  us.  The  Greek  word 
translated  forgive  is  the  same  translated  left  in 
Matt.  4  :  20,  22 ;  se?it  aioay  in  ch.  13  :  36 ;  Mark 
4  :  36 ;  put  away  in  1  Cor.  7  :  11,  12.  I  refer  to 
these  passages  to  give  the  English  reader  an  idea 
of  the  primary  meaning  of  the  word,  which  is  to 
send  away,  dismiss,  set  free.  The  Bible  idea  of 
forgiveness  is  not  merely  a  remission  of  penalty 
or  an  absence  of  vengeance,  but  an  absolute  put- 
ting away  of  the  sins,  so  that  he  who  is  wronged 
remembers  them  no  more  against  the  wrong- 
doer, and  he  who  has  done  the  wrong  carries 
them  no  more  in  his  memory  as  a  burden.  It  is 
interpreted  by  such  passages  as  Isa.  1  :  18  ;  43  : 
25 ;  Micah  7  :  19 ;  John  1  :  29 ;  and  by  the  annual 
ceremony  among  the  ancient  Jews  of  binding  the 
sins  of  the  nation  upon  the  scape-goat,  and  send- 
ing them  away  into  the  wilderness  (Lev.  le :  21, 22). 
But  these  symbols  are  not  satisfied  by  a  mere 
literal  forgetting  of  the  transgression;  on  the 
contrary,  it  is  clear  from  Matt.  5  :  44  that  we  are 
often  to  remember  the  wrong  we  have  suffered 
that  we  may  repay  it  by  love,  and  from  Paul's 
experience  (i  Tim.  1  :  12-17),  the  wrong  we  have 
done  that  we  may  augment  our  love  to  Him  who 


104 


has  forgiven  us.  As.  Not  merely  inasmuch  as, 
or  because,  but  literally  as,  i.  e.,  in  the  manner  in 
which  we  forgive.  As  elsewhere  the  Bible  makes 
the  divine  forgiveness  a  type  and  model  for  us 
in  the  forgiveness  of  personal  wrong,  so  here  we 
are  required  to  make  our  forgiveness  interpret 
to  God  the  forgiveness  which  we  ask  from  him 

(compare  Ephes.  4  :  32  ;  Col.  3  :  13).        If    any    Christian    is 

perplexed  by  the  question — How  does  Christ's 
law  of  forgiveness  require  that  I  should  feel 
toward  him  Mho  has  wronged  me  ?  he  may  an- 
swer it  by  another  question — How  do  I  wish 
Christ  to  feel  toward  me?  Debts — debtors. 
Sins  are  compared  to  debts  because  they  repre- 
sent all  that  duty  and  love  which  we  owe  to  him 
but  have  never  by  our  past  lives  paid,  aU  that  in 
which  we  have  come  short  of  the  glory  of  God. 
Not  merely  our  positive  sins  need  forgiveness, 
but  our  failures  as  children  and  servants  of  God 
to  fulfiU  the  mission  in  life  he  lays  upon  us.  So 
the  phrase  "our  debtors"  includes  not  only 
those  who  owe  us  confession  and  reparation  for 
positive  wrong-doing,  but  also  all  those  who  are 
in  a  more  Kteral  sense  our  debtors,  all  who  in  the 
common  walks  of  life  have  come  short  of  their 
duty  to  us.  As  we  treat,  not  merely  our  ene- 
mies, but  our  children,  our  servants,  our  em- 
ployees, all  who  are  under  obligations  of  service 
to  us,  so  we  may  expect  God  to  treat  us  ;  as  we 
are  willing  he  should  exact  of  us,  we  may  exact 
of  them.  Observe,  the  prayer  assumes  that  we 
have  forgiven  and  do  habitually  forgive  or  re- 
lease. If  we  understand  this  as  a  mere  rule  of 
prayer  we  miss  its  meaning ;  the  whole  relates 
to  the  spirit  rather  than  to  the  form  of  prayer, 
and  this  petition  is  interpreted  by  ch.  5  :  23,  24. 

13.  Lead  us  not  into  temptation.  More 
strictly  and  properly,  trial;  i.  e.,  experiences 
that  try  the  character.  The  term  is  general, 
but  it  includes  those  experiences  that  in- 
volve temptation  to  sin.  Though  God  never 
tempts  any  man,  that  is,  never  solicits  him  to 
evil  (James  1 :  is),  yct  hc  orders  our  life  and  de- 
cides vrhat  shall  be   the  measure  of  its  trials 

and  temptations   (l   Cor.  lO  :  13;    compare  Job  1  :  12;  2  :  6). 

Directly  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  this  prayer  is 
the  temper  which  courts  trial  for  the  sake  of 
displaying  to  others  or  to  one's  self  the  strength 
of  resistance  ;  the  temper  which  twice  led  Peter 
into  presumption  and  consequent  danger  (jiatt. 
14 :  28-30 ;  26 :  69-75).  In  entire  accordance  with  it  is 
the  spirit  which,  when  God's  providence  does 
bring  us  into  temptation,  boldly  faces  it,  and, 
by  faith  in  him,  vanquishes  it,  and  even  rejoices 

in  the    conflict    and    the   VictOiy   (compare  James  i :  2 ; 

4 : 7).  Observe  the  spirit  with  which  Christ  met 
the  tempter  in  the  wUderness,  and  observe  that 
it  is  after  that  experience  of  temptation  that  he 
instructs  his  disciples  to  include  this  petition 
in  their  prayer.     To  lead  into  temptation  is  not 


MATTHEW.  [Ch.  VI. 

equivalent  to  bringing  under  the  power  of  temp- 
tation ;  God  never  does  that.  Deliver  us  from 
the  evil  one.  Not  merely  evil,  either  in  the 
moral  or  the  physical  sense ;  but  the  devil,  the 
author  of  all  temptation.  Compare  with  this 
petition  Christ's  prayer  for  us  (joLn  n :  is).  For 
thine  is  the  kingdom,  etc.  There  is  consid- 
erable doubt  whether  this  doxology  was  not 
added  subsequently,  when  the  prayer  came  into 
use  as  a  liturgy.  This  appears  to  be  the  opinion 
of  the  best  scholars,  among  whom  may  be  men- 
tioned Tischeudorf,  Wordsworth,  Alford,  Bloom- 
field,  Lange.  On  the  other  hand,  Chrysostom 
comments  on  it  without  any  apparent  doubt  of 
its  authenticity.  For  a  statement  of  the  argu- 
ments for  and  against  it,  see  note  by  Dr.  Schaff 
in  Lange  on  Matthew,  Addenda,  567.  It  grounds 
the  entire  petition  on  the  royalty  of  God,  being 
an  appeal  of  a  subject  to  his  Lord  and  King; 
on  the  power  of  God,  being  an  appeal  of  weak- 
ness to  One  mighty  and  able  to  help  (compare  8:2); 
and  on  the  honor  and  good  name  of  God  (compare 
Exod.  32 :  11, 12),  our  victory  over  the  evil  one  be- 
ing not  to  our  glory,  but  to  God's  (compare  5:16; 
1  Pet.  2  :  12;  Ephes.  2  :  8-I0). 

The  commentators  have  undertaken  to  ana- 
lyze the  Lord's  Prayer,  to  divide  it  into  sec- 
tions, to  trace  in  it  a  parallel  to  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments on  the  one  hand,  and  to  the  beatitudes 
on  the  other,  and  even  to  find  in  its  arrangement 
an  evidence  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  all 
of  which  the  reader  wUl  find  at  some  length  in 
Lange's  Commentary.  To  me  this  all  seems 
quite  foreign  to  a  prayer  whose  beauty  is  its 
perfect  simplicity.  The  best  analysis  is  the 
quaint  one  which  Matthew  Henry  affords  : 
"This  prayer,  as  indeed  every  prayer,  is  a  let- 
ter from  earth  to  heaven.  Here  is  the  inscrip- 
tion. Our  Father ;  the  place,  in  heaven ;  the  con- 
tents, in  the  several  errands ;  the  close,  for  thine 
is  the  kingdom ;  the  seal.  Amen  ;  and,  if  you  will, 
the  date  too,  this  day.''''  More  important  to  study 
than  any  analysis  of  this  prayer  is  the  spirit 
which  breathes  through  it  all,  and  which  it  is 
its  chief  object  to  inculcate.  It  approaches  God 
not  with  fear  and  awe,  but  with  childlike  confi- 
dence ;  it  finds  him  not  hard  to  be  entreated ; 
its  petitions  are  framed  in  the  simplest  possible 
forms ;  it  is  humble,  without  being  groveling ; 
submissive,  without  being  abject ;  earnest,  with- 
out being  clamorous.  We  have  in  Christ's  his- 
tory two  records  of  prayer  offered  by  him  (Matt. 
26 :  39, 42, 44  and  John,  ch.  n).  The  Same  Spirit  brcathes 
in  his  example  as  in  his  precept.  The  true  sig- 
nificance of  both  is  interpreted  by  the  contrast 
which  is  aflorded  in  the  prayers  of  the  prophets 
of  Baal  (I  Kings  18 :  26).  Alas  !  that  so  much  of 
public  prayer  should  conform  more  to  the  ex- 
ample of  the  heathen  prophets  than  to  that  of 
Jesus  of  Nazareth, 


Ch.  VI.] 


MATTHEW. 


105 


14  For  if  ye  forgive  men  their  trespasses,  your 
heavenly  Father  will  also  forgive  you. 

15  But  if  ye  forgive  not  men  their  trespasses,  neither 
will  your  Father  torgive  your  trespasses.' 

16  Moreover,  when  j'e  fast,  be  not,  as  the  hypocrites, 
of  a  sad  countenance :  for  they  disfigure  their  faces, 
that  they  may  appear  unto  menJ  to  fast.  Verily  I  say 
unto  you.  They  have  their  reward. 

17  But  thou,  when  thou  fastest,  anoint  thine  head, 
and  wash  thy  face  ; 

18  That  thou  appear  not  unto  men  to  fast,  but  unto 
thy  Father  which  is  in  secret :  and  thy  Father,  which 
seeth  in  secret,  shall  reward  thee  openly. 

19  Lay  not  up  for  yourselves  treasures  upon''  earth, 


where  moth  and  rust  doth  corrupt,  and  where  thieves 
break  through  and  steal :  , 

20  But  lay  up  for  yourselves  treasures  in'  heaven, 
where  neither  moth  nor  rust  doth  corrupt,  and  where 
thieves  do  not  break  through  nor  steal : 

21  For  where  your  treasure  is,  there  will  your  heart 
be  also. 

22  The  light  of  the  body  is  the  eye  :">  if  therefore 
thine  eye  be  single,  thy  whole  body  shall  be  full  of 
light : 

23  But  if  thine  eye  be  evil,  thy  whole  body  shall  be 
full  of  darkness.  If  therefore  the  light  that  is  in  thee 
be  darkness,  how  great  ts  that  darkness  ! 

24  No  man  can  serve  two  masters :"   for  either  he 


Eph.  4  :  31 ;  Jas.  2  :  13. 


.  .j  Isa.  68  : 3,  6. . .  .k  Proy.  23  :  4 ;  Luke  18  :  24,  25  :  Heb.  13  :  6. 
m  Luke  11  :  34,  36. . .  .n  Luke  16  :  13. 


Isa.  33  :  6 ;  Luke  12  :  33,  34  ;  1  Tim.  6  :  19. 


14,15.  Compare  18  :  23-35,  and  5  : 7,  and  ref- 
erences there.  "  He  that  cannot  forgive  others 
breaks  the  bridge  over  which  he  must  pass  him- 
self ;  for  every  man  has  need  to  be  forgiven." — 
{Lord  Herbert.) 

16-18.  Third  EXAMPLE.  Fasting.  For  a  gen- 
eral discussion  of  the  question  whether  fasting 
is  appropriate  under  the  Christian  dispensation, 
and  for  some  information  respecting  Jewish 
fasts,  see  Matt.  9  :  14,  15,  and  notes. 

IG.  Disfigure  their  faces.  By  leaving  them 
unwashed  and  by  covering  them  with  ashes  (Es- 
ther 4:3;   Job  2  :  S  ;  Lam.  3  :  16  ;  Dan.  9:3;  Jonah  3  :  6).      TlliS 

use  of  ashes,  which,  with  sackcloth,  had  been 
at  first  a  symbol  of  mourning,  and  was  its  nat- 
ural expression  in  an  age  and  among  a  people 
who  gave  expression  to  feeling  by  symbolic  acts 
rather  than  by  words,  had  been  perverted  by 
the  Pharisees,  and  they  employed  the  symbols 
of  mourning  without  the  real  sorrow  which 
alone  gave  the  symbol  significance.  They  for- 
bade all  washing  or  anointing  of  the  body  dur- 
ing fasting;  and  it  was  a  rabbinical  proverb, 
"Whoever  makes  his  face  black  in  this  world, 
God  shall  make  his  face  to  shine  in  the  world 
to  come."  The  spirit  of  Christ's  precept  forbids 
not  merely  disfiguring  of  the  person,  but  all 
simulating  of  feeling  of  sorrow,  and  impliedly 
of  any  feeling,  for  the  purpose  of  appearing  unto 
men  to  possess  it.  Compare,  on  the  spirit  of  true 
fasting,  Isaiah  .58  :  3-7. 

10-34.  Further  contrast  of  Pharisaism 
AND  THE  Christian  religion. 

From  a  rebuke  of  the  ostentation  of  Pharisa- 
ism Christ  passes  to  a  rebuke  of  its  spirit  of 
greed.    The  two  vices  generally  accompany  each 

other   (Matt.  23  :  14;  compare  Luke  16  :  14).      Through  thiS 

discourse  Christ  does  not  merely  nor  chiefly  re- 
buke the  wrong,  but  points  out  a  more  excellent 
way ;  so  here,  from  a  mere  condemnation  of 
greed  (19-23),  he  proceeds  to  set  forth  the  piin- 
ciple  upon  which  and  the  spirit  in  which  his  dis- 
ciples are  to  solve  the  problem  presented  by  the 
twofold  demands  which  this  life  makes  on  the 
body  and  the  higher  life  makes  on  the  soul 
(24:-3i).     For  a  paraphrase  of  the  passage  and  a 


consideration  of  its  general  significance,  see  note 
below. 

19.  Treasure  not  for  yourselves  treas- 
ures. AU  laying  in  store  is  not  forbidden  ;  but 
hoarding ;  i.  e.,  the  accumulation  of  wealth  as 
our  treasure  in  which  our  heart  is.  Compare,  for 
an  illustration  of  the  spirit  forbidden,  Luke 
12  :  16-21.  Where  moth  and  rust.  The  first 
reason  for  not  laying  up  our  treasures  upon  earth. 
All  such  treasures  are  transient ;  they  are  Uahle 
to  be  taken  from  us,  and  we  are  certain  to  be 

taken    from  them  (Prov.  23  :  5;  1  Tim.  6  :  7,  8;  compare  also 

Eccies.  5 :  10 ;  6 : 2).  One  of  the  most  common  forms 
of  riches  in  the  East  was  garments,  which  were 

liable  to    moth    (josh.  ?  :  21  ;  2  Kings  5  :  22 ;    compare  James 

6 : 2, 3).  Rust.  The  Greek  word  would  be  more 
literally  rendered  "ea^wigf,"  and  it  is  so  translated 
in  1  Cor.  8:4.  It  signifies  here  the  whole  corro- 
sive influence  of  time,  "  which  eats  into  and  con- 
sumes the  fairest  and  the  best-jjrotected  posses- 
sions." 

30.  But  treasure  up  for  yourselves  treas- 
ures in  heaven.  Compare  Luke  12  :  33.  How  ? 
By  charity  administered  as  unto  Christ  (Matt.  25 :  40; 
1  Tim.  6 :  18, 19) ;  by  Spiritual  labors  for  others  (james 
5 :  19,  2o) ;   by  personal  growth  in  grace  (2  Peter 

1  :  6-11). 

21-23.  The  second  reason  for  not  hoarding ; 
its  corrupting  influence  on  the  soul.  Where 
your  treasure  is,  there  will  your  heart  be 
also.  The  heart  is,  in  Scripture,  used  for  the 
seat  and  centre  of  man's  life,  especially  the  de- 
sires and  aspirations,  out  of  which  are  the  issues 
of  life  (Prov.  4  :  23).  If  we  amass  our  treasures  on 
earth,  our  desires  and  aspirations,  and  so  our 
life,  will  be  of  the  earth  earthy. 

22,  23.  The  light  of  the  body  is  the  eye. 
If  thine  eye  be  clear,  thy  whole  body 
shall  be  full  of  light;  but  if  thine  eye  be 
diseased,  thy  whole  body  shall  be  full  of- 
darkness.  What  the  eye  is  to  the  body,  the 
heart,  not  the  intellect,  is  to  the  soul.  If  the 
heart  be  pure,  we  see  God  and  heavenly  things, 
and  take  hold  on  the  truth,  and  are  made  right- 
eous (Matt.  5:8;  Rom.  10 :  lo) ;  if  it  be  corrupt,  all  is 
corrupt  (Matt.  12 :  33, 35 ;  15 :  19.),  and  the  very  power 


106 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  YL 


will  hate  the  one,  and  love  the  other ;  or  else  he  will 
hold  to  the  «ne,  and  despise  the  other.  Ye  cannot" 
serve  God  and  mammon. 

25  Therefore  I  say  unto  you,  Take  no  thought?  for 
your  life,  what  ye  shall  eat,  or  what  ye  shall  drink  ; 
nor  yet  for  your  body,  what  ye  shall  put  on.  Is  not 
the  life  more  than  meat,       '■•'--  ^  -  -■-  =        '  ^ 


the  body  than  raiment  ? 


26  Behold  the  fowls  of  the  air :  for  they  sow  not, 
neither  do  they  reap,  nor  gather  into  barns ;  yet  your 
heavenly  Fatheri  feedeth  them.  Are  ye  not  much  bet- 
ter than  they  ? 

27  Which  of  you  by  taking  thought  can  add  one 
cubit  unto  his  stature  ? 

28  And  why  take  ye  thought  for  raiment  ?     Consider 


o  Gal.  1  :  10 ;  2  Tim.  4  :  10 ;  Jaa.  4:4 pi  Cor.  7  :  32  ;  Phil.  4:6 q  Job  38  :  41 ;  Luke  12  :  24,  etc. 


of  moral  and  spiritual  discernment  is  abated  and 
finally  destroyed  ;  for  the  soul  which  begins  by 
practically  disregarding  spiritual  truths,  ends  by 
losing  the  power  of  perceiving  them  (i  Cor.  2 :  14). 
If  the  light  be  darkness,  etc.  If  that  which 
is  intended  to  be  the  light  of  the  soul  be  dark- 
ened, in  what  total  darkness  will  the  whole  soul 
be  plunged?  "  When  the  pilot  is  drowned  and 
the  candle  is  put  out,  and  the  general  is  taken 
prisoner,  what  sort  of  hope  wUl  there  be  after 
that  for  those  that  are  under  command."— 
{Chrysosiom.)    See  Luke  11  :  34-36,  note. 

24.  The  connection  appears  to  be  this:  Not 
only  you  must  not  make  it  your  object  to  accu- 
mulate your  treasures  on  earth ;  you  cannot  have 
two  objects  and  two  treasures,  one  on  the  earth 
and  one  in  heaven.  Serve.  Literally,  be  the 
slave  of,  belong  to.  Evidently  one  may  serve 
two  masters  if  one  is  subordinate  to  the  other,  as 
the  slave  serves  both  the  overseer  and  the  owner, 
or  the  soldier  both  the  captain  and  the  colonel. 
He  who  keeps  the  world  always  in  subordination 
to  the  Lord  obeys  this  precept ;  he  who  attempts 
to  belong  to  both  contravenes  it.  Mammon.  A 
word  of  Syriac  origin,  meaning  riches.  It  has 
been  said  to  be  the  name  of  an  idol  worshipped 
as  the  god  of  riches.  But  this  assertion  rests  on 
slender  authority  and  is  probably  incorrect.  Ob- 
serve that  in  this  passage  Christ  does  not  con- 
demn the  possession  of  riches,  but  the  servi7ig  of 
them;  and  the  poor  and  successful  man  may 
sei-ve,  while  the  rich  man  may  master  wealth. 
He  that  serves  riches  labors  for  them ;  he  who  is 
the  master  of  riches  knows  how  to  make  them 
labor  for  him,  and  through  him  for  others. 
"Job  was  rich,  but  he  served  not  mammon,  but 
possessed  it  and  ruled  over  it,  and  was  master, 
not  slave." — (Chrysostom.)    (see  job  29 :  11-13). 

25.  Therefore.  The  whole  of  the  following 
verses  to  the  end  of  the  chapter  are  a  deduction 
from  verse  24,  and  are  to  be  interpreted  accord- 
ingly. I  say  unto  you.  See  on  5  :  18.  Here 
this  expression  is  the  seal  of  a  divine  promise 
which  underlies  all  that  follows.  Take  no 
thought.  The  original  Greek  word  signifies  a 
division  or  distraction  of  mind.  The  command 
is  literally,  "be  not  divided  in  mind  respecting 
your  life."  It  thus  follows  logically  from  the 
prohibition  of  the  preceding  verse,  against  serv- 
ing God  and  mammon,  and  leads  naturally  to  the 
conclusion  of  the  whole,  "Seek  first  the  king- 


dom of  God  and  his  righteousness  "(v.  33).  See 
note  at  close  of  chapter.  The  word  thought  has 
the  significance  of  anxiety  in  old  English.  Lord 
Bacon  speaks  of  one  who  "died  with  thought 
and  anguish."  Compare,  for  similar  use,  1  Sam. 
9:5.  Is  not  the  life,  etc.  First  reason  for 
7iot  being  anxious.  Our  anxiety  is  about  matters 
of  trivial  importance.  As  the  life  is  more  than 
meat  which  serves  it,  and  the  body  than  raiment 
which  clothes  it,  so  the  soul  is  more  than  either ; 
for  both  life  and  body  exist  only  for  the  devel- 
opment of  the  soul.  But  our  anxieties  are  not 
for  the  soul,  but  only  about  the  outer  things,  the 
mere  food  and  raiment.  This  appears  to  me  to 
be  the  meaning,  not,  as  most  of  the  commenta- 
tors interpret  it,  God,  who  has  given  you  life, 
will  much  more  give  you  food.  Compare  Matt. 
10  :  28. 

26.  Behold  the  fowls  of  the  air.  Second 
reason  for  not  being  anxious,  viz. :  our  Father's 
care  for  us,  as  illustrated  ia  his  care  of  the  birds. 
Compare  with  this  Psalm  104,  especially  10-12, 
21,  27,  28.  It  is  veiy  evident  from  our  Lord's  il- 
lustration that  he  does  not  forbid  foresight  and 
provision  for  the  future.  For  though  the  birds 
neither  sow  nor  reap,  nor  gather  into  barns,  yet 
while  winter  storms  linger  afar  off  they  foresee 
the  evil,  and  by  their  flight  into  southern  climes 
guard  themselves  against  it;  and  when  spring 
comes,  they  provide  beforehand  for  the  little 
ones  yet  to  come,  the  father  foraging  in  the  fields 
and  the  mother  plucking  from  her  own  bosom 
the  down  to  furnish  for  them  a  resting-place. 
Rightly  considered,  therefore,  there  is  nothing 
in  this  verse  inconsistent  with  wise  forethought, 
nothing  to  conflict  with  the  lesson  from  the  ant 
drawn  in  Prov.  6  :  6-8.  Chrysostom,  and,  fol- 
lowing him,  Alford,  notice  that  Christ  does  not 
say  we  must  not  sow,  nor  reap,  but  that  we  must 
not  be  distracted  and  anxious.  The  illustration 
is  an  argument  from  the  less  to  the  greater,  anal- 
ogous to  the  argument  in  Luke  18  : 1-7,  from 
the  unjust  judge  to  the  just  God.  If  the  birds, 
mcapable  of  sowing,  reaping,  storing,  are  cared 
for  in  the  way  God  appoints  to  them,  how  much 
more  will  you  be  cared  for  in  the  way  of  your 
duty,  to  whom  God  gives  the  capacity  of  fore- 
thought and  the  means  of  providing  for  future  ne- 
cessities. Much  better.  Rather  of  more  value 
(cb.  10 :  31).  It  is  not  that  we  are  better,  morally,  than 
the  birds,  and  so  more  deserving  of  a  Father's 


Ch.  VL] 


MATTHEW. 


107 


the  lilies  of  the  field,  how  they  grow ;  they  toil  not, 
neither  do  they  spin  : 

2g  And  yet  I  say  unto  you,  That  even  Solomon  in 
all  his  glory  was  liot  arrayed  like  one  of  these. 

30  Wherefore,  if  God  so  clothe  the  grass  of  the  field, 
which  to  day  is,  and  to  morrow  is  cast  into  the  oven, 
shall  he  not  much  more  clothe  you,  O  ye  of  little  faith  ? 


31  Therefore  take  no  thought,'  saying.  What  shall 
we  eat  ?  or.  What  shall  we  drink  ?  or,  Wherewithal 
shall  we  be  clothed  ? 

32  (For  after  all  these  things  do  the  Gentiles  seek  :) 
for  your  heavenly  Father  knoweth  that  ye  have  need 
of  all  these  things. 


r  Ps.  37  :  3  J  55  :  22 ;  1  JPet.  5  :  1 


care,  but  of  a  higher  order,  to  whom  sufEering  is 
sharper  and  life  larger  and  grander,  and  to  whom, 
therefore,  the  divine  care  is  more  important,  and 
for  and  ia  whom  it  will  produce  more  important 
results. 

27.  Which  of  you  by  thought  can  add 
to  his  age  one  cubit.  A  third  reason  for 
not  being  anxious;  viz.,  the  uselessness  of  anx- 
iety. A  cubit  is  equivalent  to  about  a  foot  and 
a  half  in  length.  It  would  be  not  a  small  but  a 
very  considerable  addition  to  a  man's  height. 
The  word  here  translated  stature  is  rendered  age 
in  John  9  :  21,  23.  This  would  better  convey  the 
meaning  here.  Measures  of  space  are  sometimes 
employed  by  a  metaphor  in  estimates  of  life  (see 
for  example  Psalm  39  : 5).  The  idea,  then,  here  is  that 
anxiety  and  care  do  nothing  to  lengthen  out  the 
duration  of  life  ;  and  this  is  in  truth  the  object 
of  all  our  solicitude. 

28,  29.  Consider  the  lilies  of  the  field. 
This  whole  series  of  illustrations  is  an  incidental 
enforcement  of  the  truth  that  nature  is  full  of 
unobserved  lessons  for  us,  an  incidental  appeal 
to  us  to  study  nature  for  the  ascertainment  of 
her  moral  and  spiritual  meaning  (compare  Job  12 : 1,  s). 
The  lilies  of  the  field.  Several  flowers  have 
been  suggested  as  answering  to  the  lily  of  the 
field.  Dr.  Thompson's  Land  and  Book  describes 
one  of  these,  the  Huleh  lily.  "  It  is  very  large, 
and  the  three  inner  petals  meet  above  and  form 
a  gorgeous  canopy,  such  as  art  never  approached 
and  king  never  sat  under,  even  in  his  utmost 
glory.  And  when  I  met  this  incomparable  flower, 
in  all  its  loveliness,  among  the  oak  woods  around 
the  northern  base  of  Tabor  and  on  the  hills  of 
Nazareth,  where  our  Lord  spent  his  youth,  I 
felt  assured  that  it  was  this  to  which  he  re- 
ferred." It  seems  quite  as  likely  that  no  special 
flower  was  intended,  but  that  the  language  is 
general  for  wild  flowers.  These  of  the  most 
brilliant  hue — lilies,  daisies,  anemones,  wild  tu- 
lips and  poppies — abound  in  the  Holy  Land. 
Solomon  in  all  his  glory,  etc.  Solomon 
represented  to  the  Jewish  mind  the  ideal  of  re- 
gal magnificence  (see  1  Kings,  ch.  10).  In  two  respects 
this  declaration  is  literally  true ;  first,  1)ecause 
his  glory  was  external,  a  glory  put  on,  while  that 
of  the  flower  is  its  own,  being  developed  from 
within  ;  second,  because  the  beauty  of  the  most 
perfect  fabric  is  imperfect  and  shows  itself  rough 
and  coarse  under  the  microscope,  while  the 
beauty  of  the  flower  has  no  imperfection,  but,  on 


the  contrary,  discloses  under  the  microscope 
glories  unseen  by  the  naked  eye.  These  verses 
indicate  &  fourth  reason  for  not  being  anxious  and 
troubled  about  earthly  needs.  Our  worry  and  anx- 
iety are  for  the  most  part  not  for  the  food  and 
clothing  which  is  necessary  for  our  life  and 
usefulness,  but  for  the  means  to  equal  or  sur- 
pass our  neighbors  in  disjjlay ;  and  yet,  with 
all  our  striving,  the  wild  flowers  of  the  field  sur- 
pass us. 

30.  The  grass  of  the  field  *  *  *  cast  into 
the  oven.  Weeds  and  grass  were  and  still  are 
used  in  the  East  as  fuel.  Ovens  were  construct- 
ed in  various  ways :  sometimes  of  earth  ;  some- 
times a  pit,  lined  with  cement,  served  the  pur- 
pose ;  sometimes  baking  was  done  simply  on 
stones  heated  by  fire  previously  kindled  on  them. 
The  oven  here  mentioned  was  a  large  round  pot 
of  earthen  or  other  materials,  two  or  three  feet 
high,  narrow  towards  the  top.  This  being  first 
heated  by  a  flre  made  within,  the  dough  or  paste 
was  spread  upon  the  sides  to  bake,  thus  forming 
their  cakes.  In  all  these  cases  the  fuel  was  cast 
into  the  oven,  and  when  the  oven  was  suflQciently 
heated,  was  raked  out  again  to  make  room  for 
the  bread,  after  the  manner  in  vogue  in  the  use 
of  the  old  brick  oven.  The  verse  recurs  to  the 
underlying  reason  for  not  being  anxious ;  God 
who  cares  for  birds  and  flowers  much  more  cares 
for  us  his  children.  Oh  ye  of  little  faith. 
He  cares  even  for  the  untrusting  (2  Tim.  2 :  13). 

31-34.  These  verses  sum  up  the  conclusion 
of  Christ's  warning  against  greed  and  its  con- 
comitant care. 

32.  For  after  all  these  things  do  the 
Gentiles  seek.  An  additional  argument,  in- 
terpolated by  Christ  in  his  summing  up.  If  you 
are  as  anxious  and  concerned  about  food  and 
raiment  as  the  heathen,  how  are  you  any  better 

Oflf   than  they  (compare  chap  5  :  46,  47)  ? 

33.  Seek  ye  first.  Not  in  order  of  time 
merely,  but  in  order  of  importance.  Interpret 
this  command  by  verse  24.     The  kingdom   of 

God     (see  on  Matt.  3  :  l).         RighteOUSUeSS     (see  on 

Matt.  6 : 6).  And  all  these  things.  All  what 
things?  Not  an  accumulation  of  food  and  rai- 
ment ;  piety  is  not  a  short  road  to  wealth  ;  but 
all  of  those  things  of  which  your  heavenly  Father 
knows  you  have  need  ;  i.  e.,  enough  day  by  day  to 
supply  daily  need.  The  promise  is  interpreted 
by  David's  testimony  (Psaim  .37 :  25),  and  by  Paul's 
experience  and  assurance  (Phu.  4 :  n,  19).    So  in- 


108 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  VL 


33  But  seek  ye  first"  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  his 
righteousness,  and  all  these  things  shall  be  added' 
unto  you. 


34  Take  therefore  no  thought  for  the  morrow :  for 
the  morrow  shall  take  thought  for  the  things  of  itself." 
Sufficient  unto  the  day  is  the  evil  thereof 


ITim.  4:8....tLev.  26:20,  21j  1  Kings  3:  13;  Pa.  37  :  26  ;  Mark  10  :  30....U  Deut.  33  :  25  ;  Heb.  13:6,6. 


terpreted,  life  proves  it  true ;  those  that  give 
themselves  wholly  to  God's  service  often  live  in 
poverty,  but  they  rarely  or  never  sufEer  for  want 
of  necessary  food  and  raiment. 

34.  Take  therefore  no  thought  for  the 
morrow ;  for  the  morrow  shall  take 
thought  for  the  things  of  itself.  That  is, 
the  future  will  bring  not  only  its  own  trouble, 
but  also  with  it  the  grace  that  is  needed  to  bear 
it,  or  the  guidance  that  is  needed  to  escape  it 


(Deut.  33  .  25  ;  1  Cor.  10  :  13  ;  Heb.  13  :  6).     Sufficient  UUtO 

the  day  is  the  evil  thereof.  "Every  day 
brings  its  own  troubles,  and  to  anticipate  is  but 
to  double  them." — {David  Brown.)  This  verse 
indicates  the  line  between  the  forethought  that 
is  a  duty  and  the  care  that  is  a  sin.  Forethought 
considers  a  future  possible  ill  only  in  so  far  as  it 
is  necessary  to  determine  present  duty.  Care 
brings,  by  imagination,  the  possible  evil  from  the 
future,  and  inflicts  it  on  us  here  and  now. 


NOTE  ON  CHRIST'S  TEACHING  RESPECTING  CARE  (vs.  19-54). 


The  general  significance  of  this  passage  may 
be  indicated  perhaps  by  a 

Paraphrase. — Do  not  make  it  your  object  to  ac- 
cumulate treasures  on  the  earth,  because  all 
such  treasures  are  transitory,  and  the  life  which 
is  devoted  to  accumulating  them  darkens  and 
destroys  the  soul.  Nor  think  to  divide  your 
energies,  and  to  devote  a  part  to  God's  service  and 
a  part  to  the  accumulation  of  wealth.  This  you 
cannot  do.  Tou  must  choose  your  master,  and 
serve  him  with  single  devotion.  Having  chosen 
God,  do  not  allow  your  life  to  be  distracted  by 
the  ambition  for  wealth,  or  by  fears  respecting 
the  future.  This  is  foUy  ;  for  your  soul  alone  is 
worthy  of  your  care.  It  is  needless ;  for  your 
heavenly  Father,  who  feeds  the  birds,  will  care 
for  you.  It  is  useless ;  for  with  all  your  worry 
you  cannot  prolong  your  life.  It  is  wasted 
energy ;  for  it  is  spent,  in  truth,  not  on  satisfying 
the  real  necessities  of  the  body,  but  on  vicing  in 
display  with  others,  and  the  highest  success 
leaves  you  at  last  inferior  to  the  wUd  flowers  of 
the  field.  It  is  unchristian ;  for  he  who  is  guilty 
of  it  is  in  so  far  no  better  off  than  the  heathen 
■who  know  of  no  heavenly  Father  on  whom  they 
can  cast  their  cares.  God,  your  heavenly  Father, 
knows  what  is  necessary  for  you  and  wiU  pro- 
vide it.  Tou  have  only  to  do  day  by  day  your 
daily  duty,  making  the  sole  object  of  your  life 
to  promote  in  your  own  heart  and  in  the  hearts 
of  others,  allegiance  to  him,  and  attending  faith- 
fully to  each  day's  cares  and  duties,  sure  that 
the  present  duty  is  all  that  God  means  you  to 
perform,  and  that  with  to-morrow's  problems 
will  come  grace  and  wisdom  for  their  solution. 

A  fair  and  reasonable  interpretation  of  Christ's 
words  does  not  forbid  forethought  or  provision 
for  the  future,  as  is  evident  from,  first,  the  gen- 
eral significance  of  the  whole  passage  if  read  as 
it  should  be  together,  not  dissected  into  separate 
and   independent   precepts;    second,   from  the 


very  illustrations  employed,  particularly  that  of 
the  birds  (v.  26),  who  do  exercise  forethought, 
and  from  the  express  declaration  that  we  have 
needs  which  God  recognizes  (v.  32),  and  for  which 
as  they  arise  we  are  to  provide  (v.  34) ;  third,  from 
the  example  of  Christ  himself,  who  appointed  a 
treasurer  of  his  little  band  of  disciples,  provided 
a  bag  with  money  to  meet  their  simple  wants, 
and  carried  provisions  on  their  journeys  (Matt. 
14 :  17 ;  John  12 : 6 ;  13 :  29) ;  fourth,  f rom  Other  prc- 
cepts  and  examples  in  the  Bible  (Gen.  41  :  33-36; 

Ephes.  4  :  28 ;     1   Tim.  6:8;     and  also    compare  Prov.  6  :  6  with 

ch.  22 :  s).  It  is  clear,  on  the  other  hand,  that  it 
does  forbid,  as  essentially  unchristian,  all  mak- 
ing of  acquisition  and  accumulation  of  wealth 
the  object  of  life,  and  all  attempt  to  divide  the 
mind  between  two  objects,  one  the  promotion  of 
the  divine  life  in  ourselves  and  others,  the  other 
the  accumulation  of  wealth,  or  the  viemg  with 
others  in  external  signs  of  earthly  prosperity. 
This  is  alike  forbidden  by  the  general  tenor  of 
this  passage,  by  the  example  of  Christ,  and  by 

other  biblical  precepts  (compare  especially  Luke  12  :  16-21 ; 
Col.  3:2;   Heb.  13  :  6,  where  conversation  means    *  coarse  of  life  "  ; 

1  John  2 :  15).  lu  brief,  this  passage  offers  a  cure 
of  care  by  forbidding  its  real  cause,  a  divided 
heart  and  life,  and  by  pointing  to  the  true  rem- 
edy, moderate  desires  and  trust  in  God  for  their 
gratification.  That  the  original  verb  translated 
"take  no  thought "  bears  the  significance  I  have 
given  it  throughout  these  notes,  is  agreed  to  by 
all  the  commentators.  "  No  thought,"  says  Mr. 
Barnes,  "means  no  anxiety."  "Take  no 
thought,"  says  Alford,  "does  not  express  the 
sense,  but  gives  rather  an  exaggeration  of  the 
command,  and  this  makes  it  unreal  and  nugatory. 
*  *  *  It  is.  Be  not  anxious,  at  sea  tossed 
about  between  hope  and  fear."  "Our  Lord," 
says  Wordsworth,  "  does  not  forbid  provident 
forethought,  but  he  forbids  anxious,  restless, 
distrustful  solicitude  about  earthly  things." 


Ch.  VIL] 


MATTHEW. 


109 


CHAPTER    VII. 

JUDGE'  not.  that  ye  be  not  judged. 
2  For  with  what  judgment  ye  judge,  ye  shall  be 
judged  ;  and  with  what  measure  ye  mete,"  it  shall  be 
measured  to  you  again. 

3  And  why  beholdest  thou  the  mote  that  is  in  thy 
brother's  eye,  but  considerest  not  the  beam  that  is  in 
thine  own  eye  ? 


4  Or  how  wilt  thou  say  to  thy  brother,  Let  me  pull 
out  the  mote  out  ot  thine  eye  ;  and,  behold,  a  beam  is 
in  thine  own  eye  ? 

5  Thou  hypocrite,  first  cast  out  the  beam"  out  of 
thine  own  eye  ;  and  then  shalt  thou  see  clearly  to  cast 
out  the  mote  out  of  thy  brother's  eye. 

6  Give  not  that  which  is  holy  unto  the  dogs,  neither^ 
cast  ye  your  pearls  before  swine,  lest  they  trample 
them  under  their  feet,  and  turn  again  and  rend  you. 


T  Luke  6 -.37;  Rom.2:l;  1  Cor.  4  :  5.  ...w  Judges  1  :7....x  Gal.  6  :  l....y  Prov.  9  :  7,  8  ;  23:9. 


1-6.  The  censoriousness  of  Pharisaism  re- 
buked. These  verses  continue  the  contrast  be- 
tween the  principles  which  must  actuate  Christ's 
disciples  and  those  which  do  actuate  the  Pharisees. 
Censoriousness  is  the  common  accompaniment  of 
a  self-righteous  spirit  (Luke  7 :  39 ;  is :  n),  and  against 
that  spirit  these  verses  are  directed,  except  the 
last,  which  is  a  qualification  of  the  general  pre- 
cept of  the  first  verse. 

1.  Judge  not.  See,  on  the  meaning  of  this 
verse,  note  below. 

2.  For  with  what  judgment  ye  judge, 
ye  shall  be  judged.  Firstly,  by  ourselves^  be- 
cause by  judging  others  we  condemn  ourselves, 
being  guUty  of  the  same  sins,  not  necessarily  in 
form,  but  in  spirit  (Rom.  2 : 1) ;  secondly,  by  our 
fellow-men,  for  men  habitually  judge  leniently 
those  that  exercise  lenient  judgments,  and  se- 
verely those  that  judge  severely  (Luke  6 :  37,  ss) ;  and 
rightly,  because  he  who  customarily  suspects  the 
motives  of  others  thereby  testifies  to  the  ground 
of  his  suspicion,  which  is  the  consciousness  of 
evil  motives  in  himself;  and  thirdly,  by  God, 
who  will  at  the  last  judge  us  severely  if  we  have 
so  judged  our  fellow-men  (james  2 :  13).  And 
with  what  measure,  etc.  In  Mark  4  :  24  the 
same  aphorism  is  employed  and  the  same  princi- 
ple is  applied  to  those  that  impart  truth  to  others  ; 
and  in  Luke  6  :  38  to  all  beneficence.  It  may 
here  be  equivalent  to  "the  standard  by  which  you 
measure  others,  they  will  use  in  measuring  you ;" 
but  it  is  more  probable  that  it  is  the  amplification 
of  a  general  principle,  that  Luke's  report  is  fuller, 
and  that  it  is  as  if  Christ  had  said.  As  you  judge 
you  shall  be  judged,  in  accordance  with  the  gen- 
eral and  universal  principle  that  as  you  give  to 
others  they  will  give  to  you,  charity  for  charity, 
severity  for  severity,  generosity  for  generosity, 
niggardliness  for  niggardliness. 

3.  And  Avhy  beholdest  thou,  seeingit  from 
without, — the  mote, — the  lesser  fault,— in  thy 
brother's  eye,  and  considerest  not,— by 
weighing  well  from  within,— the  beam,— the 
larger  fault,  in  thyself?  Our  own  faults  ought 
to  be  to  us  beams  ;  our  neighbor's  faults  should 
be  but  motes.  In  our  common  estimates  the  re- 
verse is  the  case  •,  we  magnify  the  faults  of  others 
and  palliate  our  own.  So  runs  the  old  proverb  : 
Men  carry  their  own  sins  on  their  back  and  those 
of  their  neighbors  before.    But  besides  this,  the 


spirit  which  rejoiceth  in  iniquity  is  always  a 
beam,  generally  a  more  flagrant  violation  of  the 
spirit  of  love  (1  Cor.  13 : 5)  than  the  sin  over  which 
it  rejoices  and  which  it  condemns. 

4.  Or  how  wilt  thou  say.  The  preceding 
verse  asserts  that  the  Christian  spirit  will  lead 
us  to  consider  more  carefully  our  own  faults 
than  those  of  our  neighbor ;  this  and  the  next 
asserts  that  we  cannot  cure  our  neighbor's  faults 
except  in  a  spirit  of  humility,  because  of  our 
own.  It  is  interpreted  by  Gal.  6:1.  In  the  rab- 
binical books  is  this  saying :  "If  any  one  says  to 
another,  '  Take  out  the  mote  from  thine  eye, '  he 
wiU  be  answered,  '  Take  out  the  beam  from  thine 
own.'  "  If  this  was  really  a  proverb  in  the  time 
of  Christ,  he  gives  it  a  new  significance  and  di- 
rection. From  a  mere  expression  of  the  spirit 
which  resents  reproof,  it  becomes  a  direction  to 
him  who  would  administer  reproof.  Victory 
over  evn  in  ourselves  can  alone  give  the  clearness 
of  moral  vision  necessaiy  to  perceive,  and  the 
sympathy  necessary  to  eradicate,  evils  from  our 
neighbors. 

5.  Hypocrite.  Every  man  who  pretends  to 
zeal  in  reform,  but  is  zealous  only  to  reform  his 
neighbor,  but  indifEerent  respecting  himself,  is 
but  a  pretender— a  hypocrite,  though  sometimes 
a  self-deceived  hypocrite.  Shalt  thou  see 
clearly.  He  that  rids  hunself  of  the  spirit  of 
censoriousness  and  seeks  to  discern  the  good  and 
not  the  evU  in  his  neighbor,  is  prepared  to  help 
him  to  get  rid  of  the  evil.  It  is  not  the  spirit  of 
criticism,  but  the  spirit  of  charity,  which  is  cura- 
tive. Before  he  had  only  beheld  the  mote  ;  now 
he  sees  to  cast  it  out.  "  The  beholding  was  yarn 
and  idle  ;  the  seeing  clearly  is  for  a  blessed  end, 
viz. :  (18 :  15)  to  gain  thy  hvother. '"—(Alford.) 

Of  JtnjGiNG  OUR  Fellow-men. — This  passage 
has  given  rise  to  much  diiHeulty  from  failing  to 
note  the  proper  meaning  of  the  yvovd  judge.  The 
Greek  word  (;;p/jw)here  translated jwcZ^e  signifies 
primarily  to  separate ;  then  to  form  a  judicial 
sentence,  because  that  involves  a  separation  of 
the  good  from  the  evil,  as  illustrated  by  the  par- 
ables in  Matt,  13  :  30,  49  ;  25  :  32.  It  is  frequently 
used  in  the  N.  T.  in  this  strict  sense  to  express  a 
judicial  and  official  decree,  as  in  1  Cor.  G  :  2,  and  in 
Acts  15  :  19,  in  which  latter  passage  it  is  rendered 
by  rriT/  sentence  is.  It  is  also  frequently  used 
metaphorically  for  a  quasi  judicial  decision  (bm 


110 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  VII. 


ranstrations  below),  and  in  one  or  two  cases  it  is  em- 
plo3'e(l  to  express  a  personal  conclusion,  but 
always  one  that  is  irrevocably  fixed.  Of  this  use  an 
illustration  is  afforded  by  2  Cor.  5  :  14:  "We 
thuB  judge  that  if  one  died  for  all,  then  were  all 
dead,"  where  not  an  opinion  or  probable  conclu- 
sion, but  a  deliberate  and  settled  conviction  is 
expressed;  and  another  in  Acts  20  :  16  :  "Paul 
had  determined  to  sail  by  Ephesus,"  where  not  a 
mere  purpose,  but  a  settled  determination  is  indi- 
cated, one  so  unalterable  that  the  subsequent  en- 
treaties of  his  friends  could  not  swerve  him  from 
it  (Acts  21 :  u).  Our  translators  have  then  almost 
exactly  preserved  the  meaning  of  the  original 
word  in  this  passage.  It  is  not  equivalent  to 
condemn  nor  to  condemnatory  judgment  on  the 
one  hand,  nor  does  it,  on  the  other,  signify  every 
mental  opinion  concerning  others ;  but  such  opin- 
ions as  are  judgments,  i.  e.,  in  their  nature  judicial, 
Christ  certainly  does  not  prohibit  all  formations 
of  opinions  respecting  our  fellow-men;  this  is 
not  only  necessary  to  be  done,  but  directly  com- 
manded both  by  Christ  and  his  apostles  (Matt. 

18  =  15-17;    1  Tim.  5:20;    2  Tim.  4  :  s),  and   it    iS    impliedly 

required  in  this  very  passage  in  verse  6.  Nor  is 
his  prohibition  of  judging  satisfied  by  interpret- 
ing it  as  a  mere  warning  against  harsh,  unkmd, 
and  censorious  condemnation  of  others.  It  in- 
cludes this,  but  both  here  and  in  the  parallel  pas- 
sages (^Luke  6  :  37,  where  condemnation  of  others  iB  also  rebuked ; 
Rom.  2:1;    14  :  4,  10,  13 ;    1   Cor.   4  :  3,  5  ;    James  4  :  12)    mUCh 

more  is  indicated  than  this.  We  get  to  the  gist 
of  the  command  here,  as  I  am  persuaded  we 
shall  do  generally  in  Christ's  sayings,  not  by  de- 
parting from,  but  by  adhering  to  his  exact 
words.  All  assuming  of  God's  judgment-seat,  all 
undertaking  to  reach  any  final  and  conclusive 
judgment  concerning  our  fellow-men,  is  prohib- 
ited by  the  spirit  and  the  words  of  this  passage 
and  its  parallels  in  the  New  Testament.  It  pro- 
hibits absolutely  all  attempts  by  man  to  fix  the 
eternal  state  of  any  soul,  or  to  declare  what  it  is 
or  will  be,  and  so  all  excommunication  which  in- 
Tolves  an  imprecation  of  an  everlasting  curse ; 
all  imprecation  of  men  in  the  mass,  as  by  the 
anathemas  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church  and 
the  damnatoiy  clauses  of  the  Athanasian  creed  ; 
all  such  discussions  respecting  the  character  and 
eternal  destiny  of  individuals  as  often  occur  after 
the  death  especially  of  public  men  —  and  this 
whether  conducted  in  public  or  private  ;  all  for- 
mation of  ineradicable  prejudices  or  final  and 
settled  judgments  against  any,  such  as  cannot  be 
readily  set  aside  by  clearer  evidence  or  by  their 
repentance  and  reformation  (compare  i  Cor.  5 : 4, 5,  with 
2  Cor.  2 : 6, 8) ;  and  all  judging  of  men's  moral  char- 
acter and  status  before  God  and  their  final  con- 
dition by  reason  of  their  divergence  from  us  in 
points  of  doctrine  or  of  practice  (Rom.,  ch.  u,  through- 
out).   But  it  does  not  forbid  such  tentative  and 


partial  judgments  both  of  conduct  and  character 
as  are  formed  in  the  spirit  of  love  and  meekness, 
as  are  accompanied  in  our  own  minds  with  the 
recognition  of  the  truth  that  they  are  imperfect, 
and  that  all  the  data  for  a  perfect  judgment  are 
not  and  cannot  be  before  us,  as  are  held  subject 
to  revision  or  reversal  on  adequate  evidence  or 
in  case  of  repentance  and  reform,  and  as  are 
necessary  for  our  own  guidance  in  determining 
what  shall  be  our  conduct  toward  or  in  respect 
to  the  persons  in  question.     Such  passages  as 

I  Cor.  16 :  22 ;  2  Pet.,  ch.  2 ;  and  Jude,  v.  4,  do  not 
mUitate  against  this  precept,  which  does  not  for- 
bid our  judging  of  principles  and  practices,  but 
of  assuming  to  judge  individuals ;  nor  does 
Christ's  example  in  Matt.,  ch.  23,  contradict  his 
precept,  because  he  knew  what  was  in  man,  and 
could  judge  then  as  he  will  judge  finally  (John 

6  :  22,  27). 

6.  This  verse  can  scarcely  be  regarded  as  a 
qualification,  but  rather  as  an  interpretation,  of 
what  precedes.  If  one  is  evidently  past  our  in- 
fluence, whether  violent  as  the  dog  or  given  over 
to  sensuality  as  the  swine,  we  may  adjudge  him 
to  be  so,  and  need  not  go  on  casting  pearls  before 
him  (compare  Prov.  9 : 7, 8).  But  obscrvc  that  it  was 
never  the  practice  of  the  apostles  to  account  any 
unworthy  to  receive  the  Gospel  till  by  their  own 
act  they  had  rejected  it,  and  so  counted  them- 
selves unworthy  (Acts  13  :  46 ;  Titus  3  :  lo).    Holy  .    The 

meat  offered  for  sacrifice,  a  part  of  which  was  re- 
served for  the  priests  (Lev.  2 : 3,  etc.),  was  regarded 
among  the  Jews  as  peculiarly  sacred,  as  much  as 
the  bread  and  wine,  when  consecrated  for  the 
Eucharist,  were  regarded  in  the  early  church 
and  still  are  in  many  of  the  modern  churches. 
To  give  such  meat  to  the  dogs  would  be,  to  the 
.Jewish  mind,  the  extreme  of  profanation.  No 
unclean  person  was  permitted  to  eat  of  it  (Lev. 

22  :  6,  10,  14,  etc. ;    compare   Exod.  22  :  3l).      DogS — SVViue. 

The  dog  was  never  a  pet  or  a  favorite  among  the 
Jews.  They  lived  and  stUl  live  in  Oriental  cities 
in  packs,  half  -nald,  generally  without  masters  or 
owners,  and  barely  tolerated  as  scavengers.  Both 
dogs  and  swine  are  common  symbols  in  the  Bible 
of  vileness  and  uncleanness  (Lev.  ii :  7 ;  se :  10, 11 ;  Prov. 

II  :  22 ;  Matt.  15  :  27 ;  Phil.  3:2;  Rev.  22  :  15).      Tum  a§:ain 

and  reud  you.  Proclaiming  the  truth  to  those 
that  are  determined  against  it  only  provokes 
their  anger.    See,  for  interpretation.  Matt.  10 :  23. 

Ch.  7  : 7-27.    FOURTH  GENERAL  DIVISION.-How  to 

ENTER  THE  KINGDOM  OP  HeAVEN. 

The  connection  in  this  part  of  Christ's  dis* 
course  is  not  as  close  as  in  the  preceding  por- 
tion. Neither  must  it  be  forgotten  that  East- 
em  teaching  was  more  aphoristic  than  ours. 
Nevertheless,  there  is  a  connection  which  would 
be  recognized  more  readily  were  it  not  for 
our  division  of  the  sermon  into  chapters  and 


Ch.  VII.] 


MATTHEW. 


Ill 


7  Ask,  and  it  shall  be  given  vou  ;^  seek,  and  ye  shall 
find  ;  knock,  and  it  shall  be  opened  unto  you  ; 

8  For  every  one  that  asketh"  receiveth  ;  and  he  that 
seeketh"  findeth  ;  and  to  him  that  knocketh  it  shall  be 
opened. 

9  Or  what  man  is  there  of  you,  whom  if  his  son  ask 
bread,  will  he  give  him  a  stone  ? 

10  Or  if  he  ask  a  fish,  will  he  give  him  a  serpent  ? 


11  If  ye  then,  being  evil,  know  how  to  give  good 
gifts  unto  your  children,'^  how  much  more  shall  your 
Father  which  is  in  heaven  give  good  things  to  them 
that  ask  him  ? 

12  Therefore  all  things  whatsoever  ye  would  that 
men  should  do  to  you,  do  ye  even  so  to  them  :  for*  this 
is  the  law  and  the  prophets. 

13  Enter  ye  in"!  at  the  strait  gate :  for  wide  zithe  gate. 


;6;  Prov.  2:4,5 


verses.  The  two  conditions  of  entering  into  the 
kingdom  are  faith  (7-11)  and  obedience  (is-s?). 
Character  is  the  gift  of  God  and  is  to  be  sought  by- 
prayer  from  him  (7-11).  Nevertheless,  not  every 
praying  receives,  but  that  whicli  accompanies  a 
life  of  non-conformity  to  the  world  (13-14)  and  of 
practical  righteousness,  from  which  many  false 
prophets  wiU  seek  to  turn  men  away.  They  are 
to  be  known  by  their  fruits,  for  the  product  of 
moral  teaching  is  its  best  test  (15-23).  And  though 
the  false  religion  will  find  many  to  applaud  it 
now,  he  whose  religion  consists  in  practical  obe- 
dience to  Christ's  precepts,  and  he  alone,  has 
built  upon  a  rock  (24-27).  It  is  noticeable  that  in 
this  portion  of  the  sermon,  which  gives  the  con- 
dition of  entering  into  his  kingdom,  neither  any 
public  ceremony  nor  any  formal  creed  is  pre- 
scribed. 

7-11.  First  condition.  The  prayer  of 
faith. 

7.  The  connection  is  thus  given  by  Chrysostom : 
"  For  inasmuch  as  he  had  enjoined  things  great 
and  marvelous,  and  had  commanded  men  to  be 
superior  to  all  their  passions,  and  had  led  them 
up  to  Heaven  itself,  and  had  enjoined  them  to 
strive  after  the  resemblance,  not  of  angels  and 
archangels,  but  of  the  very  Lord  of  all  (ch.  5 :  48), 
*  *  *  *  that  they  might  not  say  these  things  are 
grievous  and  intolerable  *  *  *  *  he  adds  also 
the  pinnacle  of  all  facility,  devising  us  no  or- 
dinary relief  to  our  toils,  the  assistance  derived 
from  persevering  prayers."  This  is  not  all,  how- 
ever. He  puts  prayer  ilrst,  the  striving  after- 
wards, so  signifying  that  the  first  step  toward 
the  kingdom  of  God  is  seeking  of  God.  Com- 
pare with  this  command  John  4  :  10  ;  Rom.  6  : 
23  ;  and  in  the  O.  T.  Isa.  55  : 1.  Observe  that 
even  here  where  character  is  represented  as  be- 
stowed on  the  soul  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  we 
are  represented  not  as  mere  passive  receivers  of 
an  irresistible  grace,  but  as  agents  asking,  seek- 
ing, knocking.  For  the  kind  of  seeking,  see 
Prov.  2  :  3,  4 ;  18  :  17 ;  Jer.  29  :  13  ;  Luke  13  : 
24,  and  note  there.  Contrast  with  this  teaching, 
where  man  is  represented  as  seeking  and  knock- 
ing, other  passages  where  the  Lord  is  represented 
as  the  one  seeking  and  we  as  the  found  (Luke  15 : 
3, 10;  Rev.  3 :  2o).  And  Compare  ch.  5  :  (>,  where  the 
mental  state  is  described  as  hunger  and  thirst 
after  righteousness,  of  which  asking,   seeking. 


knocking,  is  the  expression  or  utterance,  the 
activity  to  which  it  leads. 

8.  For  every  one  that  asketh.  The  ar- 
gument here  is  from  the  greater  to  the  less  and 
from  the  general  to  the  specific.  In  the  whole 
realm  of  life  energetic  faithful  endeavor  is  gen- 
erally crowned  with  success.  Even  the  Pharisee 
who  seeks  the  praise  of  men  by  his  public  alms, 
prayers  and  fasting,  has  his  reward.  How  much 
more  shall  he  that  asks,  seeks,  knocks,  receive 
ia  the  kingdom  of  God's  grace. 

9-10.  Or  what  man  is  there  of  you. 
Second  reason  for  faith  in  prayer ;  analogy  from 
the  earthly  to  the  heavenly  parent.  Observe 
that  the  N.  T.  almost  never,  and  the  O.  T.  but 
rarely,  employs  nature  as  a  symbol  to  represent 
God.  He  is  represented  to  us  by  images  drawn 
from  the  higher  and  better  experiences  of  human 
nature  ;  or,  in  theological  language,  the  N.  T. 
symbolism  is  anthropomorphic.  Modern  philoso- 
phy argues  from  the  apparent  inflexibility  of 
nature  that  God  does  not  hear  prayer ;  Christ 
answers  from  the  mobility  of  the  soul,  as  il- 
lustrated by  the  common  parental  experience, 
that  God  does  hear  and  answer.  The  root  of 
modern  unbelief  lies  just  here,  in  an  assumption 
that  God  is  like  nature.  But  the  Bible  does  not 
say.  As  mountains  stand  immovable,  as  thunder- 
bolts strike  irresistible,  as  the  sea,  as  the  river, 
as  the  earth,  but  "As  a  father  pitieth  his  chil- 
dren," "as  one  whom  his  mother  comforteth," 
"as  a  shepherd  feedeth  his  sheep."  Observe, 
too,  that  there  is  here  implied,  not  merely  a 
promise  to  give  some  answer  to  the  prayer,  but  to 
give  the  thing  asked  for  or  something  better.  God 
may  do  more  for  us  than  we  ask  or  think  ;  but 
never  less.  The  argument  here,  as  in  the  preced- 
ing verse,  is  from  the  less  to  the  greater.  This  is 
brought  out  clearly  in  the  verse  following.  Com- 
pare with  this  passage  Luke  11  :  12,  where  is 
added,  ".  If  he  shall  ask  an  egg,  will  he  offer  him  a 
scorpion?" 

11.  Being- evil.  "He  said  this  not  to  con- 
demn our  race  as  bad  ;  but  in  contrast  to  his  own 
goodness  he  calls  parental  tenderness  evil,  so 
great  is  the  excess  of  his  love  to  man.'"— Chry- 
sostom. Yet  Stier  well  observes  that  the  remark 
is  a  strong  indirect  support  of  the  doctrine  of 
original  sin.  Even  in  our  highest  holiest  rela- 
tions there  is  evil ;  selfishness  is  mingled  with 


112 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  VII. 


and  broad  is  the  way,  that  leadeth  to  destruction,  and 
many  there  be  which  go  in  thereat : 
14  Because   strait   is  the  gate:    and  narrow  is  the 


way,  w 


hich  leadeth  unto  lile  ;  and  few'  there  be  that 


15  Beware  of  false  prophets,^  which  come  to  you  in 
sheep's  clothing,  but  inwardly  they  are  ravening'' 
wolves. 

16  Ye  shall  know  them  by  their'  fruits.  Do  men 
gather  grapes  of  thorns,  or  figs  of  thistles  ? 


f  ch.  20  :  16  ;  25  :  1-12  ;  Rom.  9  :  27,  29 g  Deut.  13  ;  1-3  ;  Jer.  23  :  13-16  :  1  John  4:1 h  Acts  20  :  29-31 i  ch.  12  :  S3. 


our  most  unselfish  love.    Good  things.    Luke 

(11 :  13)  says  Holy  Spirit.  But  the  greater  in- 
cludes the  less.  "He  that  spared  not  his  own 
Son,  how  shall  he  not  with  him  also  freely  give  us 

all  things."      (Rom.  8:32.) 

12.  Therefore  all  things  whatsoever  ye 
would  that  men,  etc.  From  the  general  theme 
of  his  discourse,  which  is  here  a  statement  of  the 
conditions  of  entering  the  kingdom  of  heaven, 
Christ  turns  aside  to  enforce  a  high  standard  of 
human  duty  by  his  consideration  of  the  goodness 
of  God  to  us.  Therefore  connects  the  golden 
rule  directly  with  the  preceding  teaching,  respect- 
ing divine  compassion.  The  connection  is  the  same 
in  substance  in  ch.  5  :  48 ;  and  ch.  6  :  14,  15.  Be- 
cause God  is  so  ready  to  answer  our  prayers,  we 
ought  to  show  like  sympathy  and  love  to  our  fel- 
low-men. This  precept  is  found  not  alone  in  the 
teaching  of  Christ.  In  a  negative  form  the  same 
rule  of  conduct  is  found  in  the  rabbmical  writ- 
ings :  "  Thou  Shalt  not  do  to  thy  neighbor  what 
is  hateful  to  thyself."  Do  ye  even  so  to  them. 
Observe  that  it  is  not  said  do  that  to  them, 
but  so  to  them,  i.  e.  in  like  manner.  The  rule 
does  not  require  us  to  do  the  things  which  they 
ask,  but  to  act  toward  them  in  the  manner  and 
spirit  in  which  we  should  wish  them  to  act 
toward  us.  Observe,  too,  that  this  rule  works 
in  two  ways ;  while  directly  it  requires  us  to  act 
toward  others  as  we  should  wish  them  to  act 
toward  us,  in  spirit  and  by  implication  it  requires 
us  to  wish  from  others  no  more  than  we  should  be 
wilUng  to  render  to  them  if  our  positions  were 
reversed.  This  is  the  law  and  the  proph- 
ets  (Lev.  19  :  18  J  Isaiah  1  :  17;  Rom.  13  :  lo).       That  iS,   the 

object  of  the  law  and  the  prophets  is  to  produce 
that  state  of  heart  and  life  of  which  the  golden 
rule  is  the  natural  expression  in  daily  conduct. 

13-30.  The  second  condition.  Obedience. 
Verses  13,  14,  state  simply  that  obedience  in- 
volves a  non-conformity  to  and  a  separation  from 
the  world ;  15-20  warns  the  disciples  against 
false  teachers  who  will  attempt  to  substitute 
some  other  conditions  than  faith  and  obedience, 
and  so,  under  one  pretence  or  another,  attempt 

to  widen  the    gate  (Ephes.  e  :  6,  and  reference  below)  ;    and 

verses  21-27  emphasize  the  doctrine  that  there  is 
no  true  religion  which  does  not  show  its  spirit 
by  its  actual  obedience  to  the  precepts  of  the 

Master  (john  U  :  21 ;  15  :  14;  and  reference  below). 

13,  14.  The  strait  gate,  i.  e.,  a  narrow 
and  difficult  gate.  The  word  is  not  the  same  as 
straight.      The  idea  of  narrowness  is  preserved 


in  our  use  of  the  word  strait.'!  to  indicate  a  pass- 
age either  in  the  mountains  or  from  one  sea  to 
another,  as  "Straits  of  Gibraltar"  ;  the  idea  of 
difficulty  is  illustrated  by  its  use  in  the  verse,  "I 
am  in  a  strait  betwixt  two."  Observe,  the  gate 
is  put  before  the  way.  It  is  not,  therefore,  the 
gate  out  of  life  at  the  end  of  the  pOgrimage,  but 
the  gate  into  Christian  life,  as  Bunyan  represents 
it  in  Pilgrim's  Progress  (compare  Psaim  118  :  19,  20). 
The  entrance  into  Christian  life  is  narrow,  i.  e. 
requires  a  true  spiritual  separation  from  the 
world  (Ephes.  5 :  ii),  and  the  life  is  beset  with  diffi- 
culties which  must  be  counted  on  before  entering 
(Luke  9 :  67, 58,  and  notes).  As  uscd  here,  the  gate  is 
not  equivalent  to  the  door  in  John  10  :  3.  The 
strait  gate  is  the  spirit  of  real  and  hearty  alle- 
giance to  Jesus  Christ,  by  ■which  we  enter  in  to 
him.  It  is  the  patient  continuance  in  well-doing 
described  in  Eomans  2  :  7  as  the  condition  of  en- 
trance into  eternal  life ;  it  was  too  strait  for 
the  rich  young  man  described  in  Matt.  19  :  16-23 ; 
through  it  the  apostles  entered  into  the  way 

(ch.  19  :  27,  and  see  ch.  4  :  20,  22  ;  ch.  9  :  9)  ;  Christ  haS  entered 

into  glory  by  the  same  door  and  way  (Phii.  2 : 9, 10  ; 
Heb.  12 : 2).  It  is  uot  becausc  the  gate  is  difficult 
to  find,  but  because  we  are  unwilling  to  find  and 
to  enter  in  through  this  gate,  that  there  are  few 
who  enter.  It  is  wide  enough  to  admit  any  soul, 
but  too  narrow  to  admit  any  sin.  Observe,  too, 
that  not  only  the  gate  is  strait,  but  the  subse- 
quent way  narrow.  Like  a  mountain  path  cut  in 
the  rock,  a  little  deviation  is  attended  with  dan- 
gerous consequences — deviation  not  from  circum- 
scribed rules  but  from  the  spirit  of  Christ's  pre- 
cepts. There  is  possible  significance  in  the  fact 
that  the  word  here  translated  7iarrow,  is  the 
participle  of  the  verb  elsewhere  translated  trou- 
bled (e.  g.,  2  Cor.  4:8;  7:5).  The  Way  is  uarrow  be- 
cause it  is  a  way  hemmed  in  by  persecution,  es- 
pecially to  the  early  Christians,  from  which  perse- 
cution they  were  constantly  tempted  to  escape 
by  going  out  of  the  narrow  path.  The  tempta- 
tion was  the  strait  gate  to  Christ ;  the  trial-hour 
of  Gethsemane  and  Calvary  a  part  of  the  narrow 
way.  Contrast  with  this  teaching  Ps.  119  :  45 ; 
Isa.  35  :  8.  Though  the  way  is  narrow,  it  is  a 
highway  in  which  mere  ignorance  cannot  go 
astray  ;  though  compressed,  it  is  to  him  whose 
heart  is  fully  set  to  walk  in  it  the  way  of  life  and 
of  liberty. 

15-20.  Waknings  against  false  teachers. 
The  Hebrew  word  translated  prophet  is  derived 
from  a  root  signifying  to  boil  over,  and  embodies 


Ch.  VII.] 


MATTHEW. 


113 


17  Even  so  even*  good  tree'  bringeth  forth  good 
fruit :  but  a  corrupt  tree  bringeth  forth  evil  fruit. 

18  A  good  tree  cannot  bring  forth  evil  fruit,  neither 
can  3.  corrupt  tree  bring  forth  good  fruit. 

ig  Every'  tree  that  bringeth  not  forth  good  fruit  is 
hewn  down,  and  cast  into  the  fire. 

20  Wherefore  by  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them. 

21  Not  every  one  that  saith  unto  me,  Lord,  Lord,' 
shall  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven  :  but  he  that 
doeth  the  will  of  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven. 

22  Many  will  say  to  me  in  that  day.  Lord,  Lord, 
have  we  not  prophesied™  in  thy  name?  and  in  thy 
name  have  cast  out  devils  ?  and  in  thy  name  done 
many  wonderful  works  ? 


23  And  then  will  I  profess  unto  them,  I  never  knew 
you  :  depart  from  me,"  ye  that  work  iniquity. 

24  Therefore"  whosoever  heareth  these  sayings  of 
mine,  and  doeth  them,  I  will  liken  him  unto  a  wise? 
man,  which  built  his  house  upon  a  rock  : 

25  And  the  rain  descended,  and  the  floods  came,  and 
the  winds  blew,  and  beat  upon  that  house  ;  and  it  fell 
not:  for  it  was  founded  upon  a  rock.i 

26  And  every  one  that  heareth  these  sayings  of  mine, 
and  doeth  them  not,  shall  be  likened  unto  a  foolish"' 
man,  which  built  his  house  upon  the  sand  : 

27  And  the  rain  descended,  and  the  floods  came,  and 
the  winds  blew,"  and  beat  upon  that  house  ;  and  it  fell : 
and  great  was'  the  fall  of  it 


Luke  6:  43, 45.... k  ch.  3  :  10;  John  15  :  2,  6.... 1  ch.  25:11,  12;  Isa.  48  :  1,2;  Luke  6  :  46  ;  13:25;  Rom.  2:13....m  Num.  24  :  4 ;  1  Kings 
22  :  11,  etc. ;  Jer.  23  :  13,  etc.;  Acts  19  :  13-15;  1  Cor.  13:2....n  ch.26:41;  Pa.  5  :  5  ;  Rev.  22  :  15.... o  Luke  6  :  47,  etc.... p  Ps.  Ill  :  10: 
119:99,  130.... q  Ps.  92  :  13-15.... r  1  Sam.  2  :  30  ;  Jer.  8:9.... s  1  Cor.  3  :  13....t  Hub.  10  :  26,27. 


the  idea  of  a  fountain  bursting  forth  from  the 
heart  of  man  into  which  God  has  poured  it.  It 
thus  signifies  not  merely  a  foreteller,  nor,  on  the 
other  hand,  every  religious  teacher,  but  such  as 
teach  under  divine  inspiration.  A  false  prophet 
is  not  merely  an  erroneous  teacher,  but  a  lying 
teacher,  strictly  speaking  one  pretending  to  an 
inspiration  which  he  does  not  possess  ;  seconda- 
rily, any  teacher  deliberately  deceiving  others ;  it 
does  not  properly  signify  one  deceiving  himself, 
and  so  unconsciously  deceiving  others  (see  ch.  24 :  24 ; 

2  Tim.  2  :  17,  18  ;  2  Pet.  2  :  1 ;  1  John  4 :  l-S).  The  CautiOU  ap- 
plies directly  to  such  in  our  time  as  claim  to  pos- 
sess communication  with  the  spirit-wprld,  or  to  be 
invested  with  direct  and  infallible  authority  to 
speak  for  God ;  indirectly  to  all  who  put  on  a 
semblance  of  piety  for  selfish  purposes,  and  so 
get  a  position  of  honor  as  teacher  in  the  church  ; 
or  who,  without  even  that  pretence,  maintain  the 
position  for  worldly  purposes.  Its  application, 
as  is  made  clear  in  the  next  verse,  is  not  so  much 
to  open  and  avowed  teachers  of  error,  men  who 
deny  the  fundamental  principles  of  the  Gospel,  as 
to  those  who  pretend  to  maintain  but  really  under- 
mine and  destroy  them.  So  Chrysostom:  "By  false 
prophets  I  think  he  shadows  out  not  the  heretics, 
but  them  that  are  of  a  corrupt  life  yet  wear  a 
mask  of  virtue,  whom  the  majority  are  wont  to  call 
by  the  name  of  impostors."  Sheep's  cloth- 
ing. The  metaphor  is  of  a  wolf  putting  on  the 
sheep's  skin  ;  the  thing  signified  is  a  selfish  and 
designing  man  putting  on  the  garb  of  meekness, 
gentleness  and  piety  (2  Cor.  11 :  13,  15 ;  2  Tim.  3:5). 
Ye  shall  know  them.  Literally  fully,  per- 
fectly know  them.  The  infallible  test  of  aU  re- 
ligious teaching  is  its  practical  result  in  the  lives 
of  those  that  receive  it.  The  answer  to  modern 
eulogists  of  Buddhism  and  Confucianism  is  India 
and  China ;  the  answer  to  the  papal  claim  of  in- 
fallibility is  Spain  and  Italy  ;  the  answer  to  the 
eulogists  of  "pure  reason"  and  a  Bible  over- 
thrown is  Paris  during  the  Eevolntion  and  Paris 
during  the  Commune.  New  England  is  the  best 
refutation  of  those  that  sneer  at  Puritanism ; 
and  Christendom,  contrasted  with  the  heathen 
world,  is  a  short  but  conclusive  reply  to  all  ad- 


vocates of  a  universal  and  eclectic  religion. 
Here  the  test  is  applied  only  to  religious  teach- 
ing ;  but  elsewhere  the  same  test  is  applied  to 
the  estimate  of  individual  character  (john  15 :  e,  s). 
31-23.  The  fruits  of  true  religion. 
Practical  obedience  in  daily  life.  He  that  doeth 
the  Avill.  That  will  embraces  trust  in  Christ 
as  our  strength  (john  6 :  29),  love  to  our  fellow-men 
(John  15: 12),  personal  purity  of  character  (iThess. 
4 : 3),  and  the  cultivation  of  the  graces  that  are 

the    fruit  of    the  Spirit    (1  Thess.  5  :  is  ;  1  Pet.  2  :  15 ;  4  :  2, 

etc.).  It  is  by  God's  Spirit  alone  that  we  are  en- 
abled to  do  his  will  (Heb.  13  :  21 :  Rev.  7  :  n).     DevilS. 

See  note  on  demoniacal  possession  (ch.  s :  28-34). 
Then  Avill  I  profess.  Greek,  publicly  profess. 
The  disclosure  of  the  false  character  of  the  fruit- 
less professor  of  religion  will  be  before  men  and 
angels  (Matt.  25 :  32).  Depart  from  me.  God 
now  abides  even  with  the  ungodly,  that  he  may 
lead  them  to  repentance  (Rom.  2 : 4).  He  will  then 
separate  them  from  him  for  ever  (2  Thcss.  2 : 9). 

Compare  with  this  entire  passage  1  Cor.  13  : 
1-3,  and  observe  that  in  the  only  passage  where 
Christ  pictorially  describes  the  judgment-scene, 
the  judgment  is  portrayed  as  dependent  upon 
the  course  of  daily  life  (Matt.  25 :  31-I6) ;  and  that 
the  sentence,  as  recorded  in  Rev.  22  :  11,  is  a 
simple  fixing,  eternally  and  irreversibly,  of  the 
character  formed  here. 

24-27.  Conclusion  of  the  discoukse.  The 
test  of  true  religion.  The  symbol  which  Christ 
employs  here,  would  possess  a  significance  for 
his  hearers  which  it  has  not  for  us.  In  the 
East  the  peasants'  huts  are  often  unsubstantial 
structures,  built  of  mud  or  sun-burnt  brick,  and 
sometimes  washed  away  by  a  single  furious  rain- 
storm. Their  mountain  streams,  too,  are  of  a 
peculiar  character.  These  water-courses,  called 
wadies,  are  in  the  summer  perfectly  dry,  in  the 
rainy  season  they  are  swollen  streams.  The 
shepherd  builds  his  hut  by  one  of  these  water- 
courses, which  often  in  the  summer  weather 
affords  the  only  herbage  which  is  not  burnt  up 
by  the  sun.  If  the  house  is  built  high  up  on  the 
rock  it  is  safe  ;  if  down  on  the  sandy  soil,  though 
there  is  no  water  at  the  time,  the  treacherous 


114 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  VIII. 


28  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Jesus  had  ended  these 
sayings,  the  people  were  astonished"  at  his  doctrine  : 

29  For  he  taught  them  as  one  having  authority,  and 
not  as  the  scribes. 

CHAPTER    VIII. 
HEN  he  was  come  down  from  the  mountain, 
great  multitudes  followed  him. 


w 


2  And,  behold,  there  came  a  leper'  and  worshipped 
him,  saying,  Lord,  if  thou  wilt,  thou  canst  make  me 
clean. 

3  And  Jesus  put  forth  his  hand,  and  touched  him, 
saying,  I  will;  be  thou  clean.  And  immediately  his 
leprosy  was  cleansed. 

4  And  Jesus  saith  unto  him,  See  thou  tell"  no  man; 
but  go  thy  way,  shew  thyself  to  the  priest,  and  offer 


n  Jcr.  23:29;  Mark6:2....T  Mark  1  :  40,  etc.  ;  Luke  5  :  12,  etc. . .  .w  ch.9:30;  Mark  5  :  43. 


foundation  gives  away  with  the  lirst  freshet ; 
and  these  often  come  with  almost  no  note  of 
warning,  and  as  a  result  of  rains  further  up  the 
stream.  A  friend  of  the  writer,  journeying 
through  Palestine,  pitched  his  tent,  one  fair 
night,  in  one  of  these  icadies,  and  was  before 
morning  awakened  by  the  sound  of  water,  from 
which  he  and  his  party  had  barely  time  to  escape 
with  the  loss  of  clothing,  books  and  instruments. 
So  the  trial  of  the  last  great  day  will  come,  with- 
out warning  (jiatt.  24 :  3&-39, 42-44),  and  overwhelm- 
ing those  whose  exterior  was  fair,  but  the  foun- 
dation of  whose  life  was  insecure.  As  the 
builder  would  know,  or  easily  might  know,  the 
danger  of  building  on  the  sand,  and  yet  build 
there  for  the  sake  of  ease  and  transient  conven- 
ience, so  many,  who  confess  that  it  is  not  safe  to 
build  on  any  other  foundation  than  a  practical 
obedience  to  Jesus  Christ,  yet  do  buUd  other- 
wise, and  trust  to  a  vague  hope  to  escape  the 
day  of  trial  when  it  comes. 

The  building  on  the  rock  is  building  on  Christ 
Jesus.  "  The  Rock,  as  signifying  him  who  spoke 
this,  is  of  too  frequent  reference  in  Scripture  for 

us  to  overlook  it  here  (2  Sam.  22  :  2,  4?  ;  23  :  3 ;  Ps.  28  :  1 ; 
31  :  2  ;  Isa.  2G  :  4 ;  32  :  2  ;  44  :  8  ;  1  Cor.  10  :  4,  etc.). ' ' — (_Alf07-d. ) 

Tet  the  contrast  is  not  between  those  who  build 
on  him  and  those  who  lay  other  foundations,  but 
between  those  who  build  on  him  by  mere  intel- 
lectual belief  and  external  profession,  and  those 
who  build  by  practical  obedience  to  his  precepts. 
Compare  ch.  21  :  28-33.  See  for  a  similar  meta- 
phor of  the  judgment-day,  Isaiah  28  :  15-18. 

This  close  gives  a  solemn  significance  to  the 
whole  discourse,  which  indicates  the  super- 
structure of  character  to  be  reared,  while  this 
metaphor  indicates  the  foundation  on  which 
alone  it  can  be  built  (i  cor.  3 :  n).  No  building  of 
kindness  and  good-will  towards  others,  and  of 
purity,  and  of  seeming  simplicity,  complies  with 
the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  unless  the  foundation 
is  laid  in  faith  in  Christ,  and  the  building  is  that 
of  a  real  and  hearty  obedience  to  him. 

28,  29.  Ch.  8  :  1.  Effect  of  Christ's 
PREACHING.  Doctrine,  i.  c,  teaching.  Not 
only  what  he  taught,  but  the  method  and  spirit 
of  his  teaching.  As  one  having  authority. 
Not  only  because,  as  Chrysostom,  "He  did  not 
say  what  he  said  on  the  authority  of  others, 
quoting  Moses  or  the  prophets,  but  everywhere 
alleging  himself  to  be  the  One  who  had  the 


power  ;"  but  also  because  his  appeal  was  not  to 
any  external  authority  but  to  the  moral  con- 
sciousness of  his  hearers,  to  the  law  of  God  writ- 
ten in  their  own  hearts,  and  because  he  spoke 
out  of  a  perfect  and  personal  assurance  of  the 
truth  of  every  utterance ;  for  he  was  the  truth. 
In  this  sense  every  religious  teacher  should  imi- 
tate the  example  of  him  who  is  the  great 
preacher.  He  will  speak  with  authority  just  in 
so  far  as  the  truth  is  a  part  of  his  own  being,  not 
merely  an  external  dogma  intellectually  appre- 
hended, and  as  he  appeals  to  the  dormant  con- 
sciousness of  moral  truth,  which  is  in  the  heart 
and  conscience  of  every  man. 

Ch.  8:1.  Great  multitudes  followed 
him.  His  preaching  not  only  singularly  and 
powerfully  affected  his  hearers,  but  it  attracted 
hearers  to  him.  During  this  early  period  of  his 
ministry  he  was  thronged  by  multitudes,  not 
only  curious  to  see  or  desirous  to  receive  the 
benefit  of  his  miracles,  but  also  fascinated  by  the 
moral  and  spiritual  power  of  his  teaching. 


Ch.  8  :  2-4.— Ctjee  op  the  leper— Leprosy  a  type 

OP  SIN,  rNSIDIOUS,  DEADLY,  HEREDITARY,  OFTEN  CON- 
TAGIOUS.—THE  SPIRIT  OP  TRUE  PRAYER  :  IP  THOU  WILT 

THOU  CANST.- Christ  touches  the  leper;  Christ 
IS  the  touch  op  God's  hand  on  a  sko'ul  world. — 
Christ's  cleansing;  perfect,  immediate,  cleanses 

FROM  the  foulest  AND  THE  MOST  INERADICABLE  DIS- 
EASES (1  John  1 :  9).— The  duty  op  the  cleansed; 

A  PUBLIC  ACKNOWLEDGMENT  OP  HIS  PURIFICATION, 
AND  A  PUBLIC  RETURN  TO  THE  CHURCH. 

2-4.  This  incident— the  healing  of  the  leper— 
also  recorded  in  Mark  1  :  40-45  ;  Luke  5  :  13-15, 
occurred  during  Christ's  first  missionary  tour 
through  Galilee,  as  described  in  Mark  1  :  21-45. 
Its  apparent  connection  with  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount  is  due  to  the  modern  division  of  the  N.  T. 
into  chapters.  Verse  1  of  this  chapter  properly 
belongs  with  the  preceding  chapter,  and  the 
words  "and  behold  "  mark  a  transition  from  the 
preceding  narrative.  If  Christ  were  on  a  tour  of 
healing,  and  the  leper  had  heard  of  the  cures 
Christ  had  wrought,  his  appeal  for  help  would 
not  be  extraordinary ;  but  it  is  incredible  that 
such  faith  as  he  manifested  should  have  been 
awakened  by  a  sermon  which  he  could  not  pos- 
sibly have  heard.  Nor  is  it  probable  that  he 
would  have  been  found  in  the  midst  of  the 
multitude  mentioned  in  verse  1;   nor,   if  the 


Ch.  VIIL] 


MATTHEW. 


115 


cure  had  been  performed  in  their  hearing,  would 
the  caution  of  verse  4  be  likely  to  have  been 
given.  These  considerations  lead  most  harmon- 
ists to  prefer  the  order  indicated  in  Mark  to  that 
which  seems  to  be  implied  by  Matthew.  The 
cure  took  place  in  a  city  (Luke  5 :  12),  apparently 
not  Capernaum  (Mark  1 :  38-40). 

2.  There  came  a  leper.  Luke  says  "full 
of  leprosy  ;  "  an  indication  that  it  was  an  aggra- 
vated form  of  the  disease  from  which  he  suffered. 
In  coming  to  Christ,  in  the  city,  for  cure,  the 
leper  violated  the  letter  of  the  ancient  law  (Lev. 
13 :  46),  but  not  its  spirit.     See  on  verse  3,  below. 

In  the  absence  of  accurate  medical  knowl- 
edge the  term  leprosy  was  used  in  ancient  times 
to  designate  diseases  whose  natures  were  radi- 
cally different,  but  whose  symptoms  were  some- 
what analogous.  In  its  worst  forms,  leprosy 
{elephantiasis  Grcecorum)  is  the  most  terrible  of 
all  diseases.  From  a  commencement  slight  in 
appearance,  with  but  little  pain  or  inconven- 
ience, it  goes  on  in  its  strong  but  sluggish  course, 
generally  in  defiance  of  medical  skill,  till  it  re- 
duces the  patient  to  a  mutilated  cripple,  with 
dulled  or  obliterated  senses.  This  disease  as- 
sumes several  forms,  the  most  common  of  which 
is  known  as  the  tuherculatecl  elephantiasis.  It 
generally  first  shows  itself  by  inflamed  patches 
in  the  skin,  on  the  face,  ears,  or  hands,  of  a  dull 
red  or  purplish  hue,  from  half  an  inch  to  two 
inches  in  diameter.  These  soon  change  to  a 
brownish  or  bronze  color,  with  a  metallic  or  oily 
lustre,  and  a  clearly  defined  edge ;  and  in  this 
state  they  very  often  remain  for  weeks  or 
months.  By  degrees  the  discolored  surface  be- 
comes hard,  and  rises  here  and  there  into  tuber- 
cles, at  first  reddish,  but  afterward  either 
bronzed  or  white.  The  scarf-skin  often  scales 
off.  After  another  period  of  weeks,  months,  or 
even  years,  many  of  the  tubercles  subside,  and 
leave  a  kind  of  cicatrix  thinner  than  the  sur- 
rounding skin.  The  tubercles  which  do  not  sub- 
side, or  which  break  out  again,  may  vary  from 
the  size  of  a  pea  to  that  of  a  pigeon's  egg,  and, 
after  continuing,  it  may  be,  for  years,  they  ulcer- 
ate, discharging  a  whitish  matter.  The  ulcers 
often  eat  into  the  muscle  till  they  expose  the 
bones ;  should  there  be  any  hair  on  the  tuber- 
cles it  either  falls  off  or  turns  white,  and  the 
hair  of  the  head  and  eyebrows  mostly  disappears. 
When  the  disease  is  fully  formed,  the  distorted 
face,  and  the  livid,  encrusted,  and  ulcerated  tu- 
bercles, the  deformed,  sightless  and  uncovered 
eyes,  the  hoarse  whispering  voice,  the  foetid 
breath  and  cutaneous  excretion,  the  contorted 
joints,  which  are  often  buried  in  or  absolutely 
dislocated  by  tubercles,  the  livid  patches  on 
those  parts  of  the  body  not  yet  tuberculous,  all 
form  a  picture  which  is  not  exceeded  in  the  hor- 
ror of  its  features  by  any  other  malady.    The 


disease  for  the  most  part  creeps  on  with  irresis- 
tible progress  until  it  attacks  some  vital  organ 
and  occasions  death. 

Whether  leprosy  is  contagious  or  not  has ' 
greatly  perplexed  both  the  divines  and  physi- 
cians. The  cases  of  Naaman  and  Gehazi  (2  Kincs 
6 : 1,  and  27,  with  ch.  8 : 4)  indicate  Very  clearly  that  some 
forms  of  the  disorder  were  not  so  regarded.  It 
is  also  asserted  by  Trench  that  the  leper  was 
allowed  a  place,  though  apart  from  the  rest  of 
the  worshippers,  in  the  synagogue,  and  in  later 
times  in  Christian  churches.  On  the  other  hand 
leprosy  is  universally  regarded  as  a  contagious 
disease  in  the  East,  where  it  is  chiefly  prevalent. 
"No  healthy  person  would  touch  them,  eat  with 
them,  or  use  any  of  their  clothes  or  utensils,  and 
with  good  reason."  ( Thompson'' s  Land  and  Book, 
2  :  517. )  And  it  is  only  upon  the  theory  of  con- 
tagion that  it  is  possible  to  account  for  the  Mo- 
saic precepts  and  provisions  referred  to  below. 
The  fact  appears  to  be,  that  of  the  several  dis- 
eases designated  in  the  Bible  as  leprosy,  the 
worst  form  (tubercular  leprosy)  is  contagious, 
but  the  milder  (squamous  leprosy)  is  not;  and 
that  the  provisions  contained  in  Lev.  ch.  13  were 
for  the  purpose  of  determining  oflBcially  whether 
the  person  suspected  of  having  the  leprosy  really 
had  the  contagious  or  only  the  milder  form  of 
the  disease. 

In  its  worst  form  leprosy  was  universally  re- 
garded by  the  Jews  as  a  divine  punishment ;  and 
the  disease  was  several  times  inflicted  by  God  in 
judgment  for  flagrant  transgressions  (Numb.  12 :  10 ; 

2  Kings  5  :  27  ;  15  :  5  J   2  Chron.  26  :  19).       The   Icpcr  WaS  CX- 

iled  from  the  haunts  of  men,  bore  about  with 
him  the  emblems  of  death,  and  wherever  he  went 
cried,  as  a  warning  of  his  coming,    "Unclean, 

unclean"    (Lev.  13  :  45;  compare  Numb.  12:  12;    Ezek.  24  :  n)  ; 

his  disease  was  regarded  by  universal  consent  as 
hopeless  of  cure  ;  and  this  opinion,  so  far  as  re- 
gards its  worse  forms,  is  confirmed  by  modern 
science.  The  same  opinions  and  sentiments  re- 
specting it  reappear  at  a  later  date,  as  in  Europe 
during  the  middle  ages,  when  the  leper  was 
clothed  in  a  shroud,  and  had  mass  for  the  dead 
read  over  him ;  and  at  the  present  day,  not  only 
in  Palestine  but  also  in  Persia,  China,  Japan,  and 
indeed  throughout  the  East  where  the  disease  is 
well  known.  Lepers  associated  together  in  com- 
munities of  their  own  as  they  still  do  (2  Kings  7:3; 
Luke  17 :  12),  and  the  leper-houses  which  now  exist 
in  the  vicinity  of  Jerusalem,  Damascus,  Nablus, 
and  Ramleh  probably  originated  at  a  very  early 
period.  The  Mosaic  law  provided  for  the  official 
determination  of  the  question  whether  a  person 
suspected  of  being  afflicted  by  leprosy  was  really 
subject  to  it  or  not,  and  whether  the  leprosy  was 
of  the  more  dangerous  forms  or  no.  These  provi- 
sions are  recorded  in  Lev.  ch.  13.  If  the  leprosy 
were  the  milder  form,  affecting  the  skin  only,  or 


116 


MATTHEW.  [Ch.  VIII. 


if  it  covered  the  whole  body  with  a  white  erup- 
tion (verses  12,  is),  a  sign  that  it  was  not  the  conta- 
gious form  of  the  disease,  but  what  is  known  as 
the  lepra  vulgaris,  the  patient  was  to  be  pro- 
nounced clean  an'd  discharged. 

The  whole  character  of  this  disease  made  it  a 
type  of  sin;  it  was  a  '■Hiving  deaih,^^  appeared  in- 
sidiously, was  incurable  except  by  divine  grace,  and 
separated  its  victim  from  the  people  of  God.  "  The 
Jews  called  it  '  the  finger  of  God, '  and  emphati- 
cally 'the  stroke.'  It  attacked,  they  said,  first  a 
man's  house,  and  then,  if  he  refused  to  turn,  his 
clothing ;  and  lastly,  should  he  persist  in  sin, 
himself." — {Trench.)  "The  same  emblems  were 
used  in  his  misery  as  those  of  mourning  for  the 
dead;  the  same  means  of  cleansing  as  for  un- 
cleanness  through  connection  with  the  dead,  and 
which  were  never  used  except  on  these  two  occa- 
sions. Compare  Numb.  19 : 6, 13, 18,  with  Lev.  14 : 
4-7.  All  this  exclusion  and  mournful  separation 
imported  the  perpetual  exclusion  of  the  abom- 
inable and  polluted  from  the  true  city  of  God, 
as  declared  in  Rev.  21 :  37." — {Alford.) 

Worshipped,  No  great  stress  can  be  laid 
upon  this  word,  or  the  word  "Lord,"  as  radica- 
ting the  divinity  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  Greek 
word  {TtQoaxvrid}),  translated  worshipped,  is  a 
general  one,  expressive  of  the  homage  paid  by 
an  inferior  to  a  superior.  "According to  Herod- 
otus, the  ancient  Oriental,  and  especially  Per- 
sian mode  of  salutation  was,  between  persons  of 
equal  rank,  to  kiss  each  other  on  the  lips  ;  when 
the  difference  of  rank  was  slight,  they  kissed 
each  other  on  the  cheek ;  when  one  was  much 
Inferior,  he  fell  upon  his  knees  and  touched  his 
forehead  to  the  ground,  or  prostrated  himself, 
kissing  his  hand  at  the  same  time  towards  his 
superior.  This  latter  mode  Greek  writers  ex- 
press by  {nQoay.vviv))  proskuneo.''^ — {Robinson^ s 
Lexicon. )  This  word  is  uniformly  translated,  in 
the  N.  T.,  worship.  The  act  of  the  leper  is  more 
fully  described  by  Mark  1  :  40,  as  "beseeching 
him  and  kneeling  down  to  him."  Similar  hom- 
age was  paid  by  Lot  to  the  angels  (Gen.  i9 :  i) ; 
Joseph's  brethren  to  Joseph  (ch.  42 :  e) ;  and  by 
Joseph  to  his  father  (ch.  48  :  12).  And  in  the 
Septuagint,  the  Greek  version  of  the  0.  T.,  the 
same  Greek  word  {nooay.vvko)  is  used.  Compare 
Matt.  20  :  20,  and  Rev.  3:9.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  same  word  is  used  in  the  N.  T.  to 
express  the  highest  worship  of  God,  as  in 
John  4  :  20-24,  and  Rev.  7  :  11 ;  19  :  10,  etc.  It 
should  also  be  noted  that  the  term  Lord  {y.vqiog) 
is  not  used  exclusively  as  an  appellation  of  the 
Deity.  It  is  employed  as  a  common  form  of  ad- 
dress to  a  superior,  answers  to  our  "  sir,"  and  is 
so  occasionally  translated  (Matt.  13 :  27 ;  21  -.  so ;  27 :  63) ; 
it  is  addressed  to  the  apostles  in  one  important 
instance,  and  received  by  them  without  rebuke 
(acui6:3o);  Eud  it  is  rendered  "master"  and 


"owner"  (Matt. 6:24;  Luke  19 : 33) ;  and  if  translated 
lord  is  spelt  with  a  small  I  in  those  passages 
where  the  translators  regard  it  as  not  involving 
any  idea  of  divine  homage  (Matt.  24 :  45-50 :  25 :  is,  19). 
The  same  English  word  "  lord  "  is  employed  in 
England  to  this  day  as  a  title  of  nobility.  But 
though  the  fact  that  the  leper  paid  this  homage 
to  Christ  does  not  indicate  that  he  conceived  him 
to  be  possessed  of  a  divine  charactei',  the  fact 
that  Christ  in  this  and  other  instances  received 
the  homage  without  question,  indicates  that  he 
assumed  at  least  a  super-human  character.  Com- 
pare his  instructions  to  his  disciples  in  Matt. 
23  :  8-10,  and  Peter's  reception  of  similar  hom- 
age when  offered  to  him  in  Acts  10  :  25,  26. 

If  thou  wilt.  Contrast  Mark  9  :  22.  The 
leper  does  not  doubt  Christ's  power,  he  does 
not  dictate  to  his  will.  "He  did  not  say,  'If 
thou  request  it  of  God,'  nor  'If  thou  pray,' 
nor  'Lord,  cleanse  me,'  but  leaves  all  to  him, 
and  makes  his  recovery  depend  on  him,  and  tes- 
tifies that  all  the  authority  is  his." — {Chrysos- 
tom.)  Observe  that  the  prayer  is  not  for  a  spirit- 
ual benefit,  but  for  a  temporal  blessing,  which 
Christ  may  refuse  to  impart  (acor.  12:8, 9),  and 
which  must  always  be  asked  for  subject  to  the 
higher  will  of  God.  In  this  the  leper's  prayer  is 
a  model  in  spirit  for  us.  Observe,  too,  that  if 
the  leper  were  mistaken  in  attributing  to  Christ 
the  power  to  cleanse  from  leprosy,  it  was  Christ's 
place  to  correct  the  error,  and  to  attribute  the 
power  to  God,  as  the  apostles  did  in  a  somewhat 
similar  case  (Acts  3 :  12).  On  the  contrary,  he  con- 
firms it  with  his  "/ wi7Z."  Contrast  with  this 
assumption  of  power  to  heal,  Moses'  prayer  for 
the  healing  of  Miriam  (Numb.  12 :  13).  It  was  a 
general  belief  among  the  Jews,  taught  by  their 
rabbinical  books,  that  one  of  the  signs  of  the 
Messiah  would  be  his  power  to  cure  leprosy. 

Clean.  The  curse  of  leprosy  was  not 
merely  in  the  suffering  it  caused,  but  yet  more 
in  the  odium  it  entaUed,  and  in  the  fact  that  it 
made  the  Jew  "unclean,"  i.  e.,  an  outcast,  and 
classed  with  swine  and  dogs  and  all  odious  and 
abhorrent  creatures.  The  leper's  prayer  is  not 
therefore,  Make  me  well,  but.  Make  me  clean, 
take  away  the  shame  and  the  moral  pollution  of 
this  disease. 

3.  Be  thou  clean.  The  diseases,  as  the 
devils,  obey  Christ.  Touched  him.  Mark 
gives  the  reason,  "moved  with  compassion;" 
the  touch  was  a  touch  of  pity,  the  more  wonder- 
ful because  not  only  a  universal  prejudice,  but 
also  the  Levitical  law  forbade  touching  any  un- 
clean thing  (Lev.  5 : 3).  Yet  even  in  this  act  Christ 
exemplifies  the  truth  that  he  had  come  to  fulfill 
the  law,  though  he  seemed  to  violate  it,  and  did 
violate  its  letter.  For  the  object  of  the  law  was 
the  preservation  of  purity  ;  but  Christ  did  better 
than  preserve  himself  from  impurity ;   by  hia 


ch.  vm.] 


MATTHEW. 


117 


the  gift  that  Moses  commanded,'  for  a  testimony  unto  ]      5  And  when  Jesus  was  entered  into  Capernaum, 
them.  there  came  unto  liim  a  centurion,?  beseeching  him, 


Lev.  14  :  3,  etc y  Luke  7  :  2, 


touch  he  communicated  purity  to  the  impure. 
It  is  7iever  wrong  to  come  in  contact  with  evil  for  the 
purpose  of  curing  it,  if  we  are  strong  in  God  to  ac- 
complish our  beneficent  purpose.  To  touch  the 
dead  was  forbidden,  yet  both  Elijah  and  Elisha 

did  so  (l  Kings  17  :  21 ;  2  Kings  4  :  34),  for  the  laW  of  lOVC 

is  always  superior  to  any  mere  ceremonial  regu- 
lation. Immediately.  Mark  says,  "As  soon 
as  he  had  spoken."  Observe  that,  assuming 
that  we  have  a  true  account,  there  was  no  room 
for  mistake  or  for  the  operation  of  natural 
causes.  The  leper  was  "full  of  leprosy,"  and 
was  cured  "immediately." 

4.  Shew  thyself  to  the  priest.  TheLeviti- 
cal  law  provided  that  when  a  leper  claimed  to  be 
healed,  he  should  present  himself  to  the  priest, 
his  healing  should  be  officially  passed  upon  by 
the  priest,  and  certain  sacrificial  ceremonies  per- 
formed, among  which  was  the  giving  by  the  man 
of  three  lambs,  with  fine  flour  and  oil ;  if  he 
were  poor  a  less  costly  gift  might  be  substituted. 
The  directions  are  contained  in  Lev.  ch.  14.  The 
birds  and  cedar-wood,  and  scarlet  and  hyssop, 
there  referred  to  (verse  4)  were  no  part  of  the  gift, 
but  were  provided  by  the  priest.  The  object  of 
this  ceremonial  was  both  sanitary  and  ceremo- 
nial. It  secured  the  community  against  the  con- 
tagion of  lepers  who  had  not  been  really  healed, 
by  requiring  the  official  sanction  of  the  jjriest, 
and  it  also  kept  alive  the  symbolism  which  rep- 
resented leprosy  as  a  tj'pe  of  sin  which,  for  its 
cleansing,  requires  divine  pardon  as  well  as  phj's- 
ical  cure.  It  must  be  remembered  that  the 
priests  were  the  learned  class  of  the  early  ages, 
and  that  the  practice  of  medicine  was  chiefly 
confined,  in  ancient  lands,  to  the  priesthood  and 
the  temples.  Jesus  directed  the  leper  to  comply 
with  this  law,  and  thus  reunite  himself  with  tlie 
church  from  which  his  leprosy  had  separated  him. 

See  thou  tell  no  mau.  Because,  (a,)  Jesus 
would  not  have  the  leper  make  a  boast  of  his 
miraculous  cure,  glory  in  it  and  in  himself  as  a 
special  object  of  divine  favor  ;  (&,)  if  the  reputa- 
tion of  his  marvellous  cure  preceded  him  to  Je- 
rusalem, the  priests  might  deny  that  the  man 
had  ever  been  a  leper,  or  was  now  truly  cleansed, 
otherwise  they  would  condemn  themselves  and 
their  opposition  to  Jesus  out  of  their  own  mouth  ; 
(c, )  Christ  customarily  imposed  silence  on  the  sub- 
jects of  his  cures,  because  he  would  not  that  the 
faith  of  the  people  should  rest  upon  the  external 
evidence  afforded  by  miracles,  but  upon  their  spi- 
ritual apprehension  of  the  truth  itself,  (see  Matt.  12 : 
15-21, 38,  u9.)  The  evidence  from  miracles  he  always 
treated  as  less  valuable  than  the  evidence  which 


the  truth  carried  in  itself  (john  u :  11).  Christ  and 
Christian  truth  are  always  the  best  evidence  of  Chris- 
tianity. Testimony  unto  them.  These  words 
are  to  be  connected  with  Christ's  command,  not 
with  that  of  Moses.  The  original  may  be  trans- 
lated as  in  our  version,  or  "/or  a  testimony 
against  them. "  Both  ideas  are  involved.  Their 
official  recognition  that  the  leper  was  truly 
cleansed  would  render  the  miracle  a  conclusive 
testimony  to  them  of  Christ's  healing  power ;  it 
would  be  no  less  a  testimony  against  them,  be- 
cause by  accepting  the  gift  and  recognizing  the 
cure  the  priests  would  testify  against  their  own 
incredulity  and  rejection  of  Jesus  as  the  Messiah. 

Ch.  8  !  5-13.  THE  CURE  OF  THE  CENTURION'S  SER- 
VANT.—Exempliticatign  of  FAITH  (10)  ;  IT  18  HUMBLE 
(8),  CONFIDENT  (8,  9),  ACCOMPANIES  PRACTICAL  BENEVO- 
LENCE (6,  Luke  7  :  1),  has  its  eeward  (13).— Christ's 

KINGDOM  IS  COMPREHENSIVE,  INCLUDES  THE  OUTCASTS 
OF  EARTH  (11)  ;  IS  EXCLUSIVE,  CASTS  OUT  THE  NATU- 
RAL BUT  UNWORTHY  HEm  (12). — In  THE  KINGDOM  OP 
HEAVEN  ARE  LIGHT,  JOY,  CHRISTIAN  SOCIETY  (11)  ;  IN 
THE  KINGDOM  OF  SaTAN  DARKNESS,  DESPAIR,  OUT- 
CASTS (12). 

This  incident  is  recorded  by  Luke  (7 : 1-10)  more 
fully  than  by  ilatthew ;  for  that  the  two  ac- 
counts are  of  the  same  incident  is  beyond  rea- 
sonable doubt.  It  is  not  to  be  confounded  with 
the  cure  of  the  nobleman's  son  (jchn  4 :  46-54 ;  see 
notes  there).  It  appears  from  Luke  that  the  miracle 
was  wrought  immediately  after  Christ's  Sermon 
on  the  Mount,  and  on  his  descent  from  the  moun- 
tain; that  the  sick  person,  who  is  here  called 
boy  or  child  (see  on  verse  6,  below),  was  a  scrvaut  who 
was  dear  to  the  centurion ;  that  the  centurion 
was  a  favorite  vrith  the  Jews,  having  buUt  a  syn- 
agogue for  them  ;  that  he  did  not  go  in  person, 
but  sent  the  elders  of  the  Jews  to  intercede  for 
him ;  and  that  when  he  heard  that  Jesus  was 
coming  he  sent  a  second  delegation  with  the 
message,  "lam  not  worthy,"  etc.  The  careful 
study  of  these  two  accounts  is  itself  a  lesson  in 
biblical  interpretation.  They  show  that  the 
Evangelists  give  only  the  essential  facts,  those 
that  are  necessary  to  an  understanding  of  the 
moral  significance  of  the  teaching  or  the  miracle. 

5.  Capernaum.  See  Matt,  i  :  13.  Centu- 
rion. A  Roman  military  officer.  All  Palestme 
was  under  Roman  military  government ;  this 
centurion  was  probably  connected  with  the  gar- 
rison at  Capernaum.  The  Roman  army  was  di- 
vided into  legions,  answering  to  our  army  corps, 
varying  in  size  from  three  thousand  to  six  thou- 
sand men  ;  each  legion  was  divided  into  ten  co- 
horts, usually  called  m  the  N.  T.  the  "band;" 


118 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  VIIL 


6  And  saying.  Lord,  my  servant  lieth  at  home  sick 
of  the  palsy,  grievously  tormented. 

7  And  J  esus  saith  unto  him,  I  will  come  and  heal  him. 

8  The  centurion  answered  and  said,  Lord,  I  am  not 
worthy^  that  tliou  shouldest  come  under  my  roof:  but 
speak  the  word  only,"  and  my  servant  shall  be  healed. 

9  For  I  am  a  man  under  authority,  having  soldiers 


under  me:  and  I  say  to  this  ?«««,  Go,  and  he  goeth; 
and  to  another,  Come,  and  he  cometh  ;  and  to  my  ser- 
vant, Do  this,  and  he  doeth  it. 

10  When  Jesus  heard  zV,  he  marvelled,  and  said  to 
them  that  followed,  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  1  have  not 
found  so  great  faith,''  no,  not  in  Israel. 

11  And  1  say  unto  you,  Thaf^  many  shall  come  from 


Pa.  10:17;  Luke  15  :  19,  21 a  verse  3 ;  Ps.  33  :  9  ;  107  :  20 b  cl>.  15  :  28 c  Isa.  2 :  2, 3  ;  Luke  13 :  29  ;  Acts  11:18,  Eph.  3:6;  Rev.  7  : 9. 


the  cohort  was  divided  iuto  three  mauiples,  and 
each  mauiple  was  divided  iuto  two  centuries. 
These  last  contained  from  fifty  to  one  hundred 
men,  answering  to  our  company,  and  each  one 
v/as  commanded  by  a  centurion,  ausweriug  to 
our  captain.  There  were  thus  in  each  legion 
sixty  centuries,  each  under  the  command  of  a 
centurion. 

G.  My  servant.  The  Greek  word  («atc), 
translated  so-vant,  answers  very  nearly  to  the 
French  tavra.  garden,  and  to  our  term  hoy  ;  but  it 
indicates  that  the  relation  between  this  centurion 
and  his  servant  or  boy  was  one  unusually  tender 
(see  Luke  7 : 2).  Such  instauccs  of  afEcction  are  more 
common  in  military  than  in  domestic  service. 
The  regard  which  the  master  should  have  for  his 
servant,  especially  in  case  of  sickness,  has  been 
noted  by  the  commentators  as  one  of  the  morals 
indicated  by  this  incident.  "This  centurion  did 
not  act  as  many  masters  do  when  their  servants 
are  afflicted — have  them  immediately  removed  to 
an  infirmary  or  a  work-house." — (Adam  Clarke.) 
liieth  at  home  sick  of  the  palsy.  The  dis- 
ease indicated  is  not  certain,  for  the  ancients 
grouped  many  diseases  together  because  of  a 
certain  similarity  in  symptoms  which  modern 
science  discriminates,  on  account  of  their  difEer- 
ent  causes  and  tneir  intrmsic  nature.  It  may 
have  been  a  form  of  paralysis,  which  is  some- 
times accompanied  with  severe  pain  ;  or  it  may 
have  been  tetanus,  or  lock-jaw,  which  in  the  East 
is  not  infrequently  connected  with  paralysis.  He 
was  in  great  pain,  "grievously  tormented,"  and 
was  "  ready  to  die  "  (Luke  7 : 2). 

8.  Answered.  By  a  second  delegation  which 
the  centurion  sent  when  he  heard  that  Christ 
was  coming  (Luke  7 :  c).  What  is  done  through 
another  is  often  spoken  of  in  Scripture,  as  in 
other  books,  as  done  by  the  person  who  directs 
it.  See  Gen.  40  :  22  ;  41  :  56  ;  and  compare  Mark 
10  :  35  with  Matt.  20  :  20.  I  am  not  Avorthy. 
Observe  three  estimates  of  the  centurion's  char- 
acter ;  first,  his  own,  not  worthy,  because  a  Gen- 
tile, and  because  a  sinner ;  second,  the  Jewish 
estimate,  ivorthy,  because  he  had  built  a  Jewish 
synagogue,  the  highest  encomium  on  character 
which  a  Je^vish  elder  could  pass  on  a  Gentile 
outcast  (Luke  7 : 4, 5) ;  third,  Jesus'  estimate,  wor- 
thy, because  of  his  faith,  and  needing  no  commen- 
dation from  Jewish  elders,  but  himself  an  exam- 
ple and  a  rebuke  to  them.  Come  under  my 
roof.     "  Counting  himself  unworthy  that  Jesus 


should  enter  into  his  doors,  he  was  counted  wor- 
thy that  Jesus  should  enter  into  his  heart." — 
{Augustine.)  Speak  the  word.  Contrast  the 
centurion's  faith,  who  trusts  all  to  the  word  of 
Christ,  with  Martha's,  who  trusts  only  to  his 
prayer  to  God.    John  11  :  21,  22. 

9.  Under  authority.  The  military  author- 
ity of  the  East  is  even  greater  than  in  our  own 
country.  "No  one  ever  inquires  into  the  reason 
of  an  order  of  the  rajah." — (Burder's  Oriental 
Literature.)  The  idea  appears  to  be,  I  am  under 
authority  ;  yet  my  servants  do  my  bidding  with- 
out questioning ;  you  are  no  subordinate,  how 
much  more  will  disease  obey  you  without  ques- 
tioning or  requiring  your  presence  to  confirm 
your  command.  But  it  is  in  no  way  probable 
that  the  centurion  had  any  clear  comprehension 
of  an  Almighty  power  in  Christ,  or  regarded  him 
in  any  other  light  than  as  a  prophet  and  a  worker 
of  miracles.  To  deduce  from  this  an  argument 
for  the  divine  power  and  character  of  Jesus  is  to 
attribute  to  the  uninstructed  centurion  uot  only 
a,  faith  but  a  knowledge  which  the  apostles  did  not 
acquire  until  after  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  from 
the  dead. 

10.  When  Jesus  heard  it  he  marvelled. 
The  significance  of  such  declarations  as  this  is 
not  to  be  impaired  by  such  interpretations  as 
that  of  Augustine,  "for  our  good  that  we  may 
imitate  the  centurion's  faith."  It  is  difficult  to 
understand  how  Christ,  endowed  with  perfect 
knowledge  of  what  was  in  man,  could  marvel  at 
any  disclosure  ;  but  not  more  difficult  than  to 
understand  how  he  could  rejoice,  weep,  be 
tempted,  have  spiritual  struggles.  It  is  a  part 
of  that  inexplicable  mystery  which  belongs  to  a 
nature  too  deep  for  our  comprehension.  It  is 
not  to  be  explained  away  in  the  vain  endeavor  to 
make  a  clear  and  easily  comprehensible  analysis 
of  his  character.  What  David  said  of  the  knowl- 
edge of  God  (Psalm  133 :  e)  wc  may  say  of  the  char- 
acter of  Christ :  It  is  too  wonderful  for  us,  we 
cannot  attain  unto  it.  So  great  faith.  "To 
have  high  imaginations  concerning  him,  this 
especially  is  of  faith  and  tends  to  procure  the 
kingdom  and  his  other  blessings. " — {Chiijsostom.) 
But  this  surely  is  not  all.  It  was  not  merely  be- 
lief, or  hope,  or  expectation,  which  was  exempli- 
fied, but/((i('7i,  as  a  moral  power  impelling  to  ac- 
tion against  moral  obstacles.  It  was  not  merely 
an  intellectual  perception,  but  also  a  moral  resolu- 
tion, which  made  the  naturally  skeptical  Roman 


Ch.  VIIL] 


MATTHEW. 


119 


the  east  and  west,  and  shall  sit  down  with  Abraham, 
and  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

12  But  the  children  of  the  kingdom''  shall  be  cast  out 
into  outer  darkness:  there  shall  be  weeping'  and 
gnashing  of  teeth. 


13  And  Jesus  said  unto  the  centurion,  Go  thy  way; 
and  as  thou  hast  believed,  so  be  it  done  unto  thee. 
And  his  servant  was  healed  in  the  selfsame  hour. 

14  And  when  Jesus  was  come  into  Peter's  house,  he 
saw  his  wife's  mother  laid,'  and  sick  of  a  fever. 


d  ch.  7  :  22,  23 e  ch.  13  :  42,  50 f  Mark  1  :  30,  31 ;  Luke  4  :  38,  39. 


apply  to  a  messenger  of  the  God  of  the  Jews, 
which  made  the  naturally  proud  Roman  apply  to 
a  prophet  of  a  people  whom  the  Romans  de- 
spised and  classed  with  slaves,  which  made  a 
naturally  haughty  military  officer  recognize  the 
superior  authority  of  one  who  was  under  his 
military  control,  but  whose  power  was  from 
above,  which  made  the  naturally  callous  Roman 
appeal  for  help,  not  on  his  own  behalf,  but  on 
that  of  a  mere  chattel  servant. 

11.  Many  shall  come.  The  question  is 
sometimes  still  asked  whether  any  of  the  hea- 
then, who  have  never  known  of  and  received 
Christ,  will  be  admitted  to  heaven,  Christ  an- 
swers the  question,  at  least  by  implication,  here 
and  in  Luke  13  :  29.  Compare  Romans  3  :  8-11, 
and  observe  that  the  Gentiles  referred  to  in  the 
lat.ter  passage,  and  to  whom  Paul  declares  there 
Is  at  least  a  possibility  of  salvation,  are  those  that 
never  have  received  a  written  law,  i.  c,  the  Bible 
(verses  12-15),  and  that  in  the  case  of  the  centurion 
the  spirit  of  faith  preceded  any  knowledge  of 
Christ,  and  that  there  is  nothing  to  show  that 
this  Roman  had  any  clear  and  correct  intellec- 
tual apprehension  of  Christ's  character,  or  of 
his  kingdom.  Sit  down.  To  sit  at  table  with 
other  immortals  is  a  common  metaphor  among 
ancient  writers  to  express  future  felicity. 

12.  Cast  out  into  outer  darkness.  "An 
emblem  of  such  as  are  rejected  and  cast  out  of 
the  door  at  the  marriage-feast  to  which  they  had 
come.  In  despair  they  weep  and  gnash  their 
teeth.  The  Jews  generally  had  their  great  feasts 
in  the  evening ;  those  cast  out  are  therefore  in 
darkness." — {Burder''s  Oriental  Literature.)  See 
for  fuller  interpretation  notes  on  Matt.  25  : 1-13. 
Observe  that,  (a,)  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  rep- 
resented as  one  of  light  and  joy  ;  (&,)  that  punish- 
ment consists  in  exclusion  from  God  and  the 
companionship  of  the  holy.  There  is  no  sugges- 
tion here  of  positive  torments,  and  although  there 
are  such  intimations  elsewhere  (Matt,  is :  so ;  is :  34, 
35  J  Mark  9 :  43-48 ;  Luke  16 :  23),  yet  the  Contrast  is  very 
marked  throughout  Christ's  teachings  between 
his  representations  of  future  punishment  and 
those  found  in  heathen  bterature.  See,  for  ex- 
ample, the  following  quotation  from  the  (Hin- 
doo) Institutes  of  Manu :  "Multifarious  tor- 
tures await  the  wicked.  They  shall  be  mangled 
by  ravens  and  owls,  and  shall  swallow  cakes 
boiling  hot,  and  shall  walk  over  inflamed  sands, 
and  shall  feel  the  pangs  of  being  baked  like  the 
vessels  of  the  potter ;  they  shall  assume  the  form 


of  beasts  continually  miserable,  and  suffer  alter- 
nate afflictions  from  extremes  of  cold  and  heat, 
surrounded  with  terrors  of  various  kinds.  They 
shall  have  old  age  without  resource,  diseases  at- 
tended with  anguish,  pangs  of  innumerable  sort, 
and  lastly  unconquerable  death."  For  the  most 
part  the  Bible  representations  of  future  punish- 
ment are  of  a  fixity  in  a  state  of  sin  (Rev.  22 :  11), 
and  of  banishment  from  the  presence  of  God 

(2  Thess.  1:9). 

13.  Was  healed.  Evidently  this  cure  is  not 
one  which  can  be  attributed  to  any  known  natural 
causes ;  not  merely  because  severe  paralysis  is 
extremely  difficult  of  cure,  if  not  incurable  (on 
this  much  stress  cannot  be  laid  since  we  are  not 
sure  of  the  disease),  but  because  Jesus  did  not 
even  see  his  patient,  so  that  no  remedy  could 
have  been  employed,  and  there  could  have  been 
no  opportunity  even  for  the  operation  of  mental 
causes  in  relieving  the  sufferer. 

Ch.  8  :  14-17.  HEAIJNG  OF  PETER'S  MOTHER-IN- 
LAW  AND  OTHERS.— Cheist  cures  est  the  household 

AS  WELL  AS  IN  THE  CHUECH. — HE  CUBES  INSTANTLY, 
WHOLLY.— He  THAT  CASTS  OUT  DISEASE  ALSO  IMPAETS 

BTENGTH  (2  Peter  1  :  3).— He  that  is  healed  by 
Christ  should  immediately  begin  to  serve  Christ 
— He  heals  not  only  his  friends  but  the  multitude. 
—He  sdffebs  that  he  may  heal,  and  thus  exem- 
plifies   the    law    of    BURDEN-BEAEING    for    OTHERS 

(Gal.  6  :  2).— We  may  being  to  him  not  only  our 

PAST  SINS,  BUT  ALSO  OUR  PRESENT  INFIEMITIES  OF  TEM- 
PEE  AND  SICKNESSES  OF  SOUL. 

These  incidents  are  reported  in  Mark  1  :  29-34, 
and  Luke  4  :  38-41,  more  fully  than  here.  They 
occurred  before  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  dur- 
ing Christ's  first  missionary  tour  of  Galilee,  on 
Sabbath  evening,  and  immediately  after  his  heal- 
ing of  the  demoniac  in  the  synagogue  (Mark  i :  23-26, 
29,  etc. ;  Luke  4 :  33-35, 38,  etc.).  The  housc  was  in  Caper- 
naum where  Peter  lived,  and  near  which  town  he 
had  been  called  to  follow  Christ  (Matt.  4 :  18-20).  The 
healing  followed  almost  immediately  after  this 
call.  Thus  Peter,  who  left  all  to  follow  Christ, 
gained  by  it  a  mother  (Matt.  19 :  29).  Peter,  Andrew, 
James,  and  John  were  all  with  Christ  at  the  time. 
The  three  had  followed  Peter  with  Christ  from 
their  fishing  just  previously  (Matt.  4 :  18-22 ;  Mark  1 :  29). 

14.  Fever.  Malarious  fevers,  of  a  malignant 
type,  are  common  in  the  vicinity  of  Capernaum ; 
they  are  due,  probably,  to  marshes  near  by.  In 
the  very  imperfect  medical  language  of  that  day 
fevers  were  simply  divided  into  little  and  great 
fevers.    Luke,  who  was  a  physician,  character 


120 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  VIIL 


IS  And  he  touched  her  hand,  and  the  fever  left  her : 
and  she  arose,  and  ministered  unto  them. 

i6  When  ihe  even  was  come,  they  brought  unto 
him  manys  that  were  possessed  with  devils  :  and  he 
cast  out  the  spirits  with /i/i-  word,  and  healed  all  that 
were  sick : 

17  That  it  might  be  fulfilled  which  was  spoken  by 
saias""  the  prophet,  saying.  Himself  took  our  infirmi- 

fies,  and  bare  our  sicknesses. 

18  Now  when  Jesus  saw  great  multitudes  about  him, 
he  gave  conmiandment  to  depart  unto  the  other  side. 


19  And  a  certain  scribe  came,  and  said  unto  him. 
Master,  I'  will  follow  thee  whithersoever  thou  goest. 

20  And  Jesus  saith  unto  him,  The  foxes  have  holes, 
and  the  birds  of  the  air  have  nests;  but  the  Son  of 
man  hath  not  where  to  lay  his  head. 

21  And  another  of  his  disciples  said  unto  him,Lord,J 
suffer  me  first  to  go  and  bury  my  father. 

22  But  Jesus  saith  unto  him,  Follow  me  ;  and  let  the 
dead  bury  their  dead. 

23  And  when  he  was  entered  into  a  ship,  his  disciples 
followed  him. 


Isi.  63  :  4;  1  Pet.  2  :  24 1  Loke  9  ;  B7,  58. . .  .j  1  Kings  19  :  20. 


izes  this  as  a  "  great  fever. "  That  she  was  en- 
tirely prostrated  by  It  is  evident  from  the  lan- 
guage here,  "laid  and  sick  of  a  fever." 

15.  And  he  touched  her  hand.  Accord- 
ing to  both  Mark  and  Luke  he  was  asked  to  cure 
her.  He  not  only  touched  her  hand  but  lifted 
her  up  (M.irk  1 :  3i).  The  fever  left  her.  Mark 
Bays  immediately^  which  is  implied  here.  She 
ministered  unto  them.  Such  a  fever  invari- 
ably leaves  the  patient  weak.  The  period  of 
convalescence  is  always  long  and  trying,  often 
full  of  danger.  The  fact  that  she  ministered  to 
them,  i.  e.,  served  in  the  ordinary  duties  of  the 
household,  shows  that  Christ  in  healing  the  dis- 
ease also  imparted  health  and  strength,  and  it 
demonstrates  the  miraculous  character  of  the 
cure. 

IG.  When  the  even  was  come.  It  was 
on  the  Sabbath  day  (Mark,  ch.  i),  on  which  the 
Pharisaic  law  allowed  no  works  of  healing.  The 
Sabbath  ended  at  sunset.  The  Talmud  says, 
"If  in  the  going  out  of  the  Sabbath  one  do  any 
work  after  one  star  is  seen,  he  is  bound  to  a 
sacrifice  for  sin ;  if  after  two,  to  a  sacrifice  for 
transgression;  if  after  three,  he  is  clear."  It 
was  during  this  twilight  hour  that  the  people 
brought  their  sick  to  Christ.  Observe,  that  he 
heals  Peter's  mother-in-law  without  waiting  for 
sunset,  and  thus  privately  teaches  his  disciples 
that  it  is  lawful  to  heal  on  the  Sabbath-day,  a 
lesson  which  he  subsequently  repeated  publicly 
(Matt.  12 :  12 ;  joiin  5 :  16,  n).  They  bruught  uuto 
him.  i.  e.,  the  people  generally.  Mark  gives 
an  idea  of  the  throng  by  his  expression,  "  All 
the  city  was  gathered  together  at  the  door." 
Many.  "  In  one  word  the  Evangelist  traverses 
an  unspeakable  sea  of  miracles." — (Chrysostom.) 
Compare  John  20  :  30.  Devils.  See  note  at 
end  of  this  chapter.  Mark  and  Luke  both  add 
that  he  suffered  them  not  to  speak. 

ir.  That  it  might  be  fulfilled.  The  pas- 
sage referred  to  is  Isaiah  53  : 4,  5.  There  the 
reference  is  clearly  to  sins  and  heart-sorrows; 
here  to  physical  disease.  ISIatthew  interprets 
the  one  by  the  other,  and  leaves  us  to  draw  the 
conclusion  that  as  Christ  bore  the  fticknenses  of  those 
he  healed,  in  like  manner  he  bears  the  sins  of  those  he 
redeems;  i.  e..,  his  character  as  a  physician  is  the 
symbol  of  his  character  as  a  savior.    How,  then, 


did  he  bare  the  infirmities  of  the  sick  ?  Not  lit- 
erally. He  removed  them  from  others,  but  did 
not  become  diseased  himself.  Neither  in  remov- 
ing sins  from  others  does  he  become  stricken 

with  sin  himself.      (Compare  John  1  :  29  with  Hebrewa  4  :  15.) 

But  he  did  not  merely  heal  the  sick,  he  truly 
bore  their  sicknesses,  not  in  his  body,  but  in  his 
heart.  The  metaphor  both  here  and  in  Isaiah  is 
of  one  who  removes  a  burden  by  putting  his  own 
shoulder  under  it,  and  bearing  it  away  upo7i  him- 
self. This  Christ  did,  because  he  entered  through 
compassion  into  the  sorrows  and  sicknesses  he 
healed  (Mark  7 :  34;  John  11 :  33, 35).  So,  not  by  ajiy  lit- 
eral transfer  of  sins  from  others  to  himself,  but  by 
a  spiritual  and  sympathetic  bearing  of  the  bur- 
den of  the  world's  sins  in  his  own  heart,  he  bore 
them  away  from  all  those  who  cast  their  burden 

on  him.      (compare  Gal.  6  :  2 ;  1  Pet.  2  :  24.) 

18-22.  Conditions  of  following  Christ. 
There  is  some  uncertainty  when  this  incident  oc- 
curred. Mark  does  not  record  it,  but  he  nar- 
rates the  miracle  of  the  stilling  of  the  tempest, 
which  he  places  immediately  after  the  parables 
recorded  in  Matt.  ch.  13  (Mark  4 :  35),  and  with  that 
miracle  Matthew  connects  this  incident  (verse  is) ; 
Luke  places  it  at  a  later  period  in  Christ's  life 
(Luke  9: 67).  The  hypothesis  that  the  same  inci- 
dents occurred  twice  is  utterly  indefensible.  On 
the  whole,  the  probability  appears  to  be  that  it 
occurred  on  Christ's  taking  ship  to  depart  to  the 
other  side  of  the  lake,  after  preaching  the  para- 
bles on  the  kingdom  of  God,  as  recorded  in  Mat- 
thew, ch.  13.  But  as  Luke's  account  is  the  full- 
est, I  reserve  comments  on  the  practical  and 
spiritual  significance  of  the  incident  for  the  pas- 
sage in  Luke. 

18.  The  other  side,  i.  e.,  of  the  Sea  of  Gali- 
lee. His  object  was  to  escape  the  throng,  and 
secure  quiet  with  his  disciples.  The  offer  of  the 
scribe  was  therefore,  if  not  an  impertinence,  cer- 
tainly an  intrusion. 

21.  Another  of  his  disciples.  According 
to  an  ancient  tradition  this  was  Philip.  It  seems 
more  probable  that  the  phrase  disciple  is  here 
used  only  in  the  more  general  sense  of  one  who 
had  loosely  attached  himself  to  Jesus  as  a 
learner.  It  appears  from  Luke  that  his  request 
was  in  response  to  Christ's  command,  "Follow 
me." 


Ch.  VIII.] 


MATTHEW. 


121 


24  And  behold,'^  there  arose  a  great  tempest  in  the 
sea,  insomuch  that  the  ship  was  covered  with  the 
waves :  but  he  was  asleep. 

25  And  his  disciples  came  to  hitiiy  and  awoke  him, 
saying.  Lord,  save  us  :  we  perish. 

26  And  he  saith  unto  them,  Why  are  ye  fearful,  O 
ye  of  little  faith  ?  Then  he  arose,  and  rebuked'  the 
winds  and  the  sea  ;  and  there  was  a  great  calm. 


27  But  the  men  marvelled,  saying.  What  manner 
of  man  is  this,  that  even  the  winds  and  the  sea  obey 
him  ! 

28  And™  when  he  was  come  to  the  other  side,  into 
the  country  of  the  Gergesenes,  there  met  him  two  pos- 
sessed with  devils,  coming  out  of  the  tombs,  exceeding- 
fierce,  so  that  no  man  might  pass  by  that  way. 

29  And,  behold,  they  cried  out,  saying,   What  have 


Luke  8  :  23,  etc. 


! :  11 ;  Ps.  89  :  9  J  107  :  29. . 


:  6  :  1 ;  Luie  8  :  26,  etc. 


23-27.  Stilling  the  tempest.  Recorded 
also  in  Mark  4  :  35-il  and  Luke  8  :  23-25.  The 
account  is  fullest  in  Mark.  It  there  appears  that 
Christ  departed  a&  he  ivas,  i.  e.,  without  making 
any  preparations ;  that  there  were  other  ships  or 
boats  accompanying  him  ;  that  the  waves  filled 
the  boat  so  that  it  seemed  to  be  in  danger  of 
foundering ;  that  Christ  was  asleep  in  the  hinder 
part  of  the  boat  on  a  pillow  or  cushion ;  and  that 
the  disciples  not  only  aroused  him,  but  did  so 
with  words  which  implied  fault-finding,  because 
of  his  supposed  indifference  to  their  danger. 
The  incident  occurred  immediately  after  the 
preaching  of  the  parables  concerning  the  king- 
dom of  God,  recorded  in  Matt.  ch.  13.  See  notes 
on  Mark  4  :  35-41. 

Ch.  8  :  28-.S4.    HEALING  OF  THE  DEMONIACS.    The 

DEVILS  CAKNOT  KEEP  THE  SOUL  FKOM  ChBIST.— ThET 
HAVE  NOTHING  TO  DO  WITH  JESUS  THE  SaVIOUB  ;  BUT 
HUGH  TO  DO  WITH  THE  SON  OF  GoD,  THE  JUDGE.— The 
CREED  OP  THE  DEVILS  13  THE  SAME  AS  PeTER'S  CREED 

(Matt.  16  :  16) ;  the  belief  is  the  same  but  not  the 
FAITH  (James  2  :  19).— The  holt  are  a  torment  to 
the  wicked.— sm  protests  agaikst  interference. 
Its  cry  is  always  Let  us  alone  ;  what  have  we 
TO  DO  with  thee  (1  Kings  18  :  17 ;  Acts  16  :  20 ;  17  :  6). 
— The  devil's  possession  is  always  for  destruc- 
tion.—The  DEVTL  PROMISED  ALL  THE  KINGDOMS  OP 
THE   EARTH  TO  JeSUS  (ch,  4:8);    HIS   AGENTS    CANNOT 

bven  take  possession  op  a  herd  op  swesfe  without 
Christ's  permission.— The  power  and  the  power- 
lessness  of  the  devil  both  exemplified.- to  the 
covetous  swine  are  worth  moke  than  the  sav- 
IOUR.—The  SENTENCE  OP  THE  JUDGMENT-DAT,  "DE- 
PART "  (ch.  23  :  41),  will  only  echo  the  prater  of 

THE    sinner. 

This  miracle  is  recorded  also  in  Mark  5  : 1-31 
and  Luke  8  :  26-40,  which,  with  the  notes  on  the 
latter  passage,  see  for  some  details  omitted  here. 

28.  The  other  side.  The  eastern  shore  of 
the  Sea  of  Galilee.  Gergesenes.  Mark  and 
Luke  have  Gadarenes,  and  some  manuscripts 
substitute  that  word  here.  For  a  time  the  seem- 
ing conflict  between  the  sacred  writers  in  this 
respect  caused  great  perplexity  to  biblical  stu- 
dents, and  in  the  minds  of  rationalistic  critics 
threw  doubt  over  the  whole  narrative.  The  city 
of  Gadara  is  three  hours  to  the  south  of  the 
southern  shore  of  the  lake,  and  the  miracle  could 
not  have  been  performed  in  its  vicinity  ;  and  it  is 
hardly  probable  that  the  citizens  of  so  distant  a 
city  would  have  turned  out  en  masse  for  a  jour- 


ney of  three  hours  to  see  the  one  who  had 
wrought  this  miracle.  But  recently  Dr.  William 
Thompson  has  discovered  a  Gergesa,  now  called 
Chersa  or  Gersa,  on  the  eastern  shore  of  the 
lake,  and  on  the  borders  of  the  district  or  prov- 
ince which  took  its  name  from  Gadara,  one  of 
the  chief  cities  of  Decapolis.  This  Gersa  or  Ger- 
gesa, so  insignificant  that  it  has  escaped  the  at- 
tention of  most  travelers,  was  unknown  to  the 
Roman  world.  Mark  and  Luke  therefore,  who 
wrote  for  the  Gentiles,  described  the  miracle  as 
occurring  in  the  country  of  the  Gadarenes,  a  de- 
scription which  would  have  been  readily  com- 
prehended, since  Gadara  was  one  of  the  chief 
Roman  cities  of  Palestine,  and  widely  known. 
Matthew,  who  had  been  a  tax-gatherer  on  this 
very  shore,  was  familiar  with  every  village  and 
hamlet,  and  wrote  for  Jewish  readers,  described 
it  as  occurring  in  the  country  of  the  Gergesenes, 
thus  fixing  its  locality  more  definitely.  Chersa 
or  Gersa  answers  to  all  the  conditions  of  the  nar- 
rative :  it  is  within  a  few  rods  of  the  shore  ;  a 
mountain  rises  immediately  above  it,  so  near 
the  shore  that  the  swine,  rushing  madly  down, 
could  not  stop,  but  would  be  inevitably  driven 
on  into  the  water  and  drowned ;  the  ruins  of 
ancient  tombs  are  still  found  in  this  mountain- 
side, and  Capernaum  is  in  full  view  on  the  other 
side,  "over  against  it"  (Luke 8: 26).  See  Tlwmp- 
sori's  Land  and  Book,  vol.  ii. ,  pp.  34,  35. 

Two  possessed  Avith  devils.  Mark  and 
Luke  mention  but  one ;  probably  the  fiercer  of 
the  two.  He  was  naked  (Luke  8 :  27),  had  been 
chained  but  had  broken  his  chains,  and  had  cut 
himself  with  stones  until  he  was  doubtless  cov- 
ered with  blood.  He  ran  to  Jesus  and  wor- 
shipped him,  i.  e.,  as  the  devils  worship,  not  by 
paying  him  a  true  reverence,  but  by  a  compul- 
sory acknowledgment  of  his  power.  See  Mark 
for  a  graphic  picture  of  his  condition.  On  the 
nature  of  demoniac  possession,  see  below. 

Out  of  the  tombs.  These  were  caves 
formed  by  nature  or  cut  in  the  rocks,  with  cells 
at  the  sides  for  the  reception  of  the  dead.  They 
were  ceremonially  unclean  (Numb.  19 :  11, 10 ;  Matt.  23 : 
27 ;  Luke  11 :  44),  and  dwclUug  in  them  was  of  itself 
a  sign  of  degradation.  Trench  {N'otes  on  the 
Miracles)  quotes  from  Warhurton''s  Crescent  and 
the  Cross  a  striking  illustration  of  this  account : 
"I  found  myself  in  a  cemetery,  whose  sculp- 
tured turbans  showed  me  that  the  neighboring 


122 


MATTHEW. 


we  to  do  with  thee,  Jesus,  thou  Son  of  God  ?  art  thou 
come  hither  to  torment  us  before  the  time  ? 

30  And  there  was  a  good  way  off  from  them,  an  herd 
of  many  swine,  feeding. 

31  So  the  devils  besought  him,  saying.  If  thou  cast 
us  out,  suffer"  us  to  go  away  into  the  herd  of  swine." 


[Ch.  VIII. 


32  And  he  said  unto  them.  Go.  And  when  they 
were  come  out,  they  went  into  the  herd  of  swine  : 
and,  behold,  tlie  whole  herd  of  swine  ran  violently 
down  a  steep  place  into  the  sea,  and  perished  in  the 
waters. 

33  And  they   that  kept  them  fled,  and  went  their 


n  Job  1  :  10-12  J  2  ;  S-6. . .  .0  Dent.  14  : 


village  was  Moslem.  The  silence  of  the  night 
was  now  broken  by  fierce  yells  and  bowlings, 
which  I  discovered  proceeded  from  a  naked  ma- 
niac, who  was  fighting  with  some  wild  dogs  for 
a  bone.  The  moment  he  perceived  me  he  left 
his  canine  comrades,  and  bounding  along  with 
rapid  strides,  seized  my  horse's  bridle,  and 
almost  forced  him  backward  over  the  clilf 
by  the  grip  he  held  of  the  powerful  Marmeluke 
bit."  Exceeding  fierce.  Mark  adds  that  he 
could  neither  be  tamed  nor  bound,  and  Luke 
that  the  evil  spirit  drove  him  into  the  wilderness. 

29.  Comparing  this  account  with  Mark  and 
Luke,  the  facts  appear  to  be  that  the  maniac 
made  a  rush  towards  Jesus  and  the  twelve,  per- 
haps purposing  to  destroy  them ;  that  Christ 
stopped  him  by  word  of  command,  requiring  the 
evil  spirits  to  leave  the  man,  and  that  the  expos- 
tulation given  in  this  verse  was  the  devil's  re- 
sponse to  that  command.  Christ  then  asks  his 
name,  and  is  told  it  is  "  Legion."  The  devils  be- 
seech that  they  may  not  be  sent  "out  into  the 
deep"  (Luke  8:31,  and  note),  literally  into  the  abjjss, 
i.  e.,  back  into  their  prison-house,  but  instead 
may  be  suffered  to  enter  into  the  herd  of  swine. 
What  have  we  to  do  with  thee  ?  A  com- 
mon Jewish  phrase,  signifying  a  wish  not  to  be 
troubled  by  the  importunity  or  the  interference 

of  another    (judges  ll  :  12 ;  2  Sam.  IS  :  10 ;  2  Kin^a  9:18;  Ezra 

4:3;  John  2 : 4).  To  tormeiit  US.  Compare  Mark 
1  :  24.  "  Herein  the  true  devilish  spirit  speaks, 
one  which  counts  it  a  torment  not  to  be  suffered 
to  torment  others,  and  an  injury  done  to  itself 
when  it  is  no  more  permitted  to  be  injurious  to 
others." — {Trench.)  Before  the  time.  When 
the  devil  and  his  angels  shall  be  shut  up  in  the 
fire  prepared  for  them  (Matt.  25 :  4i ;  Jude  g  ;  Rev.  20 :  10). 

30.  And  there  was  *  *  *  an  herd  of 
many  swine.  Mark  gives  the  number,  about 
2000.    The  flesh  of  swine  was  forbidden  as  food 

by    the    Levitical    law    (Lev.  11  :  7;  Deut.  14:8).      It   is 

generally  believed  that  its  use  in  hot  countries 
tends  to  induce  cutaneous  disorders,  and  would 
tender  the  eater  more  liable  to  leprosy  and  kin- 
dred diseases.  It  is  to  the  present  day  held  in 
great  abhorrence  among  the  Jews  (see  isai.ah  gs  :  4 ; 
CO :  3,  n).  The  rabbinical  law  forbade  the  keeping 
of  swine.  Whether  this  herd  was  kept  by  Jews 
or  by  heathen  is  a  matter  of  uncertainty.  The 
cities  of  Decapolis  were  largely  filled  with  Ro- 
mans, with  whom  swine's  flesh  was  deemed  a 
luxury. 


31.    So  the   devils   besought   him,   etc. 

This,  as  appears  in  both  Mark  and  Luke,  was  in 
response  to  Christ's  command  to  the  evil  spirit 
to  come  out  of  the  man.  Adam  Clark  remarks 
on  this  passage  that  since  the  evil  spirit  cannot 
enter  the  body  of  even  a  swine  without  divine 
permission,  those  need  not  fear  the  devil  whose 
trust  is  in  God. 

33.  It  is  impossible  for  an  honest  interpreter 
to  understand  this  narrative  in  any  other  than 
its  plain  and  natural  sense,  viz.,  that  there  were 
evil  spirits  in  the  man  controlling  his  i^ersonality, 
that  they  left  him  and  entered  into  the  herd  of 
swine,  and  that  in  consequence,  either  driven  by 
fright  or  acting  under  the  impulses  of  the  evil 
spirits,  the  entire  herd  rushed  headlong  into  the 
sea.  Any  such  pseuclo  interpretation  as  that 
offered  by  Lange,  in  his  Life  of  Jems,  but  appar- 
ently abandoned  in  his  Commentary,  that  the 
cries  of  the  demoniac  man,  when  the  evil  spirit 
came  out  of  him,  frightened  the  herd  and  threw 
them  into  a  panic,  are  not  interpretations  at  all, 
but  the  substitution  of  a  new  narrative  for  those 
which  the  Evangelists  have  given  us  ;  the  sup- 
position of  Mr.  Livermore  that  "  Jesus  miracu- 
lously transferred  the  insanity  from  the  men  to 
the  swine  "  (Zife>'morc's  Commentary,  Matt.  8: 
32)  needs  only  to  be  stated ;  it  bears  its  own  re- 
futation on  its  face.  The  general  question  of 
demoniac  possession  I  consider  below  ;  but  some 
special  questions,  raised  by  this  part  of  the  nar- 
rative, may  be  briefly  answered  here.  WJiy  should 
Christ  have  permitted  the  evil  S2nrits  to  €7iter  th£ 
swine  ?  A  difficult  question ;  but  less  so  than 
the  question  why  God  should  have  permitted 
them  to  enter  into  the  man,  or  indeed  sin  to  enter 
into  the  world  at  all.  Wliy  should  they  have  de- 
stroyed the  herd  of  swine,  and  so  deprived  themselves, 
so  to  speak,  of  a  terrestrial  abode  ?  Perhaps  the  act 
of  the  swine  was  the  result  of  panic,  and  in  spite 
of  the  evil  spirits.  But  Trench  well  remarks 
that  it  is  the  very  nature  of  evil  thus  to  outwit 
itself;  "stupid,  blind,  self-contradictory,  and 
suicidal,  it  can  only  destroy,  and  will  involve  it- 
self in  the  common  rum  rather  than  not  destroy." 
What  right  had  Christ  to  allow  the  destruction  of 
the  property  of  another  ?  He  had  the  same  right 
Avhich  he  constantly  exercises  through  the  de- 
structive agencies  of  nature  to  do  what  he  will 
with  his  own.  His  destroying  cattle  by  murrain, 
cities  by  earthquakes,  ships  with  their  living 
freight  by  storm,  is  all  a  part  of  the  same  in- 


Ch.  VIII.] 


MATTHEW. 


ways  into  the  city,  and  told  every  thing,  and  what  was 
befallen  to  the  possessed  of  the  devils. 

34  And,  behold,  the  whole  city  came  out  to  meet 
Jesus :  and  when  they  saw  him,  they  besought  him 
that  he  would  departf  out  of  their  coasts. 


CHAPTER    IX. 


A   ND  he  entered  into  a  ship,  and 


123 


over,  and 


came  into  his  own  city. 
2  And,'"  behold,  they  brought  to  him  a  man  sicli  of 


p  Job  21  :14;  Luke  5:  8;  Acts  16  :  39. . .  .q  Mark  2  :  3,  etc. ;  Luke  5  :  IS,  etc. 


scrutable  mystery.  Here  we  can  at  least  see  that 
the  destruction  of  the  herd  of  swine,  standing 
in  contrast  with  the  salvation  of  the  man,  has 
given  the  cure  a  significance  it  could  not  have 
possessed  otherwise,  and  their  panic-stricken 
flight  affords  a  sort  of  testimony,  coming  from  the 
lowest  animals,  against  the  consent  which  alone 
allows  the  devil  ever  to  gain  possession  of  us. 
If  the  herdsmen  were  Jews,  they  deserved  the 
loss  of  their  herd.  How  are  we  to  uiulerstand  the 
devils  entering  into  the  swine,  i.e.,  "  the  working  of 
the  spiritual  life  in  the  bestial  V  We  know  so  little 
of  the  means  by  which  even  through  physical 
organs  of  speech,  sight,  and  hearing,  one  spirit 
acts  upon  the  other,  that  we  may  well  admit  the 
mystery  of  this  possession  of  the  swine  by  an  evil 
spirit.  But  we  daily  see  the  horse  and  the  dog 
catching  the  spirit  of  their  master,  emboldened 
by  his  courage  or  panic-stricken  by  his  fear ; 
facts  which  may  illustrate,  if  they  cannot  fully 
explain,  how  a  herd  of  swine  might  be  possessed 
by  evil  spirits.  "  The  very  fierceness  and  gross- 
ness  of  these  animals  may  have  been  exactly 
that  which  best  fitted  them  for  receiving  such 
impulses  from  the  lower  world  as  those  under 
which  they  perished." — {Trench.) 

33.  Went  *  *  *  into  the  city.  Not  Gadara, 
which  was  three  hours  distant,  but  Chersa  or 
Gergesa,  which  was  close  at  hand.  See  on  verse 
28.  Told  everything,  and  what  had  be- 
fallen to  the  possessed.  Evidently  first 
what  had  befallen  the  swine  entrusted  to  their 
keeping,  next  what  salvation  had  come  to  the 
man. 


34.  The  Avhole  city.  See  note  on  Matt.  3  : 5. 
Besought  him  that  he  would  depart.    It 

appears  from  Mark  and  Luke  that  the  sight  of 
the  well-known  maniac  clothed  and  in  his  right 
mind  filled  the  people  with  fear.  Awe  at  the 
miracle,  mingled  with  dread  because  of  the  de- 
struction of  their  pi-operty,  led  them  to  beseech 
Christ  to  depart.  The  loss  of  2000  swine  was 
more  to  them  than  the  saving  of  a  soul. 

Ch.  9:1.  And  he  took  .ship.  This  verse 
belongs  with  the  preceding  chapter,  and  narrates 
Christ's  response  to  the  people's  request.  It 
does  not  connect  the  embarkation  for  the  western 
shore  of  Galilee  with  the  miracle  following — the 
healing  of  the  paralytic.  See  on  ver^  2.  Twice 
in  this  narrative  Christ  hears  the  prayer  whose 
petition  is  for  evil— the  prayer  of  the  evil  spirit, 
which  ends  in  the  destruction  of  the  swine  and  in 
the  exile  of  the  evil  spirits  and  their  being  driven 
back  from  earth  into  their  own  place  again,  and 
now  the  prayer  of  the  people  that  he  would 
depart  from  their  coasts.  "God  sometimes 
hears  his  enemies  in  anger  (Numb.  22 :  i9, 20),  even  as 
he  [sometimes]  refuses  to  hear  his  friends  in  love 
(2Cor.  12:8,9)." — {Trench.)  Christ  appears  never  to 
have  visited  the  country  of  the  Gadarenes  again. 
He  does  not  abide  where  he  is  not  wanted  (comparo 
Esod.  10 :  28, 29 ;  Acts  24 :  25).  Mark  and  Lukc  add  to 
this  account  that  the  demoniac  "published 
throughout  the  whole  city  how  great  things 
Jesus  had  done  unto  him ;"  an  incidental  evi- 
dence of  the  completeness  of  his  cure.  And 
came   into  his  own   city,  i.  e.,  Capernaum 

(Matt.  4  :  is). 


OF  DEMONIACAL  POSSESSION. 


Of  all  the  cases  of  demoniacal  possession  record- 
ed in  the  N.  T.  this  is  the  most  stiiking.  The 
difficulties  peculiar  to  it  have  been  considered 
above.  It  remains  to  speak  briefly  of  the  general 
subject. 

The  N.  T.,  and  especially  the  Evangelists,  re- 
peatedly mention  individuals  whom  they  describe 
as  possessed  by  devils.  For  the  most  part  these 
persons  seem  to  have  been  harmless  ;  sometimes, 
however,  of  a  violent  and  dangerous  character. 
The  possession  was  often  accompanied  by  physi- 
cal disease — blindness,  dumbness,  epilepsy.  In 
one  case  it  accompanied  a  disorder  which  was 
congenital,  if  not  hereditary.  The  victim  seems 
usually  to  have  been  possessed  of  a  double  con- 
sciousness. His  acts  were  unwitting.  And  when, 
by  the  word  of  Jesus,  the  devil  was  cast  out, 


and  he  appeared  clothed  and  in  his  right  mind, 
he  was  with  peculiar  significance  a  new  creature 

in  Christ  Jesus  (Matt.  12  :  22 ;  Mark  9  .-  is,  20,  21 ;  Luke  S  :  29 ; 
and  see  references  below).      In    rCSpCCt    tO   the  narratives 

of  these  cases  two  important  questions  arise : 
1st.  What  tare  we  to  suppose  the  writers  meant  bij 
their  narratives;  i.  e.,  how  did  they  understand 
these  cases.  2d.  7s  tTieir  understanding  to  be  ac- 
cepted? i.  e.,  did  they  correctly  interpret  the  phe- 
nomena which  they  recorded,  or  are  we  to  give 
to  those  phenomena,  in  the  light  of  modem  sci- 
ence, a  different  interpretation  ? 

In  respect  to  the  first  question  there  is  really 
no  difficulty.  It  was  the  universal  belief  of  their 
age,  both  among  the  Jews  and  among  the  hea- 
then, that  evil  spirits  operated  upon  and  some- 
times controlled  both  nature  and  the  human 


124 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  VIII. 


Boul.  Disease  was  often,  and  lunacy  was  gen- 
erally, attributed  to  the  influence  of  evil  spirits. 
The  Evangelists  unquestionably  believed  and 
intended  to  be  understood  as  asserting  that  the 
persons  described  as  possessed  with  evU  or  un- 
clean spirits  were  really  and  literally  under  the 
control  of  disembodied  spirits,  agents  of  Satan. 
They  are  frequently  distinguished  from  those 
afflicted  with  mere  physical  disorders  (Mark  i :  32; 
16:17,18;  Luke  6 :  17,  18) ;  the  dcmons  are  distm- 
guished,  nowhere,  perhaps,  more  clearly  than  in 
this  narrative,  from  the  persons  whom  they  con- 
trol, and  are  represented  as  recognizing  in  Jesus 
the  Son  of  God,  a  title  not  given  to  him  even  by 
his  disciples  untU  toward  the  close  of  his  minis- 
try (see  verse  29 ;  Mark  1  :  24 ;  6:7;  Luke  4:41;  compare   Matt. 

ic :  16).  No  honest  interpreter  can  doubt  that  the 
Evangelists  shared  the  common  opinion  of  their 
day,  and  intended  to  be  understood  as  asserting 
that  these  individuals  were  under  the  control  of 
evU  spirits,  and  that  Christ  literally  emancipated 
them  from  this  diabolical  servitude,  and  cast  the 
evil  spirits  out. 

The  second  question  is  really  the  only  one  in 
the  case,  viz. :  Did  they  correctly  interpret  the 
phenomena  which  they  recorded,  or  are  we  to 
give  to  those  phenomena,  in  the  light  of  modern 
science,  a  different  interpretation  ? 

It  is  certain  that  they  beai^  a  curiously  strik- 
ing resemblance  to  cases  of  what  is  in  modern 
scientific  language  called  "moral  insanity." 
In  both  there  is  a  clear  recognition  of  the  dif- 
ference between  right  and  wrong ;  in  both  there 
is  the  testimony  of  the  patient  that  he  is  impelled 
by  a  power  beside  himself ;  both  are  accompa- 
nied sometimes  by  acts  of  violence,  sometimes  by 
attempts  at  suicide  ;  both  are,  in  their  worst 
forms,  attended  with  epileptic  convulsions ;  both 
are  frequently  manifested  in  periodic  returns  of 
disorder,  with  intervals  of  sanity ;  both  are  some- 
times traceable  to  willful  self-indulgence  in  some 
form  of  sin  as  their  provoking  cause ;  and  in 
both  there  is  at  times,  in  a  remarkable  degree, 
an  appreciation  of  the  character  of  persons  with 
whom  the  insane  are  thrown  in  contact,  who  are 
sometimes  peculiarly  affected  by  the  presence  of 
persons  of  a  pure  and  holy  character  (Mark  i:  24; 

5  :  6,  9 ;  9  :  17,  18-22 ;  Luke  4  :  33).      The  reader  whO  iS  CU- 

rious  to  investigate  this  parallelism  will  find  the 
material  in  Abbott's  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  chap. 
13,  and  stUl  more  full  reports  of  modern  cases 
analogous  to  the  demoniacal  possession  of  the 
N.  T.,  in  Ray's  Medical  Jurisprudence,  chap.  7,  §5, 
pp.  202-260;  Henry  Maudsley's  Physiology  and 
Pathology  of  the  Mind,  chap.  3,  pp.  306-316,  and 
Forbes  Winslow's  Obscure  Diseases  of  the  Brain 
and  Mind,  pp.  179-211.  These  parallels  have  led  a 
certain  class  of  critics  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
persons  described  in  the  N.  T.  as  possessed  of 
evil  spirits  were  in  fact  only  lunatics,  and  that 


the  narrative  of  their  disease  and  their  cure  is  to 
be  interpreted  accordingly.  The  great  majority 
of  Evangelical  scholars  agree,  however,  in  the 
opinion  that  the  individuals  described  as  pos- 
sessed by  evil  spirits,  were  really  under  their 
control,  and  that  the  cures  described  consisted 
in  fact,  as  well  as  in  appearance,  in  the  casting 
out  of  the  evil  spirit.  This  opinion,  which  I  think 
is  the  only  one  consistent  with  belief  in  the  his- 
torical trustworthiness  of  the  Scriptures,  or  con- 
fidence in  the  truthfulness  of  Christ,  rests  on  the 
following  grounds  : — 1st.  It  best  accords  with  the 
facts  testified  to  by  modern  science,  if  not  best  wiiJi 
its  hyiwtJieses.  In  certain  of  the  cases  of  so-called 
"moral  insanity,"  the  patient  not  only  recognizes 
the  difference  between  right  and  wrong,  and  ab- 
hors the  crime  to  the  commission  of  which  he  is 
impelled,  seemingly  by  a  will  stronger  than  his 
own,  but  subsequently,  in  his  sane  moments,  or 
previously,  in  anticipation  of  the  paroxysm,  de- 
clares himself  conscious  of  the  indwelling  of 
another  spirit  too  strong  for  his  resistance,  and 
asserts  that  he  is  "prompted  by  Satan,"  while 
on  the  other  hand  medical  examuiation,  in  many 
cases,  fails  to  find  any  physical  cause  for  the 
phenomena.  These  circumstances  have  led  some 
of  the  highest  authorities  in  mental  disease  to 
acknowledge  the  cause  of  those  forms  of  "moral 
insanity"  to  be  inscrutable  (see  both  Henry 
Maudsley  and  Forbes  Winslow),  and  others  to 
recognize  demoniacal  possession,  as  a  modem 
phenomenon,  to  be  the  most  probable  and  rational 
explanation  of  them.  This  is  the  view  of  Es- 
quirol,  who  stands  at  the  head  of  the  French 
school,  if  not  of  all  schools,  as  a  student  of  men- 
tal disorders.  2d.  It  best  accords  with  other  teach- 
ings of  Scripture.  This  represents  that  there  is  a 
world  of  disembodied  spirits,  both  good  and  bad  ; 
that  they  are  not  wholly  separated  from  man, 
but  exert  a  powerful  influence  upon  him ;  that 
their  influence  is  not  a  thing  of  the  past,  but  that 
the  Christian  has  still  need  to  watch  and  pray 

against  it  (judges  9  :  23;  l  Sam.  16  :  14-23 ;  18  :  10,  11 ;  19  :  9,  10 ; 
1  Kings  22  :  22;  Luke  22  :  31 ;  John  13  :  27;  Acts  5:3;  2  Cor.  4  :  4; 
Ephes.  6  :  11,  12 ;    1  Tim.  3  :  7 ;    1  Pet.  5  :  s),        3d.     It    aCCOVdS 

with  the  teaching  and  conduct  of  Jesus  Christ.  He 
distinctly  recognized  the  personality  and  presence 
of  demons,  distinct  from  the  man  in  whom  they 
were,  and  from  whom  they  were  cast  out  (Mark 

1  :  25  ;  5  :  9  ;  9  :  25  ;    Luke   10  :  17-20 ;  11  :  17-26).       Either  hiS 

words  are  falsely  reported,  i.  e.,  demoniacal  pos- 
session is  a  mythical  addition  of  a  later  date,  or 
he  was  himself  under  a  delusion  respecting  these 
cases,  i.  e.,  he  shared  the  ignorance  and  supersti- 
tion of  his  age,  or  he  ratified  and  confirmed  that 
superstition  for  the  purpose  of  adding  to  his 
prestige  by  seeming  to  cast  out  spirits  that  had 
no  existence  ;  i.  e.,  he  lent  himself  to  imposture, 
or  evU  spirits  really  exercised  a  control  over  the  im- 
pulses and  the  will  of  those  wham  they  were  sent  ta 


Ch.  IX.] 


MATTHEW. 


125 


the  palsy,  lying  on  a  bed:  and  Jesus  seeing  their  faith, 
said  unto  the  sick  of  the  palsy,  Son,'  be  of  good  cheer ; 
thy  sins  be  forgiven  thee. 

3  And,  behold,   certain  of  the  scribes  said  within 
themselves,  This  man  blasphemeth. 

4  And  Jesus  knowing  their  thoughts,'  said,  Where- 
fore think  ye  evil  in  your  hearts  ? 

5  For  whether  is  easier,  to  say.  Thy  sins  be  forgiven 
thee ;  or  to  say,  Arise,  and  walk  ? 


6  But  that  ye  may  know  that  the  Son  of  man  hath 
power  on  earth  to  forgive'  sins,  (then  saith  he  to  the 
sick  of  the  palsy,)  Arise,  take  up  thy  bed,  and  go  unto 
thine  house. 

7  And  he  arose,  and  departed  to  his  house. 

8  But  when  the  multitudes  saw  it,  they  marvelled, 
and  glorified"  God,  which  had  given  such  power  unto 
men. 

9  And'  as  Jesus  passed  forth  from  thence,  he  saw  a 


2  :  24,  26  ;  Heb.  4  :  12,  13  ;  ' 


. .  .t  Micah  7  :  18. . .  .11  Acts  4  :  21  ;    Gal. 


possess,  and  Christ  really  drove  them  out  from  their 
possession,  and  emancipated  the  soul  from  their  con- 
trol. If  the  question  is  asked  why  this  demoniac 
possession  is  unknown  now,  the  answer  is,  that 
it  is  not  unknown ;  that,  on  the  contrary,  demo- 
niacal possession  is  the  most  natural  explanation 
of  certain  forms  of  so-called  "  moral  insanity  ;  " 
that  it  should  exist  in  less  degree  and  extent  is 
just  what  we  should  expect  from  the  declarations 
of  Scripture  (zech.  13 : 2 ;  1  John  3 : 8).  How  far  the 
victim  of  demoniacal  possession  was  responsible 
for  his  condition,  how  far  he  is  to  be  regarded  as 
guilty,  and  how  far  as  simply  unfortunate,  is  a 
difficult  if  not  an  insoluble  question.  ' '  The  com- 
mon characteristic  of  all  was  cowardice,  a  cow- 
ardly surrender  of  a  weak  and  lowered  conscious- 
ness to  wicked  influences." — (Lange.)  Every  such 
surrender  by  the  soul  is  one  step  toward  a  com- 
plete enthrallment  of  the  soul  by  evil,  though 
that  enthrallment  rarely  becomes  complete  in 
this  life.  

Ch.  9  :  2-8.  Healing  of  the  pakalttic. 
The  accounts  of  this  miracle  in  Mark  2  : 1-12, 
and  Luke  5  :  17-26,  are  fuller  than  that  given 
here.  From  these  accounts  it  appears  that  the 
crowd  was  so  great  that  the  friends  of  the  para- 
lytic could  not  reach  the  house  in  which  Christ 
was  teaching,  and  that  they  uncovered  the  roof 
and  let  the  patient  down  mth  the  bed  or  mat- 
tress on  which  he  was  lying.  This  constituted 
the  evidence  of  their  faith,  commended  by  the 
Lord.  The  miracle  took  place,  not,  as  might  l)e 
supposed,  on  Christ's  return  from  the  country  of 
the  Gadarenes,  but  more  probably  at  about  the 
time  of  the  healing  of  the  leper,  recorded  in 
Matt.  8  :  2-4.  For  notes  on  the  miracle  see 
Mark  3  : 1-12. 

Ch.  9  :  9-13.  THE  CALL  OF  MATTHEW.— A  bad  busi- 
ness IS  a  poor  excuse  for  not  poixowing  Christ  ; 

FOLLOW  HIM  OUT  OF  IT. — ThE  POWER  OF  ChRIST'S 
CALLING :  IT  SUMMONS  FROM  ALL  RANKS  AND  ALL  AVO- 
CATIONS.— Christ's  sociabilitt  the  true  model  of 
Christian  sociabilitt.— A  right  and  a  wrong  way 

TO  ASSOCIATE  WITH  SINNERS  ;  A  RIGHT  AND  A  WRONG 
WAT  TO  BE  SEPARATE  FROM  THEM.  CHRIST  ATE  WITH 
SINNERS  BUT  WAS  SEPARATE  PROM  THEM  ;  THE  PHARI- 
SEES SCORNED  THEM  BUT  WERE  ONE  WITH  THEM.— MAT- 
THEW AN  EXAMPLE  OF  A  FISHER  OP  MEN  :  CALLED  HIM- 
SELF, HE  CALLS  OTHERS.— Sin  IS  BOTH  A  WEAKNESS  AND 


A  DISEASE  ;  PERSONAL  8TMPATHT  AFFORDS  SPmiTUAL 
STRENGTH  AND  IS  A  SPIRITUAL  MEDICINE.— THERE  IS 
LESS  RELIGION  IN  SACRIFICE  WITHOUT  MERCT  THAN  IN 
MERCT  WITHOUT  SACRIFICE  ;  TRUE  RELIGION  CONSISTS 
IN   SACRIFICE   AND   MERCY.- TUE    EXCLCTDED  AND    THE 

INCLUDED  IN  Christ's  calling:   the  excluded  all 

THE   self-righteous;    the    included  all    CONSCIOUS 

OF  SDsr. 

The  call  of  a  publican,  and  a  subsequent  feast 
given  by  him  in  honor  of  the  Lord,  are  recorded 
by  Mark  2  :  13-17,  and  Luke  5  :  27-32 ;  but  in 
Mark  and  Luke  the  publican  is  called  Levi. 
Matthew  never  speaks  of  himself  as  Levi  in  his 
own  gospel,  and  is  never  spoken  of  as  Levi  by 
the  other  Evangelists  in  any  other  passage.  This 
has  led  some  commentators  to  suppose  that 
there  were  two  persons  and  two  feasts,  a  suppo- 
sition which  is  quite  improbable,  and  is  now 
universally  rejected.  Changes  of  name  in  com- 
memoration of  any  great  event  were  not  uncom- 
mon among  the  Jews,  of  which  the  cases  of 
Abram  or  Abraham,  Jacob  or  Israel,  and  Saul  of 
Tarsus  or  Paul  (oen.  n  ■.&■,  32 :  28  j  Acts  13 : 9)  are  strik- 
ing illustrations ;  that  of  Simon  changed  to  Peter 

(John  1  :  42,  and  note  there)  iS  Still  more  in  point.      If,  aS 

is  probable,  the  name  Matthew  means  the  same  as 
the  modem  name  Theodore,  Gift  of  God  or  Given 
to  God,  its  very  significance  would  help  to  ac- 
count for  the  change.  Chrysostom  and  Jerome 
note  the  "  self-denial  of  the  Evangelist  who  dis- 
guises not  his  former  life,  but  adds  even  his 
name,  when  the  others  had  concealed  him  under 
another  appellation."  Observe  that  in  ch.  10  :  3 
Matthew  calls  himself  "  Matthew  the  publican," 
while  neither  Mark  nor  Luke  so  characterize  him 
in  the  lists  of  the  apostles.  There  can  be  no  doubt 
that  the  call  of  Matthew  preceded  the  Sermon 
on  the  Mount,  which  was  an  ordination  sermon 
following  the  solemn  consecration  of  the  twelve 
to  their  apostolic  office  (Luke  6 :  13-20) ;  nor  that  it 
immediately  succeeded  the  cure  of  the  paralytic, 
with  which  Matthew  directly  connects  it  by  his 
phrase  "as  Jesus  passed  forth  from  thence." 
At  what  time  the  feast  was  given  by  Matthew  to 
Christ  is  not  so  certain.  All  the  Evangelists 
connect  it  with  the  call  of  Matthew ;  it  is  a  ra- 
tional supposition  that  Matthew  gave  it  at  this 
time  ;  in  that  case  he  would  naturally  invite  his 
old  associates  to  the  feast ;  whereas,  after  enter- 
ing on  his  apostolate,  and  breaking  ofE  his  old 


126 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  IX. 


man,  named  Matthew,  sitting  at  the  receipt  of  custom :  lo  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  Jesus  sat  at  meat  in  the 
and  he  saith  unto  him,  Follow  me.  And  he  aro^e,  and  house,  behold,  many  publicans  and  sinners  came  and 
followed  him.  sat  down  with  him  and  his  disciples. 


life  with  them,  he  would  be  less  likely  to  invite 
them  ;  and  it  seems  almost  certain  that  this  feast 
preceded  the  charges  brought  against  Jesus,  and 
recorded  in  Matthew  11  :  19.  On  the  other  hand, 
Matthew  connects  this  feast  directly  with  the 
healing  of  Jairus'  daughter  (see  verse  is,  below),  which 
Mark  and  Luke  place  immediately  after  the  cure 
of  the  Gadarene  demoniac,  but  without  any  defi- 
nite note  of  time.  The  better  opinion  is  that  the 
feast  was  given  at  the  time  of  Matthew's  call, 
though  this  is  by  no  means  certain. 

Accepting  this  opinion,  and  combining  the  ac- 
counts of  the  three  Evangelists,  the  fact  and  its 
significance  may  be  concisely  stated  thus  :  Christ 
calls  a  tax-gatherer  to  leave  his  office  and  join 
the  band  of  itinerant  disciples ;  the  caU  is  ac- 
cepted with  alacrity  ;  and  as  a  means  of  knowing 
his  new  master,  and  at  the  same  time  bringing 
him  to  a  knowledge  of  his  old  associates,  Levi 
gives  a  feast  to  which  both  Christ  and  his  disci- 
ples, and  his  own  former  companions,  are  invited. 
At  the  same  time  he  takes  on  the  new  name  of 
Matthew,  which  he  henceforth  bears.  By  ac- 
cepting the  invitation  Christ  enters  into  familiar 
intercourse  uith  a  class  of  men  whose  moral 
character  was  bad,  whose  reputation  was  worse, 
and  whose  iniquitous  avocation  was  justly  odious 
to  all  men.  The  Pharisees  ask  the  disciples, 
tauntingly,  for  an  explanation,  and  Christ  replies 
by  declaring  his  object  to  be  the  elevation  and 
redemjjtion  of  sinners,  and  by  referring  them  to 
the  Scriptures  which  they  pretended  to  teach, 
but  whose  spirit  they  totally  misapprehended 
(2  Cor.  3 :  15, 16),  as  the  authority  for  his  course. 

9.  As  Jesus  passed  forth  from  thence. 
This  indisputably  connects  the  call  of  Matthew 
with  the  preceding  miracle,  and  places  both  in 
the  period  of  Christ's  earlier  ministry  in  Galilee, 
where  it  is  placed  by  Mark.  Chrysostom  ob- 
serves that  Christ  calls  Matthew  immediately 
after  having  asserted  and  demonstrated  in  the 
preceding  miracle  his  power  to  forgive  sins. 
Matthew.  Luke  says  that  he  was  the  son  of 
Alphfeus.  This  was  a  not  uncommon  name 
among  the  Jews.  It  is  not  probable  it  was  the 
same  Alphaeus  who  is  described  in  Matthew  10 : 3 
(see  note  there)  as  the  father  of  Jamcs.  This  is  the 
first  mention  of  Matthew  in  the  Gospels.  On 
his  life  and  character,  see  note  at  end  of  chapter 
10.  Sitting  at  the  receipt  of  custom. 
The  taxes  IcAied  by  the  Roman  government 
on  the  inhabitants  of  Palestine  may  be  roughly 
divided  into  two  classes — internal  taxes  and 
tolls.  The  former  included  all  taxes  levied  on 
persons  and  property  directly ;  the  latter,  all  cus- 
toms levied  on  goods  in  transit ;  and  answered 


to  our  modem  custom  dues.  They  are  distin- 
guished in  Rom.  13  :  7  as  tribute  and  custom. 
The  customs  were  levied  on  all  goods  imported 
for  trade,  though  not,  ordinarily,  on  such  as 
were  imported  for  the  purchaser's  personal  use  ; 
they  were  levied  at  harbors,  piers,  and  gates  of 
cities  ;  they  amounted  to  a  sum  varying  at  differ- 
ent times  from  one-eighth  to  one-fortieth  of  the 
value  of  the  goods  ;  any  attempt  at  concealment 
was  punished  by  the  confiscation  of  the  articles. 
Matthew  probably  sat  in  the  custom-house  of 
Capernaum  to  gather  some  rate  or  toll  of  those 
that  crossed  the  sea.  Luke  adds  that  he  was  a 
publican  (see  also  Matt.  10 :  s) ;  and  some  knowledge 
of  the  character  of  the  publicans  is  necessary 
to  understand  the  significance  of  his  call  and 
the  attending  circumstances,  as  well  as  to  ex- 
plain the  frequent  references  to  them  in  the 
N.  T. 

Of  the  publicans.  These  were  inferior  offi- 
cers employed  as  collectors  of  the  Roman  taxes, 
which  were  of  a  character  to  make  any  collector 
sufficiently  odious.  Every  article  exported  or 
imported  paid  a  customs-tax  ;  every  article  sold 
paid  a  tax  on  each  sale  ;  every  house,  every  door, 
every  column,  had  its  special  tax  ;  all  property, 
real  and  personal,  was  taxed ;  and  the  citizens  of 
subordinate  provinces,  including  therefore  the 
Jews,  paid  in  addition  a  poll-tax.  The  method 
of  collecting  these  taxes  made  them  the  more 
burdensome,  and  those  employed  in  their  collec- 
tion more  odious.  The  provinces  were  farmed 
out  by  the  Roman  government  to  wealthy  indi- 
viduals, or  joint-stock  companies,  who  paid  large 
sums  for  the  privilege  of  collecting  the  taxes. 
They  in  turn  let  these  provinces  in  smaller  dis- 
tricts to  sub-contractors,  who  employed  in  the 
collection  of  the  taxes  the  lowest  and  worst 
class  of  the  native  population,  since  no  others 
would  assume  a  task  so  hateful.  They  were  re- 
quired to  pay  over  to  their  superiors  the  exorbi- 
tant sum  fixed  by  the  law,  and  depended  for 
their  profit  on  what  they  could  make  by  fraud 
and  extortion.  They  overcharged,  brought  false 
charges  of  smuggling  to  extort  hush-money, 
seized  upon  property  in  case  of  dispute  and  held 
it  untU  their  levy  was  paid,  forbade  the  farmer 
to  reap  his  standing  crops  until  they  had  wrung 
from  him  all  that  his  penury  could  produce. 
They  were  universally  feared,  hated,  and  de- 
spised throughout  the  empire ;  but  nowhere 
more  than  in  Palestine.  The  Jews  not  only  ac- 
counted all  payment  of  tribute  to  a  foreign  and 
heathen  government  as  a  national  degradation, 
but  also  the  servitude  which  compelled  such 
payment  as  a  condition   dishonoring   to   God; 


Ch.  IX.] 


MATTHEW. 


127 


11  And  when  the  Pharisees  saw  it,  tliey  said  unto  his 
disciples,  Why  eateth  your  Master  with  pubhcans  and 
sinners  ?" 

12  But  when  Jesus  heard  that,  he  said  unto  tliem, 
They  that  be  whole  need  not  a  physician,  but  they 
that  are  sick. 


13  But  go  ye  and  learn  what  that  meaneth,  I'  will 
have  mercy,  and  not  sacrifice :  for  I  am  not  come  to 
call  the  righteous,  but  sinners  to  repentances 

14  Then  came  to  him  the  disciples  ot  John,  saying. 
Why  do  we  and  the  Pharisees  fast  oft,  but  thy -disciples 
fast  not  ? 


w  ch.  11  :  19 :  Luke  15:2;  Heb. 


.  .1  ch.  12  :  7  ;  Prov.  21  :  3 ;  Ho«ea  6:6;  Mlcah  6:8 y  Luke  24  :  47  ;  Acts  5  :  31 ;  2  Pet.  3  :  9. 


hence  the  publicans  were  m  their  eyes  not  only 
odious  as  tax-collectors,  but  yet  more  hateful  as 
traitors  to  their  nation  and  apostates  from  their 
religious  faith.  The  Talmud  classes  them  with 
thieves  and  assassins,  and  regards  their  repent- 
ance as  impossible.  No  money  known  to  have 
come  from  them  Avas  received  for  religious  uses. 
They  were  classed  with  sinners,  with  harlots, 
with  heathen  in  public  estimation,  and  probably 
in  their  actual  and  customary  companionships 

(Matt.  9:11;  11  :  19  ;  18  :  17  ;  21  :  31,  32).         Nor    WaS     their 

ill-repute  confined  to  the  Holy  Land.  Cicero  de- 
clares theirs  to  be  the  basest  of  all  livelihoods. 
It  was  a  current  Latin  proverb  throughout  the 
empire,  "All  the  publicans  are  altogether  rob- 
bers." Even  Nero  made  an  attempt  to  abolish 
both  the  nefarious  system  and  the  order  of  pub- 
licans which  sprang  from  it,  but  their  moneyed 
influence  was  too  great,  and  he  abandoned  the 
endeavor.  It  was  out  of  the  lower  class  of  these 
publicans  that  Matthew  was  called;  and  from 
them  and  their  natural  associates  the  guests 
were  composed  who  attended  the  feast  which 
Matthew  gave. 

10.  In  the  house,  i.  e.,  in  Matthew's  house. 
He  gave  the  feast  (Luke  5 :  29),  using  it,  as  a  fisher 
of  men,  to  catch  his  old  associates.  Reclined 
with  him.  The  posture  at  meal  was  that  of 
reclinmg,  as  indicated  m  the  cut.    Thus,  to  recline 


at  table  with  publicans  and  sinners  was  to  come  into 
the  most  intimate  social  relations  with  them.  That 
culture  which  is  so  refined  that  it  cannot  bear  con- 
tact with  the  sinful  is  not  Christian  culture. 

11.  Unto  his  disciples.  Not  to  Christ,  of 
whom  they  habitually  stood  in  awe  (compare  Matt. 
22 :  46).  Perhaps  there  was  in  this  question  an  en- 
deavor to  estrange  the  disciples  from  their  Lord. 
Luke  says  they  murmured,  i.  e.,  talked  over  in  a 
low  voice  privately,  not  intending  that  Jesus 
should  hear.  Their  complaint  was  probably 
made  subsequent  to  the  feast  ;  for  the  Pharisees 
could  not  have  been  present  at  it  without  stulti- 


fying themselves.  Why  eateth.  Observe  the 
tenor  of  the  complaint ;  it  is  not  that  he  taught 
sinners,  but  that  he  associated  with  them.  The 
same  complaint  would  be  made  now  against  any 
clergyman  who  should  associate  with  the  same 
outlawed  class  in  the  community.  It  is  not  always 
true  that  the  man  is  known  by  the  company  he 
keeps  ;  nor  always  true  that  we  are  to  avoid  bad 
company.  There  is  no  instance  in  the  Gospels  in 
which  Christ  refused  an  invitation  to  a  social 
gathering  ;  and  none  in  which  he  refused  to  asso- 
ciate with  any  on  account  of  their  social  or  moral 
character,  though  both  he  and  Paul'  recognize 
the  necessity  of  casting  some  out  from  all  fel- 
lowship with  us   (Matt.  18  :  17  ;  1  Cor.  5  :  9).       But    the 

sigi^iflcance  of  Christ's  social  life  is  interpreted  by 
the  two  verses  which  follow,  and  by  his  uniform 
practice  of  availing  himself  of  these  social  op- 
portunities to  teach  some  truth  to  or  to  inspire  a 
higher  life  in  the  guests  of  the  occasion  (Luke  ii : 

38,  etc.;  14:  l,etc.  ;  19  :  6-I0). 

13,  13.  Jesus    *    *    *    said  unto  them. 

The  disciples  made  no  answer.  It  is  possible  that 
they  were  as  much  perplexed  as  the  Pharisees  (see 
Acts  10 :  14, 15).  It  is  not  improbable  that  they  were 
overawed  by  the  assumed  religious  superiority 
and  purity  of  the  religious  teachers  of  Judaism. 
They  that  be  whole  ;  rather,  strong.  Sin  is 
a  disease  needing  cure  ;  it  is  a  moral  weakness ; 
the  victim  needs  moral  strength  rather  than  in- 
struction; and  it  is  through  social  fellowship 
that  the  Avay  is  opened  to  impart  the  needed 
strength  to  the  moral  nature  and  enable  it  to 
conquer  its  temptations. 

\^.  Go  ye  and  learn.  This  is  said  to  have 
been  a  common  form  of  speech  amoftg  the  Jewish 
rabbis  when  they  referred  their  hearers  to  the 
Scriptures  ;  Jesus  thus  treats  the  religious  teach- 
ers as  themselves  pupils,  and  sends  them  to  their 
own  sacred  writings  to  study  their  meaning. 
"He  signifies  that  not  he  was  transgressing  the 
law,  but  they  ;  as  if  he  had  said,  Whereof  accuse 
me  ?  Because  I  bring  sinners  to  amendment  ? 
Why  then  ye  must  accuse  the  Father  also  for 
this."— ((7/tr?/.sos;o??i.)  I  Avill  have  mercy  and 
not  sacrifice.  The  quotation  appears  to  be 
from  Hosea  6 : 6,  but  its  spirit  is  embodied  in  many 
passages  in  the  O.  T.  (i  Sam.  15 :  22;  ps.  so  :  8-15) ;  es- 
pecially in  the  prophets  (isaiah  1  :  11-17  ;  Amos  5  :  21-24  ; 

Mic.  6:7, 8).  It  would  appear  utterly  incomprehen- 
sible that  the  Bible  students  of  the  first  century 
could  have  failed  to  apprehend  the  meaning  of 


128 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  IX. 


15  And  Jesus  said  unto  them,  Can  the  children  of  the     groom  shall  be  taken  from  them,  and  then  shall"  they 
bridechamber  mourn,  as  long  as  the  bridegroom^  is     tast. 
with  them  ?   but  the  days  will  come,  when  the  bride-        16  No  man  putteth  a  piece  of  new  cloth  unto  an  old 


z  ch.  25  :  1,  10  ;  Jolin  3  :  29  ;  Rev.  21  :  2 a  Isa.  52  :  12. 


these  passages,  and  have  discovered  only  a  re- 
ligion of  fruitless  formalism  in  the  0.  T.,  were 
there  not  so  many  similar  misinterpreters  at  the 
present  day.  Sacrifice  was  the  chief  part  of  the 
ceremonial  law,  and  represents  here  the  religion 
of  formal  obedience  to  ceremonial  rules  ;  mercy 
expresses  that  spirit  of  love  to  the  fallen  which 
seeks  their  restoration.  The  very  essence  of  the 
Jewish  sacrificial  system  was  that  it  expressed 
the  infinite  mercy  of  God,  in  providing  a  way  of 
pardon  for  sin.  To  be  without  the  spirit  of  mercy 
was  really  to  lose  the  meaning  and  heart  of  the 
sacrifices ;  as  now,  to  hold  to  the  doctrine  of 
Christ's  atoning  sacrifice,  but  to  be  without  the 
spirit  which  leads  to  personal  self-sacrifice  for 
the  salvation  of  others,  is  to  be  without  the  spirit 

of   Christ  (PhU  2  :  5,  etc. ;  1  John  3  :  16). 

Not    *    *    *   the  righteous  but  sinners. 

This  is  not  exactly  equivalent  to  "those  who 
think  themselves  righteous"  and  "those  who 
confess  themselves  sinners,"  as  Wordsworth  ex- 
plains it.  Christ  takes  the  Pharisees  at  their  own 
estimation  of  themselves,  and  the  publicans  at 
the  Pharisees'  estimation  of  them,  and  says  :  "  I 
have  come  to  preach  the  doctrine  of  repentance 
as  the  condition  of  entering  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  (Matt.  4 :  17).  Evidently  the  doctrine  of 
repentance  is  for  sinners  such  as  these  publicans 
are,  not  for  the  righteous  such  as  you  are  !"  It 
is  in  so  far  a  keen  irony  of  their  self-righteous- 
ness. Chrysostom  refers  to  Gen.  3  :  23  and 
Psalm  50  :  12,  as  similarly  ironical.  Compare  for 
significance  of  the  entire  passage  John  9  :  39-41 ; 
1  Tim.  1  :  15 ;  Rev.  3  :  17.  To  repentance. 
These  words  are  not  found  here  or  in  Mark  in  the 
best  manuscripts ;  but  there  is  no  doubt  of  their 
authenticity  in  Luke,  and  therefore  no  doubt 
that  they  are  a  part  of  Christ's  response,  and 
qualify  and  interpret  his  declaration.  He  comes 
to  sinners  that  he  may  bring  sinners  to  himself ; 
he  does  not  conform  to  them,  but  conforms  them 
to  him  by  the  renewing  of  their  minds.  His  ex- 
ample is  authority  for  social  mingling  with  sin- 
ners, but  not  for  acquiescing  in  or  giving  even 
tacit  sanction  to  their  sinful  practices.  These 
words,  "to  repentance,"  are  the  answer  to  the 
charge  of  Celsus  (second  century).  "Jesus 
Christ  came  into  the  world  to  make  the  most 
terrible  and  dreadful  society,  for  he  calls  sinners 
and  not  the  righteous ;  so  that  the  body  he  came 
to  assemble  is  a  body  of  profligates,  separate 
from  good  people,  among  whom  they  were  be- 
fore mixed.  He  has  rejected  all  the  good  and 
collected  all  the  bad." 


Ch.  9  :  14-17.    OF  FASTING.— The  cause  op  Chbis- 

TIAN  JOT  IS  THE  PKE9ENCE  OF  ChRIST  ;   THE  CAtJSE  OF 

Christian  mourning  is  his  withdrawal.— The  jot- 

OUSNESS  OF  THE  RELIGION  OF  JesUS  ;    IT  19  A  WEDDING 

FEAST.— True  and  false  fasting.— The  law  op 
Christian  reformation:  entire,  internal.— The 
new  life  cannot  be  patched  upon  the  old;  the 
new  spirit  cannot  be  contained  in  old  forms. — 

The  FERMENTING  POWER  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

This  incident  is  recorded  also  in  Mark  3  :  18-23 
and  Luke  5  :  33-38,  and  in  the  same  connection. 
No  doubt  it  occurred  on  the  occasion  of  Mat- 
thew's feast. 

14.  The  disciples  of  John,  i.  e.,  the  Bap- 
tist. Luke  adds  "and  the  Pharisees."  John 
the  Baptist  was  in  prison ;  he  was  himself  per- 
plexed by  the  course  of  Christ's  mission  (Matt,  ii : 
2, 3) ;  it  is  not  strange  that  his  disciples  felt  ag- 
grieved that  Jesus,  instead  of  sorrowing  and 
fasting  over  the  national  degeneracy  that  suf- 
fered the  imprisonment  of  their  master,  should 
be  feasting  with  pubUcans  and  sinners.  Observe 
how,  customarily,  Christ  left  his  sometimes  enig- 
matical example  to  work  out  its  own  efEect  with- 
out explaining  it,  unless  called  on  for  an  expla- 
nation. We  and  the  Pharisees  fast  oft. 
Mark  says  they  "  used  to  fast ;"  literally,  "«;e»-e 
fasting,''^  which  may  mean  that  at  this  time  they 
were  observing  a  fast,  with  which  the  joyousness 
of  Matthew's  feast  seemed  incongruous.  In 
addition  to  the  fast  of  the  Day  of  Atonement, 
prescribed  by  Moses  (Lev.  23 :  20-32),  the  Jews  had 
instituted  several  national  fasts,  chiefly  to  com- 
memorate respectively  the  several  captures  of 
Jerusalem  by  alien  armies ;   special  fasts  were 

also  common  (Esther  4  :  15-17 ;  Jer.  S6  :  9  ;  Joel  1  :  14)  ;   and 

the  stricter  of  the  Pharisees  observed  the  fifth 
and  the  second  day  of  every  week  (Lute  is :  12)  as  a 
fast  day,  because  on  the  fifth  Moses  M^as  be- 
lieved to  have  gone  up  into  Sinai,  and  on  the  sec- 
ond to  have  come  dov.n.  Fasts  were  connected 
with  their  superstitions  as  well  as  with  their 
religion;  they  fasted  to  obtain  ausjDicious 
dreams,  or  to  secure  the  fulfillment  of  a  dream, 
or  to  escape  the  fulfillment  of  an  inauspicious 
dream,  or  to  secure  any  desired  object,  or  avert 
any  threatened  ill.  This  fasting  was  sometimes 
an  absolute  deprivation  of  all  food,  sometimes 
only  an  exclusion  of  aU  viands  but  those  of  tlje 
simplest  and  plainest  description  (Dan.  10 : 2, 3). 

15.  Children  of  the  bridechamber.  The 
companions  of  the  bridegroom,  answering  to  our 
modem  groomsmen.  The  wedding  ceremonies 
of  the  Jews  lasted  often  for  days;  the  bride- 


Ch.  IX.] 


MATTHEW. 


129 


gannent ;  for  that  which  is  put  in  to  fill  it  up  taketh 
from  the  garment,  and  the  rent  is  made  worse. 
17  Neither  do  men  put  new  wine  into  old  bottles, 


else''  the  bottles  break,  and  the  wine  runneth  out,  and 
the  bottles  perish :  but  they  put  new  wine  into  new 
bottles,  and  both  are  preserved. 


groom,  with  the  children  of  the  bridechamber, 
went  to  the  house  of  the  bride,  and  brought  her 
to  the  bridegroom's  house,  where  a  great  feast 
was  given ;  the  nuptials  were  always  celebrated 
with  great  festivities  and  mirth ;  and  the  Tal- 
mud, which  forbade  to  eat,  to  drink  or  to  wash 
the  face  on  the  Day  of  Atonement,  made  an  ex- 
ception in  favor  of  the  bride.  The  simile  used 
by  Christ  could  not  fail  to  recall  to  the  disciples 
of  John  their  master's  use  of  the  same  simile 
(John  3 :  29),  whom  Christ  thus  cites,  though  indi- 
rectly, in  answer  to  their  question.  The  signifi- 
cance of  the  metaphor  is  unmistakable.  Christ 
is  the  bridegroom  ;  the  church  is  the  bride  ;  the  or- 
dained teachers  in  the  church  are  the  children  of  the 
bridechamber,  loho  are  instrumental  hi  bringing  to- 
gether bride  and  groom ;  the  whole  period  of  time 
intermediate  ChrisVs  first  public  ministry  and  his 
second  coming  is  the  weddi7ig -feast,  during  which 
th£  children  of  the  bridechamber  are  bringing  their 
Lord  to  the  bride  ;  the  marriage-supper  of  the  Lamb 
in  th£  heavenly  kingdom  is  the  final  consummation 
of  the  wedding  ceremony.  There  is  significance  in 
the  fact  that  this  metaphor  employed  in  the  O.  T. 
to  designate  the  relation  between  God  and  his 
chosen  people  is  used  in  the  N.  T.  to  symbolize 
the  relation  between  Christ  and  his  Church  (isa. 

84  :  5  :  Jer.  3  :  14 ;  Hosea  2  :  19,  20  j  Matt.  22  :  1-14 ;  25  :  1-13  ;  Eph. 

5 :  3&-32 ;  Rev.  19 : 7).  3Iourn.  Obscrve  that,  while 
John's  disciples  ask  why  Christ's  disciples  do 
not  fast,  he  replies  that  they  cannot  mourn. 
Fasting  is  only  the  external  symbol  of  mourning, 
or  its  natural  expression  and  effect ;  where  there 
Is  no  mourning,  there  is  no  virtue  in  fasting. 
Luke's  report  is :  "  Can  ye  make  the  child  of  the 
bridechamber  fast  while  the  bridegroom  is 
with  them  ?  "  i  e.,  Can  you  by  laws  and  regula- 
tions make  them  while  in  the  period  of  their  joy, 
fast  in  truth?  Shall  be  taken  from  them. 
The  first  distinct  intimation  afforded  by  Christ 
of  his  own  crucifixion.  Its  meaning  can  have 
been  but  imperfectly  understood  by  either  the 
disciples  of  John  or  by  his  own  disciples ;  but 
its  pathos  could  not  but  have  been  felt.  Shall 
they  fast.  Bather,  will  they  fast ;  it  is  not  im- 
perative, but  simply  prophetic ;  it  indicates  a 
fact,  it  does  not  embody  a  command.  In  fact, 
the  disciples  suffered  no  persecution  while  Christ 
lived,  and  neither  knew  any  especial  experience 
of  mourning,  prior  to  his  passion,  nor  observed 
any  seasons  of  fasting.  Luther  remarks  on  the 
two  kinds  of  self-denial  and  suffering,  the  one 
which  we  inflict  on  ourselves  (i  Kings  is ;  28),  the 
other   that  which   God  lays  upon  us,   and  to 


which  we  cheerfully  submit  (John  is :  ii).  There 
is  no  virtue  in  the  first ;  there  is  benefit  in  the 
second. 

What  does  Christ  here  teach  respecting  the  obliga- 
tion of  fasting?  The  laws  of  Moses  prescribed 
many  feast  days  and  but  one  fast  day.  Christ 
himself  prescribed  no  set  fasts,  and  none  were 
observed  by  the  apostolic  church.  But  occa- 
sional fasts  were  observed  throughout  the  O.  T. 

history    by    the   Jews    (l  Sam.  7:6;  Neh.  l  :  4;  Joel  2  :  12. 

Compare  Isaiah  6S :  3-6),  and  in  the  N.  T.  history  both 

by    Christ   and   his   apostles    (Matt.  4:2;  Acts  13:2,  3; 

14 :  23).  Beading  Christ's  declaration  in  the  light 
of  this  history,  the  plain  inference  from  it  ap- 
pears to  be  this :  Fasting  is  the  expression  of 
mourning ;  while  Christ  was  with  his  disciples  in 
the  body,  there  was  no  occasion  for  mourning  or 
fasting;  so  when  the  soul  is  conscious  of  his 
spiritual  presence,  when  the  bridegroom  is  with 
the  children  of  the  bridechamber,  they  cannot  be 
made  to  fast  in  reality  and  truth ;  but  whenever 
Christ  has  withdrawn  from  the  soul,  whenever 
times  of  darkness  hide,  or  experiences  of  sin 
banish  him  from  the  soul,  or  the  strong  need  of 
a  clearer  sense  of  his  presence  overcomes  the  de- 
sire for  food,  or  a  failure  in  his  work  indicates  a 
lack  of  his  presence  and  power  (Matt.  i7 :  21),  then 
there  will  be  fasting.  In  other  words,  fasting  is 
Christian  only  when  it  is  the  natural  expression 
of  a  Christian  experience.  ' '  Fasting  should  be 
the  genuine  offspring  of  inward  and  spiritual  sor- 
row, of  the  sense  of  the  absence  of  the  Bride- 
groom in  the  soul— not  the  forced  and  stated 
fasts  of  the  old  covenant,  now  passed  away.  It 
is  an  instructive  circumstance,  that  in  the  Be- 
formed  Churches,  while  those  stated  fasts  which 
were  retained  at  their  first  emergence  from 
popery  are  universally  disregarded  even  by  their 
best  and  holiest  sons,  nothing  can  be  more  affect- 
ing and  genuine  than  the  universal  and  solemn 
observance  of  any  real  occasion  of  fasting  placed 
before  them  by  God's  providence." — {Alford.) 

16.  No  man  puts  a  patch  of  unfinished 
{u7 fulled)  material  upon  an  old  garment; 
for  the  patch  tears  away  from  the  gar- 
ment and  a  worse  rent  takes  place.  The 
student  wiU  get  the  significance  of  the  original 
ia  several  particulars  which  may  escape  him 
otherwise,  if  he  wUl  compare  this  transaction 
with  that  of  our  English  version.  Garments  in 
the  East  were  made  sometimes  of  leather,  some- 
times of  cloth.  The  leather  which  had  not  been 
dressed,  and  the  cloth  which  had  not  been 
fulled,  i.  e.,  soaked  aud  cleansed  with  water, 


130 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  IX. 


i8  While"  he  spake  these  things  unto  them,  behold, 
there  came  a  certain  ruler,  and  worshipped  him,  saying. 
My  daughter  is  even  now  dead  :  but  come  and  lay  thy 
hand  upon  her,  and  she  shall  live." 

19  And  Jesus  arose,  and  followed  him,  and  so  did  his 
disciples. 


20  And,«  behold,  a  woman,  which  was  diseased  with 
an  issue  of  blood  twelve  years,  came  behind  him,  and 
touched  the  hem  of  his  garment ; 

21  For  she  said  within  herself.  If  I  may  but  touch 
his  garment,'  I  shall  be  whole. 

22  But  Jesus  turned  him  about ;   and  when  he  saw 


:  Mark  6  :  22  ;  Luke  8  :  41, 


IJohnll  :  25....eMaik6:  25  j   Luke  8  :  43.... f  Acts  19  :  12. 


was  sure  to  shrink,  and  if  such  undressed  or  un- 
fuUed  (not  merely  Tnevi)  material  was  used  in  re- 
pairing a  garment  it  would  soon  tear  out  the  old 
cloth ;  the  consequence  would  be,  not  that  the  old 
rent  would  he  made  worse,  but  that  a  new  and  worse 
rent  would  he  produced.  Luke  (cii.  5 :  se)  puts  it  a 
little  differently,  see  note  there ;  and  he  gives 
the  reason  of  the  new  rent,  "the  piece  that  v/as 
taken  out  of  the  new,  agreeth  not  with  the  old." 
The  disciples  of  John  the  Baptist  looked  not  for 
a  new  religion,  but  for  a  re-formation,  a  patching 
up  of  the  old  Jewish  religion.  To  them  Christ 
responds  that  he  has  come  to  give  the  world  new 
garments,  not  to  patch  the  old  ones ;  any  at- 
tempt to  attach  his  religion  of  the  spirit  of  love 
to  the  old  religion  of  forms  would  be  sure  to 
make  a  worse  state  of  things  than  that  which  he 
attempted  to  cure ;  both  because  tM  old  is  old, 
worn  out,  and  can  bear  no  strain,  and  because 
tlie  new  is  new,  and  has  as  yet,  as  it  exists  in  the 
minds  of  the  disciples,  none  of  that  flexibility 
which  would  enable  it  to  adapt  itself  to  the  pre- 
judices and  prepossessions  of  others.  The  spirit 
in  the  apostolic  church  which  was  ofEended  and 
stumbled  at  eating  meat  offered  to  idols,  repre- 
sents the  old  garment;  the  spirit  which  could 
not  yield,  and  for  the  sake  of  others  abstain, 
represents  the  unfulled 

piece  of  cloth  (Romans  U  : 

11,15).  It  is  true  that 
the  apostle  sought  to 
fuse  these  two  factions, 
but  by  instructions 
which  destroyed  the 
factions  and  drove  out 
the  spirit  of  intolerance 
from  the  one,  and  of 
headiness  or  impatience 
from  the  other.  In 
every  religious  refor- 
mation some  have  at- 
tempted to  put  on  new 
patches  on  old  garments ;  e.  g.,  John  the  Baptist, 
Erasmus,  the  Old  Catholics  of  to-day.  Let  us 
beware  lest,  in  our  own  souls,  we  attempt  patch- 
work reformation. 

17.  New  Avine  into  old  bottles.  The  bot- 
tles of  the  East  were  and  still  are  made  of  the  skins 
of  animals,  the  entrails  being  taken  out,  the  form 
of  the  animal  preserved,  and  the  hair  left  on  the 
outside.  Hence  the  reference  to  wine  bottles  of 
the  Gibeonites  "old  and  rent  and  bound  up" 


AUCIENT  BOTTLE. 
(From  a  painting  at  PompL-ii.) 


(Joshua  9: 4).  "New  wiuc  "  Is  wlne  not  yet  fully 
fermented.  In  its  fermenting  it  expands  and 
would  thus  burst  the  bottle.  Estahlishing  new 
truths  in  tlie  hearts  of  men  is  always  hy  a  process  of 
fermentation ;  of  excitement  and  agitation.  To 
confine  new  truths  in  old  forms  only  results  in  shat- 
tering the  old.  Note  as  examples  the  effect  of  Old 
Catholicism  in  Germany,  and  the  ecclesiastical 
reformation  of  Henry  VIII  in  England.  "The 
new  wine  is  something  too  Mving  and  strong  for  so 
weak  a  moral  frame  ;  it  shatters  the  fair  outside 
of  ceremonial  seeming ;  and  the  wine  runneth 
out,  the  spirit  is  lost,  the  man  is  neither  a 
blameless  Jew  nor  a  faithful  Christian ;  both  are 
spoiled." — {Alford.) 

The  connection  of  these  two  verses  with  the 
preceding  question  about  fasting  is  unmistak- 
able. Fasting  was  prescribed  by  the  old  dispen- 
sation and  still  more  by  the  Pharisees  as  a  law,  as 
it  still  is  by  the  Roman  Catholics.  Christ's  sys- 
tem recognizes  no  other  law  than  that  of  love  ; 
and  it  cannot  be  patched  on  to  one  which  makes 
a  virtue  of  a  fast.  But  here,  as  often,  Christ 
takes  occasion  of  a  question  which  relates  only 
to  an  external  service  to  enunciate  a  principle  of 
much  broader  application.  In  so  far  as  the  soid 
receives  the  spirit  of  Christ  as  a  new  inspiration,  it 
will  work  out  for  itself  a  new  expression ;  it  may 
use  but  it  cannot  be  confined  -vvithin  old  forms, 
whether  of  devotional  expression  or  of  doctrinal 
statement. 

18-26.  Raising  of  Jairus'  DAUGnTER.  Heal- 
ing OF    WOMAN    WITH    ISSUE    OF    BLOOD.      It    iS 

clear  from  the  account  here  that  these  two  mira- 
cles were  wrought  immediately  after  Matthew's 
feast.  They  are  recorded  in  Mark  5  :  22-43  and 
Luke  8  :  41-56  as  immediatelj'  succeeding  Christ's 
return  from  the  land  of  the  Gergesenes,  and  his 
casting  out  of  the  devil  there.  It  appears  from 
their  accounts  that  Jairus  was  a  ruler  of  the  syna- 
gogue, probably  at  Capernaum,  that  his  daughter 
was  twelve  years  old,  that  the  first  message  to 
Jesus  was  that  she  was  dying,  and  that  after- 
wards a  second  message  was  sent  him,  while  he 
was  on  his  way  to  the  ruler's  house,  to  the  effect 
that  she  was  already  dead  ;  the  two  being  embod- 
ied in  one  message  in  Matthew's  account,  and  that 
the  father  and  mother  of  the  girl,  -with  Peter, 
James  and  John,  went  with  him  into  the  room, 
and  were  witnesses  of  her  resurrection  from  the 
dead.  The  accounts  in  Mark  and  Luke  also  give 
details  respecting  the  healing  of  the  woman  with 


Ch.  IX.] 


MATTHEW. 


131 


her,  he  said,  Daughter,  be  of  good  comfort ;  thy?  faith 
hath  made  thee  whole.  And  the  woman  was  made 
whole  from  that  hour.'" 

23  And'  when  Jesus  came  into  the  ruler's  house,  and 
saw  the'  minstrels  and  the  people  making  a  noise, 

24  He  said  unto  them,  Give  place  ;  lor  the  maid  is 
not  dead,''  but  sleepeth.  And  they  laughed  him  to 
scorn. 

25  But  when  the  people  were  put  forth,'  he  went  in, 
and  took  her  by  the  hand,  and  tlie  maid  arose. 

26  And  the  fame  hereof  went  abroad  into  all  that 
land. 


27  And  when  Jesus  departed  thence,  two  blind  men 
followed  him,  crying,  and  saying,  Thou  son  of  David,"" 
have  mercy  on  us. 

28  And  when  he  was  come  into  the  house,  the  blind 
men  came  to  him  :  and  Jesus  saith  unto  them,  Believe 
ye  that  I  am  able  to  do  this  ?  They  said  unto  him, 
Yea,  Lord. 

29  Then  touched  he  their  eyes,  saying,  According  to 
your  faith  be  it  unto  you. 

30  And  their  eyes  were  opened :  and  Jesus  straitly 
charged  them,  saying.  See  that  no  man  know"  it. 


g  Luke  7  :  60 ;  17  :  19  ;  18  :  42  ;  Acts  14  :  9. 


,35:  25....k  ActsSO:  10. 


ich.  12  :  16: 


an  issue  of  blood,  omitted  by  Matthew.  See  for 
notes  on  the  two  miracles,  Mark  5  :  23-43. 

Ch.  9  :  27-34.  HEALING  OF  THE  15LIKD  AND  THE 
DUMB.— Christ  the  Light  op  the  world  (John  8 : 
12).  He  makes  the  blind  to  see  (John  9  :  39). ^Per- 
sistent FAITH  FOLLOWS  CHRIST  DESPITE  HIS  SEEMING 

BEFUSAL  TO  HEAR  (Matthew  15  :  21-28).— The  gift  of 
God  is  to  us  according  to  our  faith  (Hebrews  11  : 
6).— True  faith  illustrated  ;  personal  trust  in  a 
PERSONAL  Satiour.— Silence  for  Christ  is  some- 
times AS  SACRED  A  DUTY  AS  SPEECH. — HE  MAKETH  THE 

DUMB  TO  SPEAK  (Psalm  51 :  15). 

These  incidents  are  peculiar  to  Matthew. 
Other  cases  of  healing  of  the  blind  are  recorded 
in  Matt.  12  :  23  ;  20  :  29-34  ;  31  :  14  ;  Mark  8 :  33- 
26  ;  Luke  7  :  31  ;  and  John,  ch.  9.  Blindness  is 
very  common  in  the  East ;  the  dust,  the  hot  sun, 
the  sleeping  in  the  open  air,  are  among  the 
causes  said  to  produce  it.  Trench  quotes  a 
"  modern  traveler  "  as  reporting  that  there  are 
four  thousand  blind  in  Cairo  alone  ;  Volney  says 
that  out  of  one  hundred  persons  he  met  in  that 
city  twenty  were  quite  blind,  ten  wanted  each 
one  eye,  and  twenty  others  suffered  from  ophthal- 
mia. Blindness  is  not  as  common  in  Syria  as  in 
Egypt,  but  the  references  in  the  Scripture  indi- 
cate that  it  was  not  infrequent  (Lev.  19 :  u ;  Deut. 
27 :  18).  This  is  also  indicated  by  the  fact  that  it 
was  prophesied  respecting  the  Messiah  as  one  of 
the  signs  of  his  character  and  mission  that  he 
should  open  the  eyes  of  the  blind  (isaiah  29 :  is ;  35 : 
6;  42 : 7).  There  is  nothing  in  the  original  to  indi- 
cate the  nature  or  cause  of  the  blindness  in  this 
case.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  cure  was 
instantaneous  and  complete,  so  that  the  blind 
men  apparently  straightway  went  out  from  his 
presence  to  proclaim  their  cure  ;  whereas  in  all 
cases  of  natural  cure  the  eyes  must  go  through 
a  long  process  of  protection  from  exti:eme  light 
which  in  their  weakened  state  they  cannot 
bear. 

27.  And  when  Jesus  departed  thence. 
Possibly  from  the  house,  perhaps  from  Caper- 
naum, perhaps  from  that  general  region  of  coun- 
try ;  the  phrase  is  very  vague  and  does  not  iden- 
tify the  time  or  place  of  the  cure.  Crying : 
Rather,  calling  aloud,  as  Bartimeus  did  (Mart  lO: 


46,47).    Son  of  David.    A  common  appellation 

among  the  Jews  for  the  Messiah  (Matt.  21 : 9 ;  22 ;  42  j 
Ezek.  34 :  23, 24).  Thus  their  appeal  was  a  confession 
of  their  faith  not  only  in  his  power  to  heal  as  a 
physician,  or  a  prophet,  but  a  distinct  recogni- 
tion of  his  Messianic  character.  Have  mercy 
on  us.  Physiological  ailments  were  accounted 
among  the  Jews  as  an  indication  of  and  a 
punishment  for  special  sin  (John  9 : 2).  The  spir- 
itual significance  of  this  cry  is  not  to  be  pressed 
here  ;  nothing  more  is  necessarily  signified  by  the 
original  than  Have  pity  on  us.  Yet  as  disease  is  a 
fruit  and  a  type  of  sin,  so  healing  is  a  fruit  and  a 
type  of  divine  mercy  in  the  strictest  sense  of  that 
term.  The  cry  of  suffering  to  God  is  always  a 
cry  for  mercy  as  well  as  for  pity. 

28.  And  Avhen  he  was  come  into  the 
house.  Possibly,  as  Dr.  Adam  Clark,  "  the 
house  of  Peter  at  Capernaum  where  he  ordi- 
narily lodged."  But  the  phrase  does  not  neces- 
sarily indicate  any  particular  house  ;  "  merely  as 
we  sometimes  use  the  phrase  '  the  house  '  as  op- 
posed to  '  the  open  air. ' ' ' — {Alford. )  Why  should 
our  Lord  wait  until  he  comes  into  the  house  be- 
fore he  answers  their  prayer?  Chrysostom  re- 
plies :  "  To  repel  the  glory  that  comethfrom  the 
multitude.  Because  the  house  was  near  he  leads 
them  thither  to  heal  them  in  private.  And  this 
is  evident  from  the  fact  that  he  charged  them  to 
tell  no  man."  Calvin,  and  so  most  of  the  com- 
mentators, that  he  may  try  the  pertinacity  of 
their  faith,  not  only  by  his  subsequent  inquiiy, 
but  also  by  his  seeming  to  withdraw  from  them 
without  heeding  their  request.  He  thus  also 
illustrates  the  virtue  of  that  importunity  of 
prayer  which  he  subsequently  enforces  by  his 
direct  teaching  (Luke  11 : 5-8;  18:1-9).  He  further 
sounds  the  depths  of  their  faith  by  a  question  : 
Believe  ye  that  I  am  able  to  do  this  ? 
In  the  light  of  the  prophecies  above  referred  to 
(note  on  ver.  26)  this  was  again  a  question  as  to  their 
faith  in  him,  not  as  a  mere  prophet,  but  as  the 
Messiah.  "He  did  not  say.  Believe  ye  that 
I  am  able  to  entreat  my  Father,  that  I  am  able 
to  pray,  but  that  I  am  able  to  do  this P^— {Chry- 
sostom. ) 

29.  He  touched  their  eyes.    He  is  never 


132 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  IX. 


31  But  they,  when  they  were  departed,  spread 
abroad  his  fame  in  all  that  country. 

32  As  they  went  out,  behold,  they  brought  to  him  a 
dumb  man"  possessed  with  a  devil. 

33  And  when  the  devil  was  cast  out,  the  dumb  spake  :>> 
and  the  multitudes  marvelled,  saying,  It  was  never  so 
seen  in  Israel. 

34  But  the  Pharisees  said,  Hei  casteth  out  devils 
through  the  prince  of  the  devils. 

35  And^  Jesus  went  about  all  the  cities  and  villages. 


teaching  in  their  synagogues,  and  preaching  the  gospel 
of  the  kingdom,  and  healing  every  sickness  and  every 
disease  among  the  people. 

36  But  when  he  saw  the  multitudes,  he  was  moved 
with  compassion  on  them,  because  they  fainted,  and 
were  scattered  abroad,  as  sheep*  having  no  shepherd. 

37  Then  saith  he  unto  his  disciples,  The  harvest' 
truly  IS  plenteous,  but  the  labourers  are  few  ; 

38  Pray  ye  therefore  the  Lord  of  the  harvest,  that 
he  will  send  forth"  labourers  into  his  harvest. 


)  ch.  12  :  22  ;   Luke  1 


r  ch.  4  :  23. . .  .8  Numb.  27  :  17  ;    1  Kings  22  : 


said  to  have  healed  the  blind  by  a  mere  word, 
but  always,  where  any  details  are  given,  used 

some  instrumentality    (Matt.  20  : ,«  ;  Mark  8  :  23 ;  John  9  : 

6,7).     According  to  your  faith  be   it   unto 

you.  The  universal  answer  of  God  to  all  our 
prayers  for  spiritual  blessings.  He  is  ready  to 
grant  more  than  we  can  ask  or  even  think ;  but 
we  can  receive  only  in  proportion  as  our  faith  is 
l^repared  to  receive.  "Eaith  which  in  itself  is 
nothing  is  yet  the  organ  for  receiving  every- 
thing."—( Tmic/t. ) 

30-31.  Straitly  charged.  The  original 
word  occurs  in  Mark  14  :  5,  where  it  is  rendered 
murmured,  and  in  John  11 :  33,  38,  where  it  is  ren- 
dered groan.  He  so  charged  them  as  to  imply 
indignation  if  they  disobeyed.  Why  should  he 
have  given  this  caution  which  was  often  repeated 

(Matt.  8:4;  12:16;  Mark  1  :  34,  43,  44  ;  3  :  12 ;  6  :  43  ;  Luke  4  :  41 ; 

8 :  56)  ?  Was  it  because  he  himself  in  the  spirit  of 
his  own  precepts  shrank  from  having  his  bene- 
factions blazoned  abroad  (Matt.  6 : 3, 4 ;  isaiah  42 : 2)  ?  or 
was  it  that  the  faith  of  the  people  might  not  rest 
upon  his  miracles  but  upon  the  truth  itself  (Matt. 
12 :  39 ;  John  14 :  ii)  ?  sincc  the  faith  that  rested  on  the 
miracles  wholly  misapprehended  his  mission  (john 
s:  2;  6:11, 15).  Scc  uotc  ou  ch.  8  : 4,  If  this  last  be 
the  true  explanation,  is  it  not  a  mistake  for  us  to 
rest  the  evidence  of  Christianity  so  largely  on 
miracles  of  which  Christ  made  so  little,  instead 
of  resting  it  on  the  truth  itself,  of  which  Christ 
made  so  much  ?  As  to  the  course  of  the  blind 
men  in  spreading  abroad  their  cure,  one  may  ad- 
mire, as  the  Roman  Catholic  writers  do,  their 
spirit  of  gratitude,  without  justifying  their  dis- 
obedience of  Christ's  command.  The  effect  of 
this  and  other  similar  acts  of  others  was  to  bring 
to  him  a  crowd,  not  of  appreciative  hearers, 
anxious  to  hear  the  truth,  but  of  mere  wonder- 
gazers,  curious  to  witness  his  miracles.  Such 
popularity  only  impeded  his  work  (Mark  3 ;  20 ;  6 :  31 ; 

Luke  12  :  1,  etc.). 

32-34.  An  instance  of  a  miraculous  cure,  very 
similar,  is  recorded  in  Matthew  13  :  23-34  ;  Luke 
11 ;  14,  15,  etc.  The  report  of  the  accusation  of 
the  Pharisees,  and  of  Christ's  reply,  is  fuller 
there  than  here.  Whether  the  incident  is  really 
the  same  or  not  is  uncertain;  most  harmonists 
regard  it  as  different.  For  notes  on  the  Phari- 
saic accusation,  see  on  Matt.  13  :  33,  etc. 


Ch.  9  :  35-38.  PREPARATIOX  FOR  THE  COMMISSION 
or  THE  Al'OSTLES.— Christ's  training  of  his  disci- 
ples IS  THEORETICAL  AND  PRACTICAL  ;  FIRST  THE  SER- 
MON ON  THE  Mount,  then  a  missionary  cmcuiT.    He 

EXEMPLIFIES  THE  WORK  OP  THE  MINISTRY  BEFORE  HE 
COMMISSIONS  THE  APOSTLES  TO  IT. — In  THE  FmST  MIS- 
SIONARY WORK  HEALING  OP  THE  BODY  AND  OP  THE 
SOUL  GJES  TOGETHER. — ThE  CONDITION   OF   SUCCESS  IN 

Christian  work:  "moved  with  compassion." — 
There   were    many   rabbis,  but   no    shepherds; 

THERE    may  be   MANY   RELIGIOUS    TEACHERS,  BUT    NO 

TRUE  PASTORS.— Work  fob  all  in  Christ's  vine- 
yard ;    no  one  CAN  SAY,  "  NO  MAN  HATH  HIRED  US."— 

The  real  impediment  to  the  spread  of  the  Gospel  : 
LACK  OF  Christian  laborers. 

3S.  Cities  and  villages.  A  distinction  sim- 
ilar to  that  which  prevails  in  modem  times  be- 
tween incorporated  and  unincorporated  towns 
existed  in  the  time  of  Christ.  The  city  proper 
was  environed  by  walls  ;  a  council  of  elders,  and 
a  government  answering  to  the  modern  common 
council  and  mayor,  administered  the  govern- 
ment ;  there  were  night-watchmen ;  lights  were 
unknown,  except  torches  carried  in  the  hand ; 
there  was  usually  no  sewerage ;  the  houses  were 
crowded  close  together ;  the  streets  were  narrow 
and  unpaved.  The  villages  were  unwalled  col- 
lections of  huts  of  stone  or  mud.  Nearly  the 
entire  population  of  Palestine  was  gathered  in 
cities  and  villages  as  a  protection  against  robbers, 
etc.  After  commissioning  his  disciples  Jesus 
continued  his  ministry  among  the  cities  (Matt,  ii :  i), 
while  his  apostles  preached  the  gospels  in  the 
unwalled  towns  or  villages  (Luke  9 :  e),  where  the 
word  "town"  (^w/";)  is  the  same  here  translated 
"village."  Healing  every  sickness,  (voaoc), 
positive  ailment ;  and  every  disease  (nu'/.a-yAa), 
weakness,  want  of  health  and  vigor.  Christ  not 
only  takes  away  our  disease,  he  gives  us  health 
and  strength.  In  the  moral  life  weakness  is 
sometimes  the  worst  form  of  disease.  Among 
the  people.  This  is  an  addition  not  found  in 
the  best  manuscripts.  The  language  descriptive 
of  this  tour  is  almost  identical  with  that  em- 
ployed in  Matt.  4  :  33.  See  note  there  for  de- 
scription of  the  synagogue,  and  for  references 
indicating  the  general  character  of  Christ's 
preaching  and  miracles  of  healing.  Observe  that 
the  commission  of  the  twelve  is  preceded  by  a 
tour  in  which  Christ  exemplifies  to  the  commis- 


Ch.  X.] 


MATTHEW. 


133 


sioned  apostles  the  nature  of  the  work  they  are 
to  do.  This  particular  journey  is  generally  char- 
acterized by  the  harmonists  as  Christ's  third 
missionary  circuit ;  but  there  is  no  evidence  that 
his  ministry  was  divided  in  fact,  or  in  the  thought 
of  the  sacred  winters,  into  any  such  definite  cir- 
cuits. 

36.  He  was  moved  Avith  compassion. 
This  fact  coneerniag  our  Lord  is  repeatedly  stat- 
ed by  the  Evangelists  (ch.  u :  u ;  Mark  i :  41 ;  6 :  34) ; 
and  it  affords,  humanly  speaking,  the  secret  of 
his  power.  We  get  influence  over  the  debased 
and  ignorant  only  as  they  awaken  a  feeling  of 
true  compassion  and  yearning,  rather  than  of 
resentment,  distaste,  and  aversion.  Observe, 
that  his  compassion  was  for  publicans  and  sin- 
ners. "  Christ  pities  those  most  that  pity  them- 
selves least :  so  should  we." — {MattJiew  Henry.) 
Fainted.  This  is  the  correct  translation  of  the 
received  text  {exXiXvi^siot),  but  the  best  authori- 
ties give  another  word  {eaxv/.usvot),  the  proper 
translation  of  which  is  harassed.  What  moved 
his  compassion  was  not  their  physical  weariness, 
but  their  harassment  and  perplexity  under  the 
burdensome  ritualism  imposed  on  them  by  the 
Pharisees  (Matt.  23 : 4-13,  etc.).  Scattered  abroad 
as  sheep  having  no  shepherd.  There  were 
many  scribes  and  doctors  of  the  law,  but  no 
shepherd,  no  one  who  watched  over  and  tended 
and  cared  for  their  spiritual  welfare  (1  Kings  22 :  n ; 

Ezek.  34  :  1-6). 

37.  The    harvest    truly    is    plenteous. 

"  Mark  how  he  points  out  the  facility  and  neces- 
sity of  the  thing.  For  what  saith  he  ?  The  har- 
vest truly  is  plenteous,  but  the  laborers  are  few. 
That  is :  Not  to  the  sowing,  saith  he,  but  to  the 
reaping  do  I  send  you  ( John  4:38).  And  these 
things  he  said,  at  once  repressing  their  pride  and 
preparing  them  to  be  of  good  courage,  and  sig- 
nifying that  the  greater  part  of  the  labor  had  al- 
ready come." — {Chrysostom.)  Observe,  too,  here, 
and  yet  more  in  John  4  :  35,  the  plain  intimation 
that  the  impediment  to  the  spread  of  the  gospel 
is  not  the  hardness  of  heart  and  unpreparedness 
of  the  world  for  it,  but  the  lack  of  activity  in  the 
church.  The  harvest  of  souls  is  ready ;  but 
there  are  either  no  laborers,  or  they  lack  the  true 
spirit  of  Christ — are  rabbis,  not  shepherds.  The 
harvest  is  a  frequent  symbol  in  the  Bible  of 
Christian  work.  God  is  the  husbandman  (john 
15 :  i) ;  the  world  is  the  field  (Matt,  is :  ss) ;  Chris- 
tians are  workmen  whom  the  Lord  employs  (Matt. 
20  :i);  souls  are  God's  husbandry  (i  Cor.  3:9,  and 
note) ;  the  true  children  of  God  are  separated 
from  sinners  by  a  process  of  threshing  and  mn- 
nowing  (isaiah  21:10;  Matt.  3:12);  the  end  of  the 
world  witnesses  the  gathering  of  the  grain  into 
bams,  and  the  destruction  of  the  tares  (Matt. 
13 :  3o).  Compare  Psalm  126  :  5 ;  Isaiah  9:3; 
1  Cor.  3:6;  and  especially  Matt.  13  :  24-30,  34-73. 


38.  Pray  ye  therefore,  etc.  "Though 
they  were  but  twelve  he  made  them  many  from 
that  time  forward,  not  by  adding  to  their  num- 
ber, but  by  giving  them  power. ^^ — {Chrysostom.) 
Observe  that  he  who  bids  to  pray  sends  forth  the 
laborers,  teaching  us  that  we  are  to  help  to  the 
answer  of  our  owti  prayers.  Observe,  too,  that 
he  bids  those  that  were  to  go  forth  pray  for 
laborers;  pray,  that  is,  that  God  would  send 
them  forth.  Those  only  can  labor  successfully  for 
God  whom  God  sends  forth.  Compare  for  such  a 
prayer  Isaiah  6  :  8.  .Send  forth.  The  original 
word  {ty.^idXXo})  certainly  generally  carries  with 
it  the  idea  of  force.  It  is  rendered  drive  in  Mark 
1  :  13  ;  John  2  :  15  ;  thrust,  in  Luke  4  :  29 ;  put 
forth,  in  John  10  :  4 ;  expel,  in  Acts  13  :  50.  As 
the  Holy  Spirit  uses  a  certain  compulsion  to 
bring  sinners  to  Christ  (Luke  u  -.  n),  so  he  impels 
Christian  workers,  against  their  first  inclinations, 
into  Christian  work.  So  God  impelled  Moses 
(Exod.4 : 1,  lo-n) ;  SO  by  a  goading  of  the  conscienc  j 
and  a  divine  vision  he  impelled  Saul ;  so  by  eai  .y 
persecutions  he  sent  the  early  Christians  out  of 
Jerusalem,  and  scattered  them  everywhere, 
preaching  the  Gospel  (Acta  s :  4).  Compare  chap. 
10  :  23,  and  note.  So  in  a  sense  we  may  say  that 
no  one  is  competent  to  preach,  either  publicly  or 
privately,  the  gospel  to  others,  who  is  not  im- 
pelled thereto  by  the  strong  power  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  Compare  Ezek.  3  :  14 ;  Acts  9  :  26 ;  1  Cor. 
9:16. 

Ch.  10  !  1-42.    THE  MISSION  OF  THE  TWELVE. 

Ch.  10  : 1-15.  THEIR  COMMISSION.— The  weakness 
and  the  power  op  the  apostles  (2  cor.  4  :  7).— 
Christian  work,  like  charity,  begins  at  home  (vs. 
5,  6).— The  foundation  op  the  Gospel  :  the  king- 
dom OF  HEAVEN  IS  at  HAND  (v.  7).— ThE  WORK  OF  THE 

Gospel:    healing,  cleansing,  lipe-gfving,   devil- 

CONQCTERING  (v.  8).— ThE  TRUST  OF  THE  GOSPEL  MINIS- 
TRY :  God  and  the  people.  Their  support:  the 
voluntary  contributions  op  their  hearers  (vs. 
9-13). — The  sin  of  rejecting  the  Gospel  is  the  most 

HEINOUS  of  all  SINS  (V8.  14,  15). 

The  conflict  between  Christ  and  the  Pharisees 
had  already  commenced.  They  had  attacked  him 
for  breaking  the  Sabbath  (Matt.  12 : 2, 10,  U;  John  5:  ic), 
and  for  associating  with  publicans  and  sinners 
(Matt.  9 :  11),  and  accused  him  of  casting  out  devils 
by  the  Prince  of  devils  (Matt.  12 :  24).  He  had 
made  several  missionary  tours  through  Galilee, 
preaching  the  Gospel  and  healing  the  sick.  Prior 
to  this  commission  are  undoubtedly  to  be  placed, 
not  only  the  miracles  previously  recorded  by 
Matthew,  but  also  those  of  the  raising  of  the  son 
of  the  widow  of  Nain  (Luke  7 :  ii-n),  and  the  heal- 
ing of  the  impotent  man  at  the  pool  of  Bethesda 
(John  6).  He  had  also  been  mobbed  at  Nazareth 
(Luke  4 :  29, 3o),  and  had  already  not  only  vigor- 
ously exposed  the  errors  of  the  Pharisees  in  the 


134 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  X. 


CHAPTER    X. 

ND  when  he  had  called  unto  him  his   twelve  dis- 
.  ciples,   he'   gave   them  power   agaitist    unclean 


spirits,  to  cast  them  out,  and  to  heal  all  manner  of  sick- 
ness and  all  manner  of  disease. 

2  Now  the  names"  of  the  twelve  apostles  are  these : 
The  first,  Simon,  who  is  called  Peter,  and  Andrew  his 


Mark  3  :  13,  14  ;  6  :  7, 


.w  Luke  6  :  13. 


Sermon  on  the  Mount,  but  had  denounced  them 
and  their  hypocrisy  before  all  the  people  (Matt,  m  -. 
33-39 ;  Luke  11 :  37-54),  and  had  prcachcd  the  parables 
concerning  the  Kingdom  of  God  recorded  iu 
L'att.  XIII.  Meanwhile  his  popularity  among 
the  people  had  only  been  increased  by  the  oppo- 
sition of  the  Pharisees.  Wherever  he  went 
crowds  gathered  about  him  thronging  the  streets 

through  which  he  passed  ( JIark  2:15;  5  -.  24 :  Luke  7 :  11 ; 

8 :  45),  crowding  the  houses  he  entered  (Mark  2 ;  2), 
treading  each  other  under  foot  in  their  eager- 
ness (Luke  12 :  i),  breaking  in  on  his  sleep  and  meals 
(Mark  3 :  2o),  and  following  him  on  foot  when  he  en- 
deavored to  escape  them  by  boat  (Matt,  u  :  is). 
Without  entering  here  into  the  reasons  for  placmg 
this  commission  at  a  later  date  than  appears  to  be 
assigned  to  it  by  Matthew,  it  may  suffice  to  say 
that  it  appears  clear  from  Mark  6  :  7-14  that  the 
commission  was  given,  if  not  after  the  death  of 
John  the  Baptist,  certainly  about  the  same  time. 
Two  reasons  appear  to  have  led  to  this  commis- 
sioning of  the  twelve  :  first,  the  growing  eagerness 
of  the  people  to  hear  the  news  of  the  kingdom 
could  not  be  satisfied  by  one  preacher ;  second,  the 
growing  opposition  of  the  Pharisees  made  ap- 
parent the  necessity  of  not  only  appointing  but 
training  men  to  preach  Christ's  Gospel  when  he 
should  be  slain.  This  commission  was,  however, 
for  a  purely  temporary  service,  and  the  instruc- 
tions which  accompanied  it  apply  directly  only  to 
this  single  preparatory  mission  (see  notes  below). 
There  is  nothing  in  this  chapter  to  indicate  that 
the  twelve  understood  that  they  were  appointed 
to  any  permanent  office  in  the  church,  or  that 
there  was  any  permanent  apostolic  office  created, 
or  even  that  they  comprehended  that  a  church 
of  Christ  would  be  organized  to  promote  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  after  Jesus'  death,  much  less 
that  a  succession  was  established  for  all  future 
time.  Other  passages  of  Scripture  (e.  g.  Matt,  as : 
19, 20 ;  Acts  1 :  13-26),  taken  in  conjunction  with  the 
previous  calling  and  present  appointment  of  the 
twelve,  seem  to  indicate  that  our  Lord  intended 
to  confer  upon  them  a  quasi  leadership  in  the  in- 
fant church.  Yet  there  are  other  indications 
that  this  leadership  was  not  authoritative,  such 
as  the  position  of  James,   the    Lord's  brother 

(Acts  15  :  13  ;  21  :  18;   Gal.  2  :  12  ;  comp.  Gal.  1  :  Is),    and  that 

of  Paul,  both  of  whom  are  called  apostles  in  the 
W.  T.  (i  Cor.  15 : 9 ;  2  Cor.  11 : 5).  The  Significance  of 
these  passages  wUl  be  considered  in  due  course  ;  it 
must  suffice  now  to  say  that  this  chapter  throws 
Little  or  no  light  on  the  nature  of  the  office 


and  functions  of  the  twelve  in  the  church,  as  is 
evident  from  the  fact  that  almost  the  same 
powers  were  conferred  and  almost  the  same 
directions  given  to  the  seventy  (Luke  lo :  i-ie). 

1.  When  he  had  called  unto  him  his 
twelve  disciples.  The  call  and  ordination  of 
the  twelve  to  be  apostles  had  taken  place  some 
time  previously  ;  in  connection  with  it  the  Sermon 
on  the  Mount  was  delivered  (Luke  6 :  is).  The  lan- 
guage here  "his  twelve  disciples  "  indicates  very 
clearly  that  they  had  already  been  chosen  and  set 
apart  to  the  ministry.  He  gave  them  power. 
See  on  verse  8. 

2.  The  names  of  the  twelve  apostles  are 
these.  Of  the  twelve  apostles  there  are  four 
lists,  the  other  three  bemg  found  in  Mark  3  :  16  ; 
Luke  G  :  14 ;  and  Acts  1  :  13.  They  difEer  in  the 
following  particulars.  Luke  in  the  book  of  Acts 
does  not  insert  the  name  of  Judas  Iscariot,  who 
was  then  dead ;  both  hi  his  Gospel  and  in  Acts 
he  entitles  the  Sknon  who  is  here  and  in  Mark 
called  the  Canaanite,  Simon  Zelotes ;  Matthew 
gives  as  the  tenth  disciple  Lebbeus  ;  Mark  calls 
him  Thaddeus  ;  Luke  and  Acts  Judas  of  James  ; 
i.  e.  either  son  or  brother  of  James  ;  and  Mark 
says  that  James  and  John  were  surnamed  by 
Christ  Boanerges,  i.  e.,  The  sons  of  thunder. 
In  other  respects  the  four  lists  are  identical, 
except  that  the  names  are  given  in  a  slightly 
different  order  by  the  different  writers.  They  all 
agree,  however,  in  putting  Simon  Peter  first  and 
Judas  Iscariot  last,  and  all  agree  in  arranging 
them  in  groups  of  four,  Simon  Peter  being  first 
of  the  first  group,  Philip  of  the  second,  James 
the  son  of  Alphaeus  of  the  third.  There  are 
three  pairs  of  brothers  among  them,  Andrew  and 
Peter,  James  and  John,  James  the  less,  and  Judas 
or  Thaddeus.  James  and  John  I  believe  to  have 
been  own  cousins  of  our  Lord.  See  note  below. 
With  the  exception  of  Judas  Iscariot  all  were 
Galileans  ;  several  of  them  were  by  trade  fisher- 
men, a  laborious  and  profitable  calling;  they 
were  all  laymen,  that  is,  there  was  neither  priest 
nor  scribe  among  them.  They  have  generally 
been  regarded  as  illiterate  men  (Acts  4 :  la) ;  but  by 
this  must  be  understood,  not  that  they  were 
specially  ignorant,  but  that  they  were  not  versed 
in  the  rabbinical  literature,  the  scholastic  theol- 
ogy of  their  age.  Philip  and  Peter  both  appear 
to  have  been  acquainted  with  the  Greek.  This 
is  indicated  by  the  application  of  the  Greeks  to 
Philip  (John  12 :  20, 2i)  aud  by  the  fact  that  the  epis- 
tles of  Peter  were  written  in  Greek.    Matthew 


Ch.  X.] 


MATTHEW. 


135 


of  Zebedee, 


John  his 


3  Piiilip,  and  Bartholomew ;  Thomas,  and  Matthew 
the  publican  ;  James  t/ie  son  of  Alphseus,  and  Lebbaeus, 
whose  surname  was  Thaddaeus  ; 


4  Simon  the  Canaanite,  and  Judas  Iscariot,  who  also 
betrayed  him. 

5  These  twelve  Jesus  sent  forth,  and  commanded 
them,  saying,  Go  not  into  the  way  of  the  Gentiles,  and 
into  afij/  city  of  the  Samaritans^'  enter  ye  not ; 


:  2  Kings  17  :  24  ;  John  4  :  5,  9,  20. 


was  a  ready  and  methodical  writer ;  John  evident- 
ly was  a  man  of  culture,  as  his  writings  show,  and 
his  social  position  was  such  as  gave  him  ready 
access  to  the  high  priest's  palace  during  the  trial 
of  Jesus  (John  18 :  16) ;  and  there  are  unmistakable 
indications  that  several  of  the  twelve  possessed 
wealth  or  wealthy  connections,  for  the  father  of 
James  and  John  had  hired  servants,  Peter  appar- 
ently lived  in  his  own  house,  and  Matthew  (Sen. ) 
had  the  means  to  give  a  large  party  to  many 
friends  (Mark  i  -.  20 ;  Luke  4 :  3s ;  5 :  29).  Several  of 
them,  Andrew,  John,  Philip,  probably  Peter  and 
perhaps  Nathanael  or  Bartholomew,  were  dis- 
ciples of  John  the  Baptist,  and  in  attendance  on 
his  ministry  first  became  acquainted  with  our  Lord 
(John  1 :  36 ;  37, 42,  -u,  45, 49).  I  have  groupcd  together, 
in  a  note  at  the  end  of  this  chapter,  a  brief  ac- 
count of  the  information  which  the  Scripture 
affords  us  of  their  individual  lives. 

The  first,  Simon  Avho  is  called  Peter. 
In  the  lists  of  the  ajjostles  Peter  is  always  named 
first  in  order ;  yet  it  is  certain  that  he  was  not 
the  first  to  come  to  Christ,  for  Andrew  his  brother 
brought  Peter  to  him  (jchn  i :  40, 41),  nor  is  there 
any  other  indication  that  he  was  the  oldest  than 
such  as  may  be  thought  to  be  afforded  by  the 
fact  that  he  was  married  (Mark  1 :  so),  and  that  he 
was  generally  foremost  as  spokesman  of  the 
twelve.  (See  below.)  The  precedence  given  to 
him,  not  only  in  the  lists  of  the  apostles  but  in 
the  mention  of  him  elsewhere  in  the  Gospels, 

(Matt  17:1;  Mark  6  :  37  ;  9  :  2 ;  14  :  33  ;  16  :  7  ;  Luke  8:51;  9  :  28, 
and  see  references  below),    iS    One    Of     the    grOUndS    On 

which  the  Roman  Catholic  church  bases  its  belief 
that  Christ  made  him  and  his  successors  the  visi- 
ble head  of  the  church.  Here  and  elsewhere  the 
Scripture  indicates  that  he  possessed  a  certain 
pre-eminence  among  the  twelve,  but  it  affords 
no  hint  of  an  ecclesiastical  or  official  supremacy. 
On  the  contrary,  though  foremost  in  the  early 
history  of  the  church  as  a  preacher  of  great 
power  (Acts  2: 14, 41),  he  was  less  an  ecclesiastical 
leader  than  James  the  Lord's  brother  (Acta  12:17 ; 

15  :  13  ;  21  :  IS ;  Gal.  1  :  19),  who  iS  UOt  tO  be  COnfoundcd 

with  either  of  the  twelve  of  that  name  (see  note 
below),  and  less  a  founder  and  buUder  of  the  church 
than  Paul,  (see  note  on  Matt.  iG :  13-20. )  On  the  jjlace 
which  the  N.  T.  assigns  to  Peter,  Alford's  note 
is  so  admirable  that  I  quote  it  entire. 
"We  find  Simon  Peter,  not  only  in  the  lists  of 
the  apostles,  but  also  in  their  history,  prominent 
on  various  occasions  before  the  rest.  Some- 
times he  speaks  in  their  name  (Matt.  19 :  27 ;  Luke  12 :  41) ; 

7 


sometimes  answers  when  all  are  addressed  (Matt. 
16 :  16) ;  sometimes  our  Lord  addresses  him  as 
principal  even  among  the  three  favored  ones 
(Matt.  26 :  40 ;  Luke  22 :  s) ;  somctimes  he  is  addrcsscd 
by  others  as  representing  the  whole  (Matt.  17 :  24 ; 
Acts  2 :  37).  He  appears  as  the  organ  of  the  apos- 
tles after  our  Lord's  ascension  (Actel:15;  2:14:4:8; 
5 :  29) ;  the  first  speech,  and  apparently  that  which 
decided  the  Council,  is  spoken  by  him  (Acts  15 : 1), 
All  this  accords  well  with  the  bold  and  energetic 
character  of  Peter,  and  originated  in  the  unerr- 
ing discernment  and  appointment  of  our  Lord 
himself,  who  saw  in  him  a  person  adapted  to  take 
precedence  of  the  rest  in  the  founding  of  his 
Church  (Acts  5 : 3, 9)  and  shutting  (Acts  5 : 3, 9)  and 
opening  (Acts  2 :  14, 41 ;  10 : 5, 46)  the  doors  of  the 
kingdom  of  heaven.  That,  however,  no  such 
idea  was  current  among  the  apostles  as  that  he 
was  destined  to  be  the  primate  of  the  future 
Church  is  as  clear  as  the  facts  above  mentioned. 
For  (1)  no  trace  of  such  a  pre-eminence  is  found 
in  all  the  Epistles  of  the  other  apostles ;  but 
when  he  is  mentioned  it  is  either,  as  in  1  Cor.  9  : 
.5,  as  one  of  the  apostles,  one  example  among 
many,  but  in  no  wise  the  chief ;  or,  as  in  Gal.  2  : 
7,  8,  with  a  distinct  account  of  a  peculiar  province 
of  duty  and  preaching  being  allotted  to  him,  viz. 
the  apostleship  of  the  circumcision  (see  Pet.  i :  i), 
as  distinguished  from  Paul,  to  whom  was  given 
the  apostleship  of  the  uncircumcision  ;  or,  as  in 
Gal.  2  :  9,  as  one  of  the  principal  pillars,  together 
with  James  and  John ;  or,  as  in  Gal.  2  :  11,  as 
subject  to  rebuke  from  Paul  as  from  an  equal. 
And  (2)  wherever  by  our  Lord  himself  the  future 
constitution  of  his  Church  is  alluded  to,  or  by 
the  apostles  its  actual  constitution,  no  hint  of 
any  such  primacy  is  given,  but  the  whole  college 
of  apostles  are  spoken  of  as  absolutely  equal. 
Matt.  19  :  27,  28  ;  20  :  26,  28  ;  Eph.  2  :  20.  Again 
(3)  in  the  two  Epistles  which  we  have  from  his 
own  hand,  there  is  nothmg  for,  but  everything 
against,  such  a  supposition.  He  exhorts  the 
presbyters  as  being  their  co-presbyter  (i  Pet.  s :  i) ; 
describes  himself  as  a  partaker  of  the  glory  that 
shall  be  revealed  ;  addresses  his  second  Epistle 
to  them  that  have  obtained  the  like  precious  faith 
with  ourselves  (2  Pet.  1 : 1),  and  makes  not  the 
slightest  allusion  to  any  pre-eminence  over  the 
other  apostles." 

5.  These  tAvelve  Jesus  sent  forth.  On 
the  names,  character  and  lives  of  the  twelve,  see 
note  at  the  end  of  this  chapter.  And  com- 
manded  them    saying.    John  gives  no  ac- 


136 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  X. 


6  But  goy  rather  to  the  lost  sheep'  of  the  house  of 
Israel. 


7  And,  as  ye  j 
heaven  is  at  hanc 


:o,  preach,  saying,"  The  kingdom  of 


Ps.  119  :  176;  Isa.  63  :  6;  Jer.  50  ;  6,17;  Eze.  34  :  5,  6,  8 ;  1  Pet.  2:  25 a  ch.  3  :  2 ;  4  :  17  ;  Luie  9  :  2 ;  10:9. 


count  of  this  discourse  ;  Mark  (e :  7-13)  and  Luke 
(9 : 1-6)  present  fragmentary  reports  of  it.  They 
were  not  apostles  and  were  not  present ;  Mat- 
thew was,  and  his  report  is  much  the  fullest.  It  is 
clear,  both  from  the  structure  of  the  discourse 
and  from  Matthew  11  :  1,  that  it  is  no  collection 
of  our  Lord's  sayings  uttered  at  different  times, 
but  a  report  of  a  single  discourse  delivered  at 
one  time  and  for  a  specific  purpose.  But  similar 
precepts  were  given  by  Christ  at  the  ordination 
of  the  seventy  (Luke  10 .  i-e)  which  should  be  com- 
pared carefully  with  this  discourse,  and  some  of 
the  aphorisms  found  here  and  there  are  found 
elsewhere  in  the  Gospels.  Apparently  Christ  fre- 
quently repeated  certain  proverbial  expressions 
in  his  itinerant  preaching.  Compare  with  verse 
14,  Luke  10  :  11 ;  verse  17,  Mark  13  : 9  ;  verse  24, 
Luke  6  :  40,  John  13  :  16 ;  1.5  :  20  ;  verses  29-31, 
Luke  12  :  6,  7,  etc.  Much  of  Luke  13  : 1-11  ap- 
pears to  duplicate  portions  of  this  address.  Com- 
paring the  reports  of  the  three  Evangelists,  the 
following  features  are  found  characteristic  of 
the  mission  of  the  twelve.  The  apostles  were 
to  go  in  pairs  (Mark  a :  7),  "  for  they  were  to  be  ac- 
customed to  work  in  brotherly  fellowship,  and 
when  difficulties  arose  one  was  to  have  the  coun- 
sel and  aid  of  the  other  "  {SchenckeVs  Character 
of  Jesus) ;  they  were  to  minister  to  both  body 
and  soul  (verses  7  and  8) ;  Were  to  preach  in  the 
towns  and  villages  while  Christ  continued  his 

ministry    in    the    cities   (compare  Luke  9  :  6  with  Matt.  11  : 

i) ;  were  to  preach  only  to  the  Jews  (verses  5, 6) ; 
and  in  their  ministry  were  to  follow  the  example 
and  adopt  the  habits  of  the  ancient  prophets 
(See  note  below).  The  discourscs  to  them  may  be 
divided  into  three  parts :  first,  their  commission 
proper  (verses  5-16) ;  second,  warnings  of  obstacles 
and  persecution  (verses  16-23) ;  third,  promises  and 
encouragements  (verses  24-12).  The  first  comprises 
specific  directions  directly  applicable  only  to  this 
temporary  mission,  and  part  of  them  were  sub- 
sequently declared  by  Christ  inoperative  in  their 
later  and  wider  ministry  (see  notes  beiow) ;  the  second 
is  more  general,  and  applies  to  the  Christian  min- 
istry in  aU  times  of  religious  persecution ;  the 
third  appears  to  be  universally  applicable  to  all 
followers  of  Christ,  whether  engaged  directly  in 
the  work  of  preaching  the  Gospel  or  not.  The 
first  part  contains  (a)  the  limitation  of  the  apos- 
tles' missionary  commission  (verses  5-6) ;  (&)  their 
commission  itself  (verses  7,  s) ;  (c)  their  provision 
(verses  9,  lo)  J    {d)  dircctious  Es  to  their  methods 

(verses  II-I5). 

Go  not  into  the  way  of  the  Gentiles, 

i.  e.,  into  the  Gentile  territory.    And  into   a 


city  of  the  Samaritans  enter  ye  not.    The 

Samaritans  were  a  mongrel  race  produced  by  an 
intermixture  of  Jews  and  heathen.  Their  relig- 
ion was  a  composition  of  the  worship  of  the  true 
God  and  of  idolatry  (2  Kings  n :  24-41).  The  enmity 
of  the  Jews  against  them  was  intense  (John  4 : 9), 
and  their  character  and  conduct  were  charac- 
teristic of  an  apostate  race.  (See  note  on  parable 
of  Good  Samaritan,  Luke  10  :  25-37,  and  on  John 
4  :9.) 

6.  But  go  rather.  The  very  form  of  this 
prohibition  affords  an  intimation  that  it  was  not 
intended  to  be  permanent.  To  the  lost  sheep 
of  the  house  of  Israel.  Not  to  any  particu- 
lar class  of  Israelites,  but  to  the  Jews,  who  were 

as  sheep  without  a  shepherd  (chapter  9  :  36  ;  15 :  24 ; 
John  10  :  16). 

What  was  th£  cause  and  what  is  the  significance 
of  this  prohibition  ?  It  certainly  "was  not  because 
Christ  shared  the  prejudices  of  the  age  which 
caused  the  Jewish  rabbis  to  forbid  teaching  the 

law    to    a   Gentile  (see  to  the  contrarj-,  Matt.  8  :  10-12  ;  28  ;  19  ; 

Acts  1:8);  nor  because  any  inherent  necessity  re- 
quired that  the  Gospel  should  be  preached  ex- 
clusively to  God's  chosen  people  before  it  was 
offered  to  the  Gentiles,  for  Jesus  had  already 
preached  it  to  the  Samaritans  (John  4 :  40) ;  nor 
because  he  must  by  his  death  break  down  the 
middle  wall  of  partition  between  Jew  and  Gen- 
tile before  they  could  be  made  inheritors  of  the 
promise  (Ephes.  2 :  14),  for  Christ  before  his  death 
declared  them  to  be  sharers  in  the  New  Covenant 
(Luke  4 :  24-27).  Two  reasous  are  apparent,  though 
none  are  declared  by  Christ  himself ;  first,  because 
if  the  twelve  had  begun  by  preaching  the  Gospel 
to  the  Gentiles  they  would  have  intensified  the 
Jewish  prejudices  against  it,  and  so  closed  the 
door  to  Jewish  hearts ;  second,  because  they  did 
not  themselves  understand  the  universality  of 
the  Gospel  until  long  after,  and  if  they  had  at- 
tempted to  preach  it  to  the  Gentiles  they  would 
have  inevitably  became  preachers  of  the  Jewish 
law,  and  made  at  best  only  converts  to  a  reformed 
Judaism.  The  practical  significance  of  the  com- 
mand is  that  our  work  for  Christ  should  begin 
with  those  nearest  to  us  ;  that  Ave  are  to  preach 
the  Gospel  to  our  neighbors  and  friends,  and  so 
test  our  capacity  before  reaching  out  with  relig- 
ious ambition  for  a  larger  field  of  personal  work 
among  the  heathen  at  home  or  abroad.  But  it 
affords  no  justification  for  refusing  aid  to  those 
who  have  proved  their  capacity  and  have  entered 
on  the  larger  work. 

7.  And  as  ye  go.  The  ministry  was  to  bo 
an  itinerant  one.    Preach,  saying  the  King- 


Ch.  X.] 


MATTHEW. 


137 


8  Heal  the  sick,  cleanse  the  lepers,  raise  the  dead, 
cast  out  devils  :  freely''  ye  have  received,  freely  give. 

9  Provide'^   neither  gold,  nor  silver,  nor  brass,  in 
your  purses  ; 


lo  Nor  scrip  for  your  journey,  neither  two  coats, 
neither  shoes,  nor  yet  staves;  for''  the  workman  is 
worthy  of  his  meat. 

II,  And  into  whatsoever  city  or  town  ye  shall  enter, 


,20 c  Luke  22  :  i 


.d  Luke  10  :  7,  etc. 


dom  of  Heaven  is  at  hand,  i.  e.,  draws 
nigh.  Compare  the  following  passages,  where  the 
Greek  word  {iyyiiu)),  here  translated  at  hand,  is 
rendered  draw  nigh  or  come  nigh  (Matt.  21 : 1,34; 
Mark  11:1,  Luke  15 :  25).  The  phrase  Kingdom  of 
Heaven  first  appears  in  the  N.  T.,  but  this  meta- 
phor is  employed  in  the  prophecies  of  Daniel  (Dan. 
4 : 3, 34 ;  7 :  13, 14),  wheucc  it  passed  iuto  the  rabbini- 
cal books,  where  it  is  used  sometimes  in  a  general 
and  almost  a  scriptural  sense  to  signify  a  state  of 
complete  and  perfect  submission  to  the  divine 
will,  sometimes  in  a  more  restricted  sense  to  sig- 
nify that  political  reformation  and  national  ex- 
altation which  the  Jews  expected  would  follow 
the  coming  of  the  Messiah  (see  Luke  n  :  20 ;  19 :  11). 
The  disciples  were  not  directed  to  explain  in  what 
the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  consisted ;  they  were 
Blmply  to  proclaim  that  it  was  near.  In  this  re- 
spect their  preaching  was  to  be  patterned  after 
that  of  John  the  Baptist  (Matt.  3 : 2).  It  was 
their  office  in  this  mission  not  to  instruct  the  na- 
tion, but  simply  to  raise  an  expectancy,  and  so 
prepare  the  way  for  mstruction  which  Christ  af- 
terward afforded  in  his  sermon  at  Capernaum 
(John  6),  and  which  the  apostles  themselves  were 
afterward  directed  to  give  to  the  Gentiles  (M.itt. 

S8  :  19  ;  compare  1  Cor.  2:2;  Col.  1  :  26-28).      It  iS  not  a  law 

nor  even  a  precedent  for  us  ;  but  is  it  not  always 
the  first  work  of  the  preacher,  whether  lay  or 
clerical,  to  awaken  a  spiritual  appetite,  even  if  it 
be  not  very  intelligent  at  the  beginning  ?  And  is 
It  not  always  to  be  done  by  proclaiming  the 
kingdom  of  God  as  at  hand,  by  making  vivid  the 
presence  and  power  of  God  in  nature  and  life,  or 
awakening  an  expectation  of  his  early  coming  in 
death  and  the  judgment,  or  otherwise  producing 
a  sense  of  personal  responsibility  to  God  ?  The 
immediate  effect  of  this  mission  was  to  extend 
the  fame  of  Jesus  (Matt,  u-.i;  Mark  e :  31). 

8.  Heal  the  sick,  etc.  This  command  was 
accompanied  with  the  conferring  of  power  (verse  1), 
the  first  bestowal  of  miraculous  power  on  the 
disciples.  In  the  call  of  the  Seventy  it  led  to  a 
mistaken  exultation  which  Christ  corrected  (Luke 
10 :  n-20).  To  those  who  see  in  the  external  acts 
of  Christ's  ministry  a  parable  of  his  spiritual 
work,  and  especially  in  his  ministry  to  the  body 
a  type  of  his  ministry  to  the  soul,  it  will  not 
seem  fanciful  to  trace  that  parallel  here.  The 
wise  apostle  of  Christ  will  sometimes  treat  sin  as 
a  sickness  to  be  cured  (compare  Cai.  6 : 1, 2),  some- 
times as  a  leprous  pollution  to  be  cleansed  away 
(Acts  8 :  22, 23),  sometimes  as  a  spiritual  death,  the 


remedy  for  which  is  a  spiritual  resurrection  (Eph. 
2 : 4, 5),  sometimes  as  a  possession  of  the  soul  by 
an  evil  spirit  that  must  be  cast  out  (Acts  13 :  10-12 ; 
19 :  18, 19).  He  needs  to  exercise  sometimes  gentle- 
ness and  long-suffering,  sometimes  the  purifying 
power  of  loving-kindness,  sometimes  spiritual 
vehemence,  sometimes  courage  in  combat  with  op- 
posing evil.  Christ  healed  his  disciples  of  unworthy 
ambition  (Mark  9 :  34-37),  cleansed  the  woman  that 
was  a  sinner  (Luke  7 :  47, 48),  raised  Matthew  from 
the  dead  (Matt.  9 : 9), and  cast  the  devil  out  of  Peter 
(Matt.  16 :  23).  It  should  be  added  that  the  phrase 
"raise  the  dead  "is  omitted  from  some  MSS., 
and  placed  in  others  before  "  cleanse  the  lepers." 
Freely  ye  have  received,  freely  give. 
This  clause  properly  belongs  with  the  two  verses 
following,  and  enunciates  the  general  principle 
which  they  illustrate.     Freely  is  here  equivalent 

to  gratuitously  (see  Isaiah  51:1;  Acts  8  :  18-23).      It  iS  Only 

as  the  minister,  lay  or  clerical,  receives  from  the 
Lord  that  he  can  impart  in  his  name.  As  to  the 
bearing  of  this  verse  on  the  question  of  free 
church 's,  see  below. 

9.  Provide  neither  gold.  The  articles 
referred  to  in  this  and  the  succeeding  verses  were 
the  ordinary  provision  of  travelers.  They  are  of 
three  kinds,  money,  food  and  clothing.  Gold, 
silver,  brass  ;  rather  copper.  Mark  and  Luke 
have  in  our  translation  the  general  term  money  ; 
but  in  the  Greek,  Mark  has  'brass  or  copper^ 
and  Luke  siXver.  All  money  in  the  East,  in  the 
time  of  Christ,  was  coined,  and  these  three  words 
embrace  all  coins  ;  the  apostles  were  not  to  pro- 
vide themselves  with  money.  Purses  ;  lite- 
rally belt  or  girdle.  One  end  of  the  girdle  was 
folded  back  so  as  to  form  a  pocket :  and  it  was 
used  to  carry  money  or  an  inkstand  (Ezek.  9 : 2),  a 
use  to  which  it  is  still  put  in  the  East, 

10.  Nor  scrip.  "  A  bag  used  for  carrying 
food  or  other  necessaries  ;  it  was  generally  made 
of  leather,  and  slung  over  the  shoulder  (1  sam. 
17 :  40) ;  a  similar  article  is  still  used  by  Syrian 
shepherds." — {Eitto.)  Mark  and  Luke  interpret 
this  direction  by  their  phraseology,  "?*o  scrip,  no 
bread.''''  The  apostles  were  to  carry  no  food,  and 
not  even  the  traveler's  bag  or  wallet  in  which  to 
put  such  as  might  be  provided  for  them.  Nei- 
ther two  coats,  literally  tunics.  The  tunic 
(Greek  ztrwi)  was  the  inner  garment,  worn  next 
the  skin,  usually  with  sleeves  and  reachmg  to 
the  knees.  It  answered  rather  to  our  shirt  than 
to  our  coat.  Apparently  two  tunics  were  some- 
times worn,  probably  of  different  stuffs,  by  per- 


138 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  X. 


inquire  who  in  it  is  worthy,  and  there  abide  till  ye  go 
thence. 


12  And  when  ye  come  into  an  house,  salute  it. 

13  And  if  the  house  be  worthy,  let  your  peace  come 


sons  of  rank,  wealth,  or  oflacial  station.  To  this 
fact  John  the  Baptist  refers  probably  in  Luke 
3  :  11.  In  Mark  14  :  03,  the  high  priest  is  said  to 
have  "rent  his  clothes,"  literally,  "Ais  tunics,''^ 
indicating  that  he  had  on  more  than  one  ;  and 
Mark,  in  his  account  of  this  commission,  says, 
"awd  not  put  on  two  coals  "  or  tunics.  Neither 
shoes.  Mark  (ch.  6 : 9)  gives  the  converse  direction 
"6e  .shod  with  sandals.''''  "Shoes  were  of  more 
delicate  use ;  sandals  were  more  ordinary  and 
more  for  service.  A  shoe  was  of  softer  leather ; 
a  sandal  of  harder." — {Lightfoot.)  The  whole 
prohibition  is  aimed  at  luxury  and  delicacy  of  at- 
tire. Nor  yet  staves.  The  proper  reading  is 
neither  a  staff.  According  to  Mark  (ch.  6  -.  s)  the 
apostles  were  allowed  each  to  take  a  staflE ;  prob- 
ably the  reading  here  has  been  changed  to  har- 
monize the  two  accounts.  But  no  traveler  would 
think  of  taking  an  extra  staff. 
According  to  Mark  they  are  per- 
mitted to  take  a  staff,  i.  e.,  the  one 
which  they  already  possessed ;  ac- 
cording to  Matthew  they  were 
not  to  2^1'ovide  staves  for  this  jour- 
ney ;  they  were  to  go  as  they 
were,  without  any_  additional  pro- 
vision. For  the  workman  is 
Avorthy  of  his  meat.  This  as- 
signs the  reason  for  the  prohibi- 
tion of  special  provision  ;  they  are 
to  be  supported  by  those  whom  they  serve.  In 
the  accompanying  cut,  from  an  Italian  marble,  a 
Eoman  peasant  is  shown,  with  his  staff,  and  with 
his  scrij)  or  wallet  slung  over  his  shoulder. 

From  these  provisions  in  verses  9  and  10  re- 
garding the  support  of  the  twelve  in  this  their 
first  missionary  tour,  too  much  has  sometimes 
been  deduced  respecting  the  support  of  the 
Christian  ministry  and  their  true  method  of 
operation.  The  commission  was  for  a  temporary 
service ;  the  requirements  were  adapted  to  the 
customs  of  society  ;  the  apostles  were  cast  upon 
the  hospitality  of  the  people  partly  to  try  their 
own  faith,  partly  to  try  that  of  the  people,  and 
measure  their  readiness  to  receive  the  Gospel, 
partly  because  they  thus  conformed  to  the  habits 

of    the    ancient   prophets    (1  Kings  n  :  O;  2  Kings  4  :  8), 

and  so  assumed  an  oflBce  and  position  with  which 
the  people  were  measurably  familiar.  It  is  no 
more  just  to  assume  that  the  ministry  must  always 
be  itinerant  and  without  a  settled  support,  than 
to  conclude  that  they  must  not  preach  to  the 
Gentiles,  and  must  confine  their  preaching  to  a 
mere  heralding  of  the  coming  of  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  (verses  5-7).  In  subsequent  directions  for 
their  later  ministry,  Christ  gave  the  apostles  com- 
mands directly  opposite  to  certain  precepts  here 


(compare  verse  6  with  Acts  1  :  s),     and    hiS    OWn    practice 

did  not  ordinarily  conform  to  the  precepts  here 
given,  forbidding  provision.  The  band  had  a 
treasurer,  and  usually  carried  both  money  (John 

12  :  6  i  13  :  29)  and  prOVisiOUS  (Matt.  14  :  n  ;  15  :  04  ;  IG  t  C,  l)  \ 

and  Christ  himself  expressly  declared  later  that 
these  directions  were  not  applicable  in  their  sub- 
sequent ministry  (Luke  22 :  35,  se) ;  observe  that  the 
disciples  were  abundantly  provided  for  by  the 
hospitality  of  the  people  (Luiie  22  ■  as).  But  while 
we  shall  miss  the  meaning  of  these  precepts  if 
we  regard  them  as  rules  for  the  permanent  govern- 
ment of  the  church,  we  shall  also  miss  their 
meaning  tf  we  do  not  gather  from  them  for  our 
guidance  the  spirit  and  2irinciples  which  underlie 
them.  They  certainly  involve  this  much,  viz., 
that  (a),  the  ministry  are  to  seek,  as  well  as  to 
save  the  lost,  and  therefore  are  to  go  after  them ; 
(6),  they  are  to  give  freely,  and  not  make  a  mer- 
chandise of  the  Gospel ;  (c),  they  are  to  avoid  all 
ostentation  in  attire  and  luxury  in  food ;  (d), 
they  are  to  depend  on  the  voluntary  contribu- 
tions of  the  people  for  their  sustenance,  as  did 
the  O.  T.  priesthood  to  a  large  extent,  and  the 
O.  T.  prophets  altogether  (xumb.  is :  20,  21 ;  Deut. 
10 ;  8, 9 ;  18  : 1, 2) ;  and  not  on  the  acquisition  of 
property  by  the  church  so  as  to  render  its  min- 
istry independent  of  the  people,  as  the  Roman 
Catholic  hierarchy  do,  nor  on  the  support  of  the 
state,  as  do  the  ministry  of  all  established 
churches ;  (e),  their  dependence  is  that  of  a 
laborer  who  earns  his  bread,  not  that  of  a  beg- 
gar who  receives  it  as  a  gratuity.  But  whether 
the  wages  are  paid  in  chance  and  occasional  con- 
tributions, or  in  a  permanent  and  regular  stipend 
is  a  matter  not  determined  here,  nor,  so  far  as  I 
can  now  see,  anywhere  in  the  Scripture. 

11-15.  These  verses  give  further  directions 
as  to  the  method  in  which  the  apostles  are  to 
prosecute  their  mission  now  given  to  them. 
With  these  directions  compare  those  given  to 
the  seventy  reported  in  Luke  10  :  .5-13. 

11.  Who  ill  it  is  worthy.  For  an  interpre- 
tation of  the  kind  of  worth  signified,  see  Acts 
13  :  46,  48  ;  17  :  11.  It  is  not  moral  excellence, 
but  a  readiness  to  receive  the  Gospel  message. 
In  this  sense  Zaccheus,  though  a  publican,  was 
worthy  to  be  a  host  of  Christ  (Lute  19 : 5, 9).  Chry- 
sostom  notes  that  Christ  requires  his  apostles  to 
exercise  circumspection.  They  are  not  to  trust 
to  the  hospitality  of  every  one,  but  to  enquire 
where  they  will  be  likely  to  find  a  welcome. 
There  abide.  They  are  not  to  go  from  house 
to  house  (compare  Luke  10 :  ?),  Icst  the  time  that 
should  be  devoted  to  the  preaching  of  the  Gos- 
pel be  frittered  away  in  receiving  hospitality  and 
entertainment.    A  comparison  of  this  direction 


Ch.  X.] 


MATTHEW. 


139 


upon  it :  but  if  it  be  not  worthy,  let  j'our  peace  return"^ 
to  you. 

14  And  whosoever  shall  not  receive  you,  nor  hear 
your  words,  when  ye  depart  out  of  that  house  or  city, 
shake'  off  the  dust  of  your  feet. 

15  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Its  shall  be  more  tolerable 


for  the  land  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrha  in  the  day  of 
judgment,  than  for  that  city. 

16  Behold,  I  send  you  forth  as  sheep  in  the  midst  of 
wolves  :  be  ye  therefore  wise""  as  serpents,  and  harm- 
less' as  doves. 

17  But  bewareJ  of  men:  for  they^  will  deliver  you 


.f  Neh.  5:13;  Acts  13  :  51;  18:6. 


16:10;  Eph.  5  :  15. . .  .i  Phil.  2  :  15. . .  .j  Phil.  3  :  2. 


with  the  apostolic  practice  subsequent  to  Christ's 
resurrection  (Acts  2 :  4c,  but  see  note  there),  afforcls  a  hint 
of  the  right  and  the  wrong  kind  of  pastoral  vis- 
iting ;  the  right  kind  goes  for  the  preaching  of 
the  Gospel,  the  wrong  kind  for  mere  social 
entertainment. 

13.  And  when  ye  come  into  the  house 
salute  it.  Not  the  house  that  is  vi'orthy,  but 
any  house  which  they  enter.  They  are  not  to 
stand  on  ceremony  and  the  dignity  of  their  office 
and  await  a  welcome  ;  they  are  at  once  to  ofEer 
the  customary  salutation.  The  ancient  Jews,  like 
the  modern  Mohammedans,  did  not  salute  one  of 
a  different  religious  faith  ;  but  the  apostles  were 
not  to  wait  until  they  had  ascertained  how  they 
would  be  received  before  proffering  their  bless- 
ing. For  form  of  salutation  see  Luke  10  :  5  ;  and 
compare  Numb.  6  :  23-26. 

13.  Let  your  peace  return  to  you.  The 
prayer  for  blessing  will  receive  no  answer  if  the 
heart  refuses  to  receive  the  blessing.  Nor  are 
the  apostles  to  be  disturbed  in  mind  because  of 
such  refusal,  still  less  to  follow  their  rejected 
benediction  with  an  anathema.  Their  peace  is  to 
return  to  them.  "If  your  peace  finds  a  shut  in- 
stead of  an  open  door  in  any  household,  take  it 
back  to  yourselves  who  know  how  to  value  it, 
and  it  will  taste  the  sweeter  to  you  for  having 
been  offered,  even  though  rejected." — {Dr. 
Urown.)  There  is  no  peace  like  that  which  comes 
from  bearing  insult  and  wrong  with  sweetness 
and  serenity. 

14.  And  whosoever  shall  not  receive 
you  *  *  *  shake  off  the  dust  of  your  feet. 
Mark  and  Luke  add  by  way  of  explanation  "/w- 
a  testimony  against  them.''''  Compare  Luke  10  :  11. 
The  Scribes  taught  that  the  dust  of  heathen 
lands  defiled  those  who  came  in  contact  with  it ; 
accordingly  it  was  a  custom  of  the  Pharisees, 
when  they  entered  Judea  from  a  heathen  country, 
to  shake  off  the  dust  of  the  land  as  a  testimony 
that  they  had  no  part  or  lot  with  heathenism. 
The  apostles,  if  rejected,  were  to  turn  from  the 
city  or  house  that  rejected  them  and  hold  no  fur- 
ther intercourse  with  it.  It  was  to  be  to  them  as 
a  Gentile  city  to  a  Jew.  Compare  Matt.  18  :  17  ; 
and  see  for  illustration  of  this  precept  A  cts  13  : 
51 ;  18  :  6.  Is  the  Christian  minister,  then,  to  re- 
fuse all  intercourse  with  and  all  second  attempts 
to  win  those  who  reject  Christ  in  the  first  presen- 
tation *  No  !  because  these  are  not  rules  for  the 
permanent  ministry,  but  for  a  specific  and  neces- 


sarily rapid  mission,  whose  object  was  not  so  much 
to  win  souls  as  to  awaken  attention  and  prepare 
for  a  future  ministry.  On  this  point  Chrysostora's 
homily  is  admirable  ;  I  quote  a  single  paragraph  : 
"For  I  indeed  ofteutimes  pronounce  peace  to 
you,  and  will  not  cease  from  continually  speak- 
ing it ;  and  if,  besides  your  insults,  you  receive 
me  not,  even  then  I  shake  not  off  the  dust ;  not 
that  I  am  disobedient  to  our  Lord,  but  that  I 
vehemently  bum  for  you.  And  besides  I  have  suf- 
fered nothing  at  all  for  you  ;  I  have  neither  come 
a  long  journey,  nor  with  that  garb  and  that  vol- 
untary poverty  am  I  come,  nor  without  shoes 
and  a  second  coat ;  and  perhaj^s  this  is  why  ye 
also  fail  of  your  part." 

15.  It  shall  be  more  tolerable  for  the 
land  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrha  in  the  day 
of  judgment  than  for  that  city.  Compare 
chap.  11  :  21-23,  and  Luke  10  :  13-15.  Observe, 
firsts  that  as  there  are  degrees  of  guilt,  so  there  will 
be  degrees  of  punishment  in  the  future  world 
(Luke  12 :  47, 48) ;  and  seconil,  that  the  guilt  of  reject- 
ing the  Gospel  is  marked  by  Christ  as  greater 
than  that  of  moral  impurity  of  life.  Neither 
secular  nor  sacred  history  contains  a  record  of 
immorality  and  vice  more  loathsome  and  flagrant 
than  that  of  the  cities  of  the  plain  (oen.  is :  20 ; 
19 : 4-13) ;  but  Christ  pronounces  a  heavier  woe 
against  those  that  refuse  the  proffer  of  the  Gos- 
pel, because  the  refusal  to  accept  help  out  of  sin  is 
more  fatal  than  any  form  of  immorality,  however 
grievous. 

Ch.  10  :  16-23.  WORDS  OP  WARNING.  The  Chkis- 
TiAN,  LIKE  Christ,  is  a  sheep  among  wolves  (Isaiah 
53  :  7).— The  Christian  is  in  an  enemy's  country 
(vs.  17,  18).    The  danger  in  the  first  century  was 

FROM  OPEN  attack,  IN  THE  NINETEENTH  IT  IS  FROM 

treacherous  ambuscade. — The  Christian's  best 
preparation  for  threatened  difficulty  and  dan- 
ger: the  baptism  op  the  holy  spirit  (vs.  19,  20). 
—a  true  rnspiration  is  the  perpetual  heritage 
OF  God's  people.— Tribulation  in  the  world; 
GLORY  beyond  THE  WORLD  (vs.  21,  22;  Johu  16  :  33). 
—Persecution  is  a  wind  that  carries  the  seeds  op 

TRUTH  on  its  wings  (V.  23). 

16-23.  In  these  verses  Christ  passes  from  the 
immediate  and  temporary  mission  to  the  future 
work  of  the  apostles,  and  warns  them  of  the  dan- 
ger which  their  consecration  to  his  service  will 
involve.  It  is  certain  that  these  warnings  are  not 
exclusively,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether  they  are 
even  primarily,  applicable  to  the  immediate  and 


140 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  X. 


up  to  the  councils,  and  they  will  scourge'  you  in  their 
synagogues ; 
18  And  ye"  shall  be  brought  before  governors  and 


kings  for  my  sake,  for  a  testimony  against  them  and 
the  Gentiles. 
19  But"  when  they  deliver  you  up,  take  no  thought 


Acts  6  :  40  ;  2  Cor.  11  :  24 m  Acts,  chs.  24  and  25. , .  .n  Mark  13  :  11 ;  Luke  12:11;  21  :  14,  15. 


temporary  mission  laid  upon  them  in  this  dis- 
course. It  is  observable  that  these  warnings  and 
the  subsequent  encouragements  are  not  found  in 
the  discourse  to  the  seventy  (Luke  lo :  i-ie).  Ob- 
serve that  Christ  always  sets  before  the  disciples 
the  hazards  and  dangers  of  discipleship,  and  bids 
them  count  the  cost  before  entering  on  their 
work.     Compare  Luke  14  :  25-36. 

16.  Behold  I  seud  you  forth.  J,  who  give 
all  power,  both  send  and  direct  in  what  spirit  and 
by  what  methods  you  are  to  execute  your  mis- 
sion. "In  saying  'Behold,  I  send  you  forth  as 
sheep, '  he  intimates  this,  '  Do  not  therefore  de- 
spond, for  I  know  certainly  that  in  this  way  more 
than  any  other,  ye  will  be  invincible  to  all." — 
{Chrysosfom.)  Observe  Christ's  tacit  claim  of 
power  in  this  declaration,  which  is  quite  incom- 
patible with  the  humUity  which  would  belong  to 
Jesus  if  he  were  mere  man.-  Compare  Isaiah  6  : 8. 
As  sheep  in  the  midst  of  wolves.  "  Not 
to  the  wolves,  but  in  the  midst  of  wolves,  in  order 
to  seek  out  those  who  would  receive  the  king- 
dom."— (Lange.)  Yet  the  symbol  is  intended  to 
teach,  not  merely  their  apparent  helplessness,  but 
their  real  power,  "the  unresistable  might  of 
weakness."  "For  thus  shall  I  best  show  forth 
my  might  when  sheep  do  get  the  better  of  wolves, 
and  receiving  a  thousand  bites,  so  far  from  being 
consumed,  do  even  work  a  change  on  them  ;  a 
thing  far  greater  and  more  marvellous  than  kill- 
ing them,  to  alter  their  spirit  and  to  reform  their 
mind ;  and  this  being  only  twelve,  while  the 
whole  world  is  filled  with  wolves." — {Chrysos- 
totn.)  Christ  himself  was  as  a  sheep  among 
wolves.  See  Isaiah  53  :  7 ;  and  compare  Psalm 
44  :  22  ;  Rom.  8  :  36.  There  is  possibly  here  a 
reference  to  the  passage  in  Psalms.  Has  the 
church  always  been  a  sheep  among  wolves  ?  Was 
not  the  inquisition  rather  a  wolf  among  sheep  ? 
Be  ye  therefore  shrewd  as  serpents  and 
simple  as  doves.  The  Greek  word  {uy.inutuc) 
translated  harmless,  occurs  also  in  Romans  16  :  19 
and  Phil,  2  :  15,  and  probably  signifies  unmixed, 
simple,  i.  e.  the  opposite  of  a  character  in  which 
many  motives  mingle  and  every  act  is  complex, 
and  the  aims  covered  up  and  concealed.  There 
is  in  this  aphorism  of  Christ's  a  contrast  in  terms 
which  the  translators  have  endeavored  to  soften, 
and  which  the  above  translation  but  imperfectly 
renders.  The  serpent  was  among  the  Jews  a 
common  symbol  of  diabolical  craft,  while  the 
dove  was  proverbial  for  its  stupidity  ;  it  was  an 
Arab  proverb.  There  is  nothing  more  simple  than 
the  dove  ;  both  conceptions  are  embodied  in  the 


O.  T.  Scripture  (oen.  3 :  i ;  Hosea  7:11);  and  a  proverb 
very  analogous  in  words,  but  very  different  in 
application  to  that  of  our  Lord's,  is  found  in  the 
rabbinical  books:  "Ye  shall  be  toward  me  as 
upright  as  the  doves,  but  toward  the  Israelites 
as  cunning  as  serpents."  The  Christian  worker 
is  to  combine  these  two  contradictory  qualities 
in  his  conduct  toward  all  men.  He  is  to  be  guile- 
ful like  the  serpent  (2  cor.  2 :  re)  and  guileless  like 
the  dove  (1  Pet.  2 : 1, 21, 22).  Of  the  wisdom  of  the 
serpent,  Christ's  replies  to  the  Pharisees  in  the 
last  days  of  his  mission  afford  an  example  (Matt. 
22 :  15-46) ;  the  simplicity  of  the  dove  he  exempli- 
fied during  his  trial  (Matt.  26 :  es,  64).  "These  qual- 
ities are  opposed  to  each  other  ;  they  never  occur 
combined  in  nature,  or  in  the  natural  disposition 
of  man.  But  the  spirit  of  Christ  combines  in 
higher  unity  these  natural  antagonisms.  The 
serpent  slips  innumerable  times  from  the  hand 
of  the  pursuer  [and  catches  its  prey  by  guile,  see 
reference  above] ;  the  dove  does  not  settle  in  any 
unclean  place,  it  approaches  him  who  is  gentle, 
and  will  never  do  harm  to  the  persecutor ;  its 
safety  lies  in  flying  upward."  It  may  be  added 
that  Christian  virtue  often  consists  in  holdmg  in 
even  balance  opposing  qualities,  either  of  which 
alone  or  in  excess  becomes  a  vice. 

17.  But  beAv^are  of  men,  i.  e.,  of  all  men 
(verse  22),  not  merely  of  particular  persecutors,  but 
of  the  enmity  of  mankind.  See  below.  Coun- 
cils. The  local  tribunals  established  in  every 
town.  Their  origin  is  indicated  in  Deut.  16  :  18. 
They  consisted,  according  to  Josephus,  of  seven 
judges ;  according  to  the  rabbinical  books,  of 
twenty-three.  See  on  chap.  5  :  21.  Scourge 
you  in  their  synagogues.  In  every  syna- 
gogue there  was  a  bench  of  three  magistrates, 
who  had  authority  to  inflict  certain  punishments, 
of  which  scourging  was  one.  "The  number  of 
stripes  could  not  exceed  forty  (Deut.  25 : 3) ;  whence 
the  Jews  took  care  not  to  exceed  thirty-nine  (2  Cor. 
11 :  24).  The  convict  was  stripped  to  the  waist 
and  tied  in  a  bent  position  to  a  low  pillar,  and 
the  stripes,  with  a  whip  of  three  thongs,  were 
inflicted  on  the  back  between  the  shoulders." — 
{Smitfi''s  Bib.  Diet.,  Am.  Ed.,  Art.  Punishme7its.) 
This  punishment  is  not  to  be  confounded  with 
the  Roman  scourging  to  which  our  Lord  was 
subjected  under  Pilate  (Matt.  27 :  26),  which  was  a 
still  more  dreadful  infliction.  For  general  ac- 
count of  synagogues,  see  note  on  Matt.  4  :  23  ; 
for  evidence  of  direct  fulfillment  of  this  pro- 
phecy, see  Acts  5  :  40  ;  22  :  19  ;  26  :  11. 

18.  And  ye  shall  be  brought  before  gov- 


Ch.  X.] 


MATTHEW. 


141 


how  or  what  ye  shall  speak  ;  for  it  shall  be  given  you 
in  that  same  hour  what  ye  shall  speak. 

20  For  it  is  not  ye  that  speak,  but  the  Spirit  of  your 
Father  which  speaketh  in  you. 

21  And  the  brother  shall  deliver  up  the  brother  to 


and  the  children  shall 
d  cause  them  to  be  put 


death,  and  the  father  the  child 
rise  up  against  their  parents,  i 
to  death. 

22  And  ye  shall  be  hated  of  all  men  for  my  name's 
sake  ;  but  he"  that  endureth  to  the  end  shall  be  saved. 


Dan.  12:  12,13;  Rev.  2  :  11. 


ernors,  i.  e.,  Roman  ofllcials,  e.  g.,  Felix  (Acts, 

ch.  24),  FestUS  (Acts,  ch.  25),  Gallio  (Acts  18  :  I2),  PaulUS 

(Acts  13: 7).  And  kings,  e.g.,  Herod  Agrippa 
(Acts,  ch.  26),  and  Caesar,  i.  e.,  Nero  (Acts  25 :  12).  For 
my  sake*  Compare  Matt.  5  :  11,  13,  and  Acts 
5  :  41.      For   a    testimony    against    them. 

Neither  against  them,  as  in  our  version,  nor 
to  them,  as  in  some  commentaries,  but  bot?i 
against  and  to  tJwm  (2  cor.  2 :  15,  le).  "  It  was  a  tes- 
timony in  the  best  sense  to  Sergius  Paulus  (Acts 
13 : 7),  but  against  Felix  (Acts  25 :  25) ;  and  this  dou- 
ble power  ever  belongs  to  the  word  of  God  as 
preached — it  is  a  two-edged  sword"  (Rev.  irie; 
2 :  12). — {Alford.)  And  the  Gentiles,  rather  the 
nations.  Compare  Matt.  2i  :  14,  and  for  an  illus- 
tration of  the  effect  of  the  bringing  of  an  apostle 
before  the  kings,  see  Phil.  1  :  12-18. 

19.  Take  no  thought.  Literally,  be  not  di- 
vided in  mind,  i.  e.,  between  desire  to  be  faithful 
to  the  truth  and  a  desire  to  act  prudently  and  to 
escape  threatened  evU.  The  Greek  word  here 
QiBQiuvow)  is  the  same  as  that  used  in  Matt.  6  :  25 ; 
see  note  there.  Alford  renders  it,  Take  no  anx- 
ious thought.  Be  not  distracted,  still  more  closely 
reflects  the  meaning  of  the  origmal.  Observe 
the  qualification,  "  When  they  deliver  you  up,^^ 
and  the  contrary  direction,  contrary  in  words 
though  not  in  spirit,  given  to  those  disciples,  the 
grounds  of  whose  faith  were  inquired  into,  "Be 
always  ready  to  give  an  answer  to  every  man 
that  asketh  you  a  reason  of  the  hope  that  is  in 
you,  in  meekness  and  fear  "  (1  Pet.  3 :  15).  "As  long 
as  the  contest  is  among  friends,  he  commends  us 
to  take  thought ;  but  when  there  is  a  terrible 
tribunal,  and  frantic  assemblies,  and  terrors  on 
all  sides,  he  bestows  the  influence  from  himself, 
that  they  may  take  courage  and  speak  out,  and 
not  be  discouraged  nor  betray  the  righteous 
cause." — {Chrysostom.)  This  verse  is  best  inter- 
preted by  such  practical  illustrations  as  are  af- 
forded by  Acts  4  :  19,  20  ;  5  :  20-32  ;  and  see  espe- 
cially Dan.  3  :  16-18.  How  or  what  ye  shall 
speak,  i.  e.,  they  are  neither  to  be  anxious  con- 
cerning the  matter  nor  the  manner  of  their  reply. 
Compare  Romans  8  :  26  ;  "for  we  know  not  what 
we  should  pray  for  as  we  ought."  For  it  shall 
be  given  you  in  that  same  hour  what  ye 
shall  speak.  Even  irrespective  of  the  more 
distinct  promise  of  the  succeeding  verse,  it  is 
generally  safer  in  time  of  threatened  danger  to 
trust  to  the  intuition  of  the  hour  and  speak 
boldly  and  simply  the  truth  than  to  study  an 
answer  which  by  much  thinking  is  apt  to  become 


an  evasion.  Mental  distraction  never  inspires  moral 
courage.  That  this  verse  should  ever  have  been 
quoted  as  an  authority  for  giving  instruction  in 
the  principles  of  the  Gospel  without  previous 
study  and  thought  affords  one  of  the  most  amaz- 
ing examples  of  the  capacity  of  the  mind  to  mis- 
interpret and  misapply  the  truth. 

20.  For  it  is  not  you  that  speak,  etc. 
Compare  Exod.  4  :  12 ;  Jer.  1:7;  Acts  4  :  8. 
And  observe  in  the  latter  case  how  obedience  to 
Christ's  precept  rendered  the  reply  of  the  apos- 
tles a  witness  for  Jesus  to  the  Sanhedrim,  (see 
verse  13.)  The  Spirit  of  your  Father.  The 
Holy  Spirit,  more  explicitly  promised  in  John 
15  :  26,  27.  This  promise  here  given  does  not 
imply  the  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures,  but  it 
does  necessarily  involve  the  strongest  possible 
assurance  of  a  divine  insjnration,  i.  e.,  of  a  divine 
influence  acting  upon  and  giving  peculiar  power 
to  the  heart  and  mind  of  the  disciple.  The  care- 
ful student  should  combine  here  the  note  of 
Alford  and  that  of  Chrysostom.  The  first  ob- 
serves that  "in  the  great  work  of  God  in  the 
world,  human  individuality  sinks  down  and  van- 
ishes, and  God  alone,  his  Christ,  his  Spirit  is  the 
great  worker;"  the  latter  notes  that  "from 
first  to  last  part  is  God's  work,  part  his  disciples'. 
Thus,  to  do  miracles  is  his,  but  to  provide 
nothing  is  theirs.  Again,  to  open  all  men's 
houses,  was  of  the  grace  from  above  ;  but  to 
require  no  more  than  was  needful,  was  of  their 
own  self-denial.  Their  bestowing  peace  was  of 
the  gift  of  God ;  their  inquiring  for  the  worthy 
and  not  entering  in  without  distinction  unto  all, 
was  of  their  own  self-command.  Again,  to  pun- 
ish such  as  received  them  not,  was  his  ;  but  re- 
tiring with  gentleness  from  them  without  reviling 
or  insulting  them,  was  of  the  apostles'  meekness. 
To  give  the  Spirit  and  cause  them  not  to  take 
thought,  was  of  him  that  sent  them  ;  but  to  be- 
come like  sheep  and  doves,  and  to  bear  all  things 
nobly  [and  to  abstain  from  distracting  thoughts], 
was  of  their  own  calmness  and  prudence.  To  be 
hated  and  not  to  despond,  and  to  endure,  was 
their  own ;  to  save  them  that  endured,  was  of 
him  who  sent  them."  Observe,  too,  how  the 
promised  inspiration  is  characterized  by  the  very 
form  of  the  promise,  "speaketh  in  you."  It  is 
not  a  divine  dictation  of  words  to  the  speaker, 
but  a  divine  inspiring  of  his  oivn  natural  faculties, 
so  that  the  Spirit  speaks  not  to  the  disciple,  nor 
through  the  disciple,  but  in  the  disciple.  Com- 
pare 1  Pet.  1  :  31. 


142 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  X. 


23  But  when  they  persecute  you  in  this  city,  fleeP  ye 
into  another  :  for  verily  I  say  unto  you,   Ye  shall  not 


have  gone  over  the  cities  of  Israel,  till  the  Son  of  man 
be  come. 


21.  And  the  brother  shall  deliver  up 
the  brother,  etc.  Natural  affection  is  not 
adequate  to  counteract  the  power  of  religious 
bigotry.  No  power  for  evil  is  greater  than  that 
of  a  corrupted  and  misdirected  religious  zeal ; 
none  is  more  unscrupulous  and  cruel. 

22.  Hated  of  all.  For  the  reason  why,  see 
John  1.5  :  18,  19.  For  the  Christian's  answer  to 
the  world's  hate,  see  Matt.  5  :  44.  This  verse, 
compared  with  such  injunctions  as  Matt.  5  :  16, 
affords  a  striking  illustration  of  the  seeming 
contradictions  of -which  the  Bible  is  full ;  but  not 
fuller  than  life  itself.  Christian  character  com- 
mends itself  to  the  consciences  of  men,  but  is 
hated  because  it  crosses  their  self-interest,  and 
rebukes,  by  its  very  purity,  their  sin.  See  for 
illustrations  of  good  works  that  led  men  both  to 
glorify  God  and  to  hate  his  disciples  Acts  i  :  13, 
18  ;  5  :  28,  40.  Chrysostom  remarks  on  the  com- 
bination of  dangers  of  which  Christ  warned  his 
disciples  ;  the  courts  of  justice,  kings,  governors, 
synagogues  of  Jews,  nations  of  Gentiles,  rulers, 
ruled,  their  own  kinsfolk,  and  finally  the  whole 
combined  enmity  of  mankind.  The  spiritual 
power  of  Christ  is  exemplified  in  the  fact  that  he 
could  describe  such  dangers,  and  yet  inspire  the 
twelve  with  courage  to  go  forth  undaunted  to 
meet  them.  Chrysostom's  practical  application 
to  our  own  times  is  also  worth  quoting  and  worth 
pondering,  "  What  then  must  we  deserve,  having 
such  high  patterns,  and  in  peace  giving  way  to 
eflEeminacy  and  remissness  ?  With  none  to  make 
war  we  are  slain  ;  we  faint  when  no  man  pursues  ; 
in  peace  we  are  required  to  be  saved,  and  even 
for  this  we  are  not  sufficient." 

But  he  that  endureth  to  the  end  shall 
be  saved.  Some  of  the  commentators,  among 
others  Alford,  SchaH  and  Owen,  see  in  this 
promise  a  primary  reference  to  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem,  the  end  being,  in  their  view,  the  over- 
throw of  the  holy  city,  and  the  being  saved  the  de- 
liverance referred  to  in  Matt.  24  :  15-18.  There 
appears  to  me  to  be  nothing  either  in  the  context 
or  in  the  parallel  passages  where  this  aphorism 
occurs,  to  warrant  this  view.  The  promise  is 
simply  the  general  one  ;  he  who  endures  perse- 
cution until  its  completion,  and  so  by  implication 
until  it  has  completed  in   the    soul    its   work 

of    purification     (Rom.  5:3-5;   James  1:3,  4),     Shall    be 

saved,  i.  e,  ransomed  and  presented  perfect  be- 
fore the  throne  of  grace.  So  Dr.  Alexander  in- 
terprets it.  See  for  parallels  Matt.  24  :  13 ;  13  : 
21 ;  Ephes.  6  :  13  ;  Hebrews  3:6;  10  :  23,  38,  39  ; 
Rev.  2  :  10,  17,  26, 

23.  But  when  they  persecute  you  iu  this 


city,  flee  you  into  another.  It  has  been  no- 
ticed that  this  implies  a  promise  that  they  should 
find  another  provided,  that  they  should  not  be 
without  a  refuge.  In  seeming  contrast  to  this 
direction  is  John  10  :  11,  13  ;  "  the  hireling  fleeth 
because  he  is  an  hireling  and  careth  not  for  the 
sheep."  Wordsworth  suggests  the  true  recon- 
ciliation :  "  If  a  person  has  a  flock  committed  to 
his  care  which  will  be  scattered  or  t(3rn  by  wolves 
if  he  flies,  then  he  must  not  fly."  Christ  himself 
exemplified  on  more  than  one  occasion  the  mean- 
ing   of    the    direction  flee  (Luke  4  :  28-30  ;  John  8  :  59 ;  10  : 

39).  Through  obedience  to  it  persecution  became 
in  the  apostolic  era  an  instrument  for  the  spread 
of  the  Gospel  (Acts  8 : 1 ;  11 :  19).  The  same  princi- 
ple in  the  later  history  of  the  church  has  wrought 
in  the  same  way  \  e.  g.,  the  flight  of  the  Puri- 
tans from  the  persecutions  of  the  Stuarts,  and  of 
the  Huguenots  from  persecutions  in  France,  led 
to  the  religious  foundation  which  was  imparted 
to  the  American  colonies.  Directly  contrary  to 
the  spirit  of  this  precept  was  the  spirit  of  Chris- 
tians in  the  early  church.  The  passion  for  mar- 
tyrdom became  so  great  that  men  accused  them- 
selves to  receive  the  martyr's  crown,  or  openly 
disturbed  heathen  Avorship  for  the  same  purpose  ; 
and  this  singular  fanaticism  had  finally  to  be  re- 
pressed by  the  admonitions  of  the  clei-gy,  and 
even  by  a  canon  which  refused  the  title  of  mar- 
tyrdom to  those  who  sought  it  by  publicly  de- 
stroying idols.  True  Christian  principle  is  quite 
compatible  with  true  Christian  prudence. 

For  verily  I  say  unto  you.  A  common 
introduction  to  a  peculiarly  solemn  aflflrmation. 
See  note  on  Matt.  5  :  15.  Ye  shall  not  have 
gone  over.  Literally,  Te  shall  not  complete.  But 
it  is  hardly  possible  to  give  to  this  the  sense  which 
Alford  gives :  ye  shall  not  have  preached  the 
Gospel  effectually.  The  meaning  afforded  by  our 
English  version  is  much  the  more  natural.  Dr. 
Owen  paraphrases  it.  Shall  not  have  finished 
passing  through  the  cities  to  preach  the  Gospel. 

Till  the  Son  of  man  be  come.  The 
phrase.  Son  of  man.,  is  used  in  the  O.  T.  some- 
times to  designate  the  descendants  of  Adam  (job 

»6  :  6  ;  Psalm  144  :  3  ;  140  :  3  ;  Isaiah  51  :  12  ;  56  :  2)  and  in   EzB- 

kiel  that  prophet  is  addressed  by  this  appellation 
about  eighty  times.  In  Daniel  (7 :  13)  it  is  applied 
prophetically  to  the  Messiah,  and  in  this  sense 
alone  is  it  used  in  the  N.  T.  In  the  Evangelists 
the  writers  themselves  never  use  it  of  Christ, 
but  fie  uses  it  in  describing  himself,  especially 
when  speaking  of  himself  as  the  Messiah  (Matt. 

9:6;   11:19;    12:8;    13:41;    17:9,22;   24  :  27-30,  etc.).      It    is 

also  used  elsewhere  by  third  persons,  but  always 


Oh.  X.] 


MATTHEW. 


143 


24  The  disciple  is  not  above  his  master,  nor  the  ! 
vant  above  his  lord. 


25  It  is  enough  for  the  disciple  that  he  be  as  Ms  mas- 
ter, and  the  servant  as  his  lord.    If  they  have  called 


q  Luke  6  :  40  ;  John  13  :  16 ;  15  :  20 r  John  8  :  s 


in  speaking  of  him  in  his  exaltation  and  manifest- 
ed glory  (Acts  7 :  56  i  Rev.  1:13;  14 :  14).  And  the  Com- 
ing of  the  Son  of  man,  wherever  used  it  the  N.  T., 
prophetically  signifies  the  disclosure  of  Jesus  as 

the    Messiah    (Matt.  24  :  21,  37,  39  j  25  :  31  ;  Mark  8  :  38  ;  Luke 

17 :  24),  but  not  always  his  final  coming  to  judge 
the  world  (Matt.  16: 28).  It  is  evident  that  in  this 
promise  Christ  cannot  refer  directly  to  his  final 
coming  in  judgment,  because  he  did  not  know 
when  that  event  would  take  place  (Mark  13 :  32). 
This  much  is  clear  ;  but  in  the  light  of  these  facts 
the  interpretation  of  this  prophecy,  Ye  shall  not 
have  gone  over  the  cities  of  Israel  till  the  Son  of 
man  be  come,  must  be  confessed  to  be  difficult. 
The  principal  explanations  are  the  following :  1. 
Before  they  had  f  ufilled  their  task  Christ  himself, 
following  them,  would  overtake  them  and  be 
ready  to  give  them  future  directions.  So  Chry- 
sostom,  Lange,  and  apparently  Alexander.  But 
this  does  not  agree  with  the  universal  usage  by 
Matthew  of  the  phrase  "coming  of  the  Son  of 
man,"  nor  with  the  facts  in  the  case,  for  Christ 
did  not  overtake  the  apostles,  but  they  returned 
to  him  (Mark  6 ;  30;  Luke  9 :  lo).  2.  Before  the  work  of 
ejTeciuallij  preaching  the  Gospel  to  the  Jews,  i.  e. 
before  the  Jews  were  all  converted,  Christ  would 
come  in  power  and  glory  to  judge  the  world. 
But  he  does  not  say  before  all  missionary  work 
is  done,  but  before  their  ivorJc  is  done.  The  plain 
meaning  of  the  promise  is  that  it  is  to  be  fulfilled 
during  their  life-time.  3.  Before  their  mission 
was  ended  the  desti-uction  of  Jerusalem  should 
take  place,  i.  e.  Christ  should  in  his  power  by  his 
providence  come  to  judge  the  Jewish  nation. 
This  is  the  common  view  of  most  commentators, 
e.  g.  Alford,  BrovvTi,  Bloomfield,  Barnes,  Owen, 
&c.  It  appears  to  me  to  be  untenable.  In  no 
proper  sense  did  the  Son  of  man  come  in  the  de- 
struction of  Jerusalem.  It  may  be  conceded 
that  this  national  judgment  was  itself  a  pro- 
phetic symbol  of  the  final  judgment  when  the 
Son  of  man  shall  come  in  power  and  glory  ;  but 
the  promise  here  made  to  the  apostles  of  his 
personal  coming  to  aid  them  in  their  mission,  is 
not  fulfilled  by  an  event  whieh  is  not  the  coming 
of  the  Son  of  man  at  all,  but  only  a  prophecy  and 
symbol  of  that  coming.  4.  Before  their  preaching 
to  the  Jewish  nation  should  be  completed,  Jesus 
should  be  revealed  as  the  Son  of  man,  i.  e.  as  the 
Messiah,  a  promise  which  was  fulfilled  by  his 
crucifixion,  resurrection,  and  second  spiritual 
coming  to  dwell  in  the  hearts  of  his  disciples. 
This  is  apparently  the  view  of  Lightfoot  and 
Calvin,  It  appears  to  me  to  be  the  true  one  for 
the  following  reasons  :  (a)  The  Son  of  man  did 


not  fully  come  until  his  crucifixion  and  his  resur- 
rection, which  not  only  disclosed  his  Messianic 
character  (Matt.  27 :  54 ;  Rom.  1 : 4),  but  also  completed 

his   Messianic   mission  (Luke  24  :  2G;  John  12  :  31,  34;  Acts 

17 : 3).  (&)  Not  until  then  did  or  could  he  fulfill 
the  promise  of  his  second  and  spiritual  coming 
to  abide  in  the  hearts  of  his  disciples  (john  i4 :  is, 
19,  £1-23).  That  promise  was  fulfilled  at  the  day 
of  Pentecost  by  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit ; 
for  the  clearly  marked  distinction  between  the 
three  persons  of  the  Godhead  belongs  to  a  later 
epoch  in  theology,  and  Christ  himself  speaks  of 
the  coming  of  the  Spirit  and  his  own  coining  as 

all    one    (compare  John  14  :  16,  17  with  verses  18-23),  and   the 

apostles  speak  of  the  indwelling  of   the  Spirit 

and  of  Christ  as  one  (compare  Acts  4  :  8  with  verse  13,  and 
Gal.  5  :  6,  24  with  verses  16  and  25,  and  see  Rom.  8  :  l),      (c)  It  iS 

after  the  disclosure  of  Christ  as  the  Messiah  by 
his  resurrection  and  his  second  and  spiritual 
coming,  that  the  apostles  begin  to  preach  that 
Jesus  is  the  Christ,  that  is,  to  declare  that  the 
Son  of  man,  a  Messiah,  has  come  ;  this  forms  the 
burden  of  their  first  preaching  subsequent  to  the 

ascension     (Acts  2  :  36  ;   3  :  18  ;   4  :  10-12  ;   8  :  5,  and  note  9  :  22  ; 

10:42),  and  the  revelation  made  to  them  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  of  Jesus  as  the  Messiah  is  recognized 
by  them  as  a  fulfillment  of  the  prophecies  of  the 
O.  T.,  respecting  the  Messiah's  coming  (Acts 2: 
16-21 ;  3 :  19),  {d)  Fmally  it  was  not  until  after  this 
spiritual  coming  of  Christ,  subsequent  to  his  re- 
surrection and  ascension,  that  the  disciples  made 
an  end  of  preaching  the  Gospel  to  the  cities  of 
Judea  and  began  to  preach  to  the  Gentiles.  This 
promise,  then,  may  be  paraphrased  thus  :  Go 
on ;  fear  not ;  before  your  mission  to  the  Jews 
(verse  b)  is  Completed,  the  Messiah  will  be  revealed 
and  the  Messiah's  kingdom  established  :  and  this 
promise  was  fulfilled  by  Christ's  passion,  resur- 
rection, ascension  and  subsequent  spiritual  com- 
ing on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  though  in  a  manner 
very  difiEerent  from  that  which  the  disciples  had 
anticipated. 

Ch.  10  :  24-42.  CHRISTIAN  EXCOURAGEJIENTS. 
Cheist's  example  the  Chbistian's  xnspieation  in 
surfering  as  dj  action  (vs.  24,  25).— injustice  suf- 
FERED HERE  WILL  BE  SET  RIGHT  BY  God's  JUSTICE 
HEREAFTER  (V.  26). —  FeAR     OF     GOD  CASTS!  OUT  FEAR 

OP  MAN  (v.  28).— God  cares  for  his  least  disciples. 
God's  greatness  in  little  things  (vs.  29-31). 
Earthly  disrepute  the  road  to  heavenly  honor 
(vs.  32,  33).— Forewarned  is  forearmed  (vs.  34,  35). 
—Love  easily  carries  all  crosses  (vs.  .37, 38).— Self- 
sacrifice  IS  THE  HIGHEST  SELF-SERVICE  (V.  39)  — ThB 

Christian's  mission  is  Christ's  mission  (John  17  :  18), 
AND  THE  Christian  stands  in  Christ's  stead  (v.  40), 


144 


MATTHEW. 


the  master  of  the  house   Beelzebub,  how  much  more 
shall  they  call  them  of  his  household  ? 

26  Fear  them  not  therefore :  for"  there  is  nothing 
covered,  that  shall  not  be  revealed  ;  and  hid,  that  shall 
not  be  known. 

27  What  I  tell  you  in  darkness,  that  speak  ye  in 


[Ch.  X. 


light :   and  what  ye  hear  in  the  ear,  that  preach  ye 
upon  the  housetops. 

28  And  fear'  not  them  which  kill  the  body,  but  are 
not  able  to  kill  the  soul :  but  rather  fear  him  which  is 
able  to  destroy  both  soul  and  body  in  hell. 

29  Are  not  two  sparrows  sold  lor  a  farthing?    and 


:  4  :  22  ;  L\ike  12  :   2,  3 ;  1  Cor.  4  :  5. . .  .t  Isa.  8  :  12, 13 ;  61  :  7,  12  ;  1  Pet.  3  :  14. 


The  All-seeing  sees,  and  the  All-loving  eewabds 

the  least  sebvice  (vs.  41,  82). 

Verses  24-43  consist  of  aphorisms  whose  gen- 
eral purpose  appears  to  be  to  encourage  the  dis- 
ciples in  view  of  the  warnings  already  given. 
They  are  more  general  than  those  warnings,  and 
are  applicable  to  all  Christians  and  in  all  ages  of 
the  world.  Several  of  them  are  repeated  else- 
where ;  and  there  is  a  close  parallelism  between 
this  portion  of  the  discourse  and  one  reported  in 
Luke  12  : 1-12.  It  is  possible  that  Matthew  may 
have  collected  here  utterances  really  delivered 
at  other  times  in  Christ's  ministry  ;  it  is  more 
probable  that  Christ  repeated  the  same  proverbs 
on  difierent  occasions.  The  connection  in  this 
part  of  the  discourse  is  not  so  marked  as  in  the 
preceding  portions.  It  is  indicated  in  the  notes 
below. 

24,  25.  The  scholar  is  not  above  his 
teacher,  nor  the  slave  above  his  lord. 
*  *  *  If  the  head  of  the  house  they 
have  called  Beelzebul,  how  much  more 
the  members  of  his  household.  The  three 
relations  in  which  Chiist  stands  to  his  people  here 
mentioned,  are  elsewhere  brought  out  in  Script- 
ure. He  is  teacher,  and  they  learners  (Matt.  6 :  i ; 
23 ;  7, 8 ;  Luke  6 :  2o) ;  he  is  lord  Or  owner,  they  serv- 
ants   (Luke  12  :  35-48 ;  John  13  :  13  ;  Rom.  1  :  1 ;  2  Pet.  1:1; 

.jude  i) ;  he  is  head  of  the  household,  they  its  mem- 
bers  (Matt.  24  :  45 ;  26  :  26-29 ;  Luke  24  :  3o).      Compare  for 

the  significance  of  the  last  metaphor,  Hebrews 
3  : 6  with  Ephes.  3  :  14,  15,  in  one  of  which 
Christ,  iQ  the  other  the  Father,  is  described  as 
head  of  the  family.  Observe  how  each  of  these 
metaphors  interprets  the  other;  as  teacher, 
Christ  is  lord,  and  speaks  with  authority  (Matt. 
7 :  29) ;  as  lord,  he  is  over  friends,  not  slaves,  and 
rules  by  love,  not  law  (John  15 :  15) ;  observe,  too, 
how  Christ's  claim  of  supremacy  depends,  not  on 
isolated  passages,  but  is  woven  into  the  texture 
of  all  his  teachings.  Beelzebul,  not  Beelzehuh. 
There  is  no  account  of  Christ  being  called  Beel- 
zebub, but  the  Pharisees  referred  his  miracles  to 
the  power  of  Beelzebul,  i.  <>.,  of  Satan  (Matt.  9 :  34; 
12 :  24 ;  John  8 :  48).     See  notes  on  Matt.  12  :  24. 

2G.  Fear  them  not  therefore ;  for  there 
is  nothing  covered — withslander,  that  shall 
not  be  uncovered— at  the  judgment  day  (Eccie?. 
12:14),  and  hid,  of  the  true  glory  of  Christian 
truth  and  Christian  character  (CoL  3 : 3;  i  John  3 : 2), 
that  shall  not  be  known.     "When  Christ 


shall  be  manifested  who  is  our  life,  then  shall  we 
also  with  him  be  manifested  in  glory"  (CoL3:4; 
see  note  there).  For  the  efEcct  which  this  truth 
should  have  on  those  suffering  from  slander,  see 
1  Pet.  2  :  23  ;  4  :  19.  The  connection  with  the 
preceduDg  verse  Chrysostom  thus  gives:  "For 
why  do  ye  grieve  at  their  calling  you  sorcerers 
and  deceivers  ?  But  wait  a  little,  and  all  men 
will  address  you  as  saviours  and  benefactors  of 
the  world — yea,  for  time  [still  more  the  disclo- 
sures of  the  last  judgment]  discovers  all  things 
that  are  concealed  ;  it  will  both  refute  their  false 
accusations  and  make  manifest  your  virtue." 

27.  What  ye  hear  in  the  ear.  According 
to  Lightfoot,  the  Jewish  rabbis  who  explained 
the  law  in  the  schools  in  Hebrew,  whispered  their 
explanations  to  the  ear  of  the  interpreters,  who 
then  repeated  them  aloud  to  the  scholars.  There 
is,  perhaps,  a  reference  to  this  custom  here. 
Preach  ye  upon  the  housetops.  The  Jew- 
ish housetop  was  flat.  The  ministers  of  the 
ancient  synagogue  on  Sabbath  eve  sounded  six 
times  a  trumpet  to  announce  the  coming  in  of 
the  Sabbath.  The  Turkish  crier  calls  to  prayers 
from  the  housetop.  Local  governors  in  country 
districts  cause  their  proclamations  to  be  an- 
nounced in  the  same  way,  generally  in  the  even- 
ing on  the  return  of  the  people  from  their  labors. 
The  metaphor  here  is  borrowed  from,  and  illus- 
trated by,  these  uses  of  the  housetop.  Of 
Christ's  whispering  in  the  ear,  see  illustrations 
in  Matt.  13  :  11,  18,  36  ;  16  :  20  ;  of  the  disciples 
preaching  on  the  housetop,  see  illustrations  in 
Acts  2  :  6-11,  etc.  Christ  speaks  in  darkness 
parables  which  the  people  do  not  understand, 
but  which  are  subsequently  interpreted  to  his 
disciples  and  thus  to  all  mankind  (Matt.  13 :  11,  is,  se). 
He  spoke  in  the  ear,  chapters  14,  15,  16  and  17  of 
John,  which  the  evangelist  has  repeated  by  his 
Gospel  in  the  light.  He  still,  by  the  inspiration 
of  his  Spirit,  speaks  in  the  ear  experience  which 
his  followers  are  to  interpret  publicly  by  life  and 

words  (1  Cor.  2  :  7-13). 

28.  And  fear  not  them  which  kill  the 
body  *  *  *  rather  fear  him  Avho  is  able 
to  destroy  both  soul  and  body.  Observe 
the  double  contrast,  (1)  between  men  •  whose 
power  extends  only  to  the  hody^  and  God,  whose 
power  endangers  hoth  soul  and  body ;  (2)  between 
man,  who  can  only  kill  the  body,  beyond  which 
comes  the  resurrection  and  the  new  life,  and 
God,  who  can  utterly  destroy  (Gr.  dnuXkv^i)  both 


Ch.  X.] 


MATTHEW. 


145 


one  of  them  shall  not  fall  on  the  ground  without  your 
Father. 

30  But"  the  very  hairs  of  your  head  are  all  numbered. 

31  Fear  ye  not  therefore  ;  ye  are  of  more  value  than 
many  sparrows. 

32  Whosoever  therefore  shall  confess  me  before  men, 


him'  will  I  confess  also  before  my  Father  which  is  in 
heaven. 

33  But  whosoever"  shall  deny  me  before  men,  him 
will  I  also  deny  before  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven. 

34  Think  not  that  1  am  come  to  send  peace  on  earth  : 
1='  came  not  to  send  peace,  but  a  sword. 


Rev.  3:5 w  2  ^ 


Luke  12  :  49,  13. 


soul  and  body.  As  in  several  other  passages  of 
Scripture,  there  is  an  implication  here  that  the 
punishment  of  the  wicked  is  a  true  destruction, 
not  a  living  in  suffering.  But  it  is  only  an  impli- 
cation, and  there  are  other  passages  which  cer- 
tainly appear  to  teach  otherwise.  For  a  con- 
sideration of  the  whole  question,  see  note  on 
Matt.  13  :  50.  I  assume  that  Him  whom  we  are 
to  fear  is  God,  as  do  most  commentators,  not 
Satan,  as  do  Stier  and  some  others  ;  for  (a)  It  is 
not  true  that  Satan  can  destroy  either  body  or 
soul ;  he  has  no  power  except  such  as  God  per- 
mits  him   to    exercise    (job  l  :12;  compare  Jame8  4:12); 

he  is  himself  shut  up  in  hell  (iiatt.  25 :  4i ;  Rev.  20 :  10), 
"does  not  destroy  soul  and  body  in  hell,  but 
before  that  time,  and  for  the  purpose  of  having 
them  consigned  to  hell." — {Lange.)  (6)  The  fear 
of  Satan  is  but  a  sorry  protection  against  the  fear 
of  man,  but  "The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the  beginning 
of  wisdom ' '  (Prov.  9 :  10).  (c)  The  context  of  the 
discourse  calls  for  this  interpretation.  We  are 
both  to  fear  and  to  trust  the  All-powerful.  See 
next  verses. 

In  hell.  Gehenna.  See  note  on  Matt.  5  :  23. 
Dr.  Owen  concludes  that  Christ  does  not  here 
speak  of  annihilation,  "  for  the  destruction  spo- 
ken of  takes  place  in  Gehenna."  But  since  the 
fires  of  Gehenna  did  in  fact  utterly  consume  the 
corpses  of  the  criminals  cast  upon  them,  his  de- 
duction is  hardly  warranted.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  metaphor  does  not  necessarily  imply  anni- 
hUation.  That  question  of  the  true  punishment 
of  the  lost  must  be  determined  by  the  teachings 
of  other  passages,  or  at  least  by  a  comparison  of 
this  with  other  passages. 

29.  Are  not  two  sparrows  sold  for  a 
farthing?  The  farthing  (Gr.  uaaaqim)  is  a 
Roman  coin  which  was  equal  to  about  a  cent  and 
a  half  in  value.  The  word  occurs  m  the  N.  T. 
only  here  and  in  the  analogous  passage  in  Luke 
I'i :  6.  The  sparrow  is  a  general  term  for  a  large 
variety  of  birds,  of  which  there  are  known  to  be 
above  one  hundred  different  species.  The  cor- 
responding Hebrew  term  is  generally  rendered 
bird  or  fowl.  It  is  in  the  O.  T.  a  symbol  of 
weakness  (psaim  n :  1).  The  various  species  of 
sparrow  are  very  numerous  in  Palestine.  They 
are  snared  in  great  numbers  and  sold  for  food. 
The  markets  of  Jerusalem  and  Joppa  are  said  to 
be  attended  at  the  present  day  by  many  fowlers 
who  offer  for  sale  long  strings  of  little  birds  of 
various  species,  chiefly  sparrows,  wag-tails  and 


larks.  It  is  to  this  snaring  and  sale  of  the  spar- 
row our  Lor4  alludes  here.  Without  your 
Father.  Observe  he  does  not  say  their  Father 
nor  our  Father,  but  your  Father,  i.  e.,  without 
his  knowledge  and  his  permission  (Luke  12 :  e). 
This  verse  certainly  forbids  the  construction  put 
by  Stier  upon  the  preceding  one,  that  it  is  the 
devil  who  can  destroy  both  soul  and  body.  Not 
even  the  sparrow  can  fall  to  the  ground  by  the 
power  of  the  devil  without  permission  of  God. 
Obsei-ye  that  nature  as  strikingly  illustrates 
God's  greatness  in  little  as  in  great  things,  a 
truth  of  which  the  microscope  affords  abundant 
illustration. 

30.  But  the  very  hairs  of  your  head. 
A  metaphorical  expression  to  signify  the  minute- 
ness of  God's  care.  Compare  1  Sam.  14  :  45 ; 
Luke  21  :  13 ;  Acts  27  :  34.  The  lesson  incul- 
cated is  not  only  that  God  cares  for  us  despite 
our  insignificance,  but  also  that  he  cares  for  us 
m  respects  that  seem  the  most  insignificant. 

31.  Of  more  value.  Compare  Matt.  6  :  26, 
and  note.  This  is  God's  answer  to  David's  ques- 
tion :  "What  is  man  that  thou  art  mindful  of 
him,  and  the  son  of  man  that  thou  visitest  him  ?" 
(psaim  8 : 4.)  Obscrvc,  that  nature  inspires  both 
question  and  answer :  the  stars  the  question,  the 
birds  the  answer. 

32.  33.  Every  one  therefore  who  shall 
confess  in  me.  Observe  the  phraseology  of  the 
original  of  which  the  above  is  a  literal  translation. 
The  promise  is  to  every  one  {nag)  who  confessed 
in  Christ  {iv  t/xoi).  It  is  not  a  mere  public  profes- 
sion before  the  church  which  is  meant,  for  it 
must  be  ^^before  men,''''  i.  e.,  as  interpreted  by 
verses  17  and  18,  councils,  synagogues,  govern- 
ors, kings,  in  time  of  peril,  when  confession  costs 
something  ;  nor  is  it  even  every  public  profession 
before  men  which  is  meant,  but  a  confession  in 
Christ,  i.  e.,  such  a  confession  as  has  its  root  in 
Christ,  and  shows  a  living  union  with  him.  Such 
a  confession  in  Christ  the  apostles  witnessed  be- 
fore the  Sanhedrim  (Acts  4: 13),  and  such  Christ 
himself  witnessed  in  God  before  Pontius  Pilate 

(1  Tim.  C  :  13 ;  compare  John  18  ;  37  ;  19  :  8,  11,  12).     Christ  alSO 

confesses  in  us;  that  is,  not  only  acknowledges 
us  his  disciples,  but  shows  himself  in  us  and  us 
to  be  in  him  (John  n :  21, 24).  "  The  context  shows 
plainly  that  it  is  a  practical,  consistent  confession 
which  is  meant,  and  also  a  practical  and  enduring 
deniaL"  The  Lord  will  not  confess  the  confessing 
Judas,  nor  deny  the  denying  Peter."— (AZ/ord.) 


14G 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  X. 


35  For  I  am  come  to  set  a  man  at  variancey  against 
his  father,  and  the  daughter  agamst  her  mother,  and 
the  daughter  m  law  against  her  mother  in  law. 

36  And^  a  man's  foes  shall  be  they  of  his  own  house- 
hold. 

37  He°  that  loveth  father  or  mother  more  than  me,  is 
not  worthy  of  me  :  and  he  that  loveth  son  or  daughter 
more  than  me,  is  not  worthy  of  me. 


38  And  he  that  taketh  not  his  cross,  and  foUoweth 
after  me,  is  not  worthy  of  me. 

39  He''  that  findeth   his  life,   shall  lose   it:   and   he 
that  loseth  his  life  for  my  sake,  shall  find  it. 

40  He'^  that  receiveth   you,   receiveth   me  ;   and   he 
that  receiveth  me,  receiveth  him  that  sent  me. 

41  He''  that  receiveth  a  prophet  in  the   name  of  a 
prophet,  shall  receive  a  prophet's  reward  ;  and  he  that 


y  Micah  7  :  6,  6. 


Luke  14  :  26. . .  .b  ch.  16  :  25. . .  .c  ch.  18  :  5  ;  26  :  40,  45  ;  John  12  :  44. . .  .d  1  Kings  17:10;  Heb. 


Observe  how  Christ  here  ranks  himself  with  God 
in  judging  not  with  man  in  being  the  object  of 
judgment. 

34.  Think  not  I  am  come  to  soav  peace 
on  the  earth.  The  metaphor  is  that  of  a  hus- 
bandman sowing  seed  ;  Christ's  seed  is  a  sword. 
Yet  in  the  0.  T.  Christ  is  called  a  prince  of  peace 
(Isaiah  9:6);  his  birth  is  announced  by  the  angels 
as  a  precursor  of  peace  (Luke  2 :  14 ;  ccmpare  1:19);  he 
bestows  peace  upon  his  disciples  in  his  parting 
benediction  (john  14 :  27) ;  he  declares  that  the 
peace-makers  shall  bear  his  own  title  and  be 
called  the  sons  of  God  (Matt.  5:9);  and  the  peace 
of  God  is  declared  by  the  apostle  to  be  among 
the  fruits  of  the  spirit  (Gai.  s :  22).  We  are  not  to 
reconcile  these  passages  by  saying,  with  De 
Wette,  that  divisions  were  not  the  purpose,  but 
only  the  inevitable  result  of  Christ's  coming,  for 
"with  God  results  are  all  purposes.''' — {Alford.) 
Christ  comes  to  declare  war  against  the  devil 
and  all  his  works  (Ephes.  e :  11, 12;  1  Tim.  6 :  12),  and  to 
bring  peace  only  with  victory.  The  first  coming 
of  Christ  always  brings  war,  whether  to  the  indi- 
vidual soul  or  to  the  community.  War  is  the 
stalk,  peace  the  ripened  grain.  Romans  7  :  23 
depicts  the  sword,  7  :  25  and  ch.  8,  the  peace. 
Compare  Matt.  13  :  33,  and  note. 

35.  For  I  am  come,  etc.  This  verse  is 
substantially  quoted  from  Micah  7:6;  it  is  illus- 
trated by  John  7  :  1-5. 

36.  A  man's  foes  shall  be  they  of  his 
own  household.  This  declaration  finds  abun- 
dant illustration  in  the  history  of  religious  perse- 
cutions ;  not  less  in  daily  life.  Husbands,  wives, 
parents,  children  are  helps,  but  also  often  hin- 
drances ;  the  same  one  is  sometimes  a  spiritual 
friend,  sometimes  a  spiritual  foe.  Christ  found 
foes  in  his  warmest  friends.  Matt.  10  :  32,  23. 

37.  lie  that  loveth  father,  etc.  *  *  * 
more  than  me.  Compare  with  this  the  paral- 
lel passage,  Luke  14  :  26.  Observe  that  the  test 
of  love  according  to  Christ  is  not  emotional  ex- 
perience, but  obedience  (John  14 :  21) ;  hence  this 
declaration  is  substantially  embodied  in  Matt. 
5  :  24.  No  man  can  serve  two  masters.  For  illus- 
tration of  loving  Christ  more  than  father  or 
mother,  see  Matt.  4  :  21,  22.  For  parallel  and 
illustrative  teachings,  John  21  :  15  ;  2  Cor.  5  :  14, 
15  ;  Phil.  3  :  7-9.  Is  not  Avorthy  of  me,  i  e. 
to  be  called  my  disciples.  Compare  Ephes.  4:1; 
Col.  1 :  10 ;  1  Thes.  2  :  13.    For  he  only  is  Christ's 


disciple  who  learns  like  Christ  to  sacrifice  all  for 
God.  "  Stier  well  remarks,  that  under  the  words 
'worthy  of  me,'  there  lies  an  exceeding  great 
reward  which  counterbalances  all  the  seeming 
asperity  of  this  saying." — {Alford.) 

38.  He  that  taketh  not  his  cross.  The 
Roman  custom  obliged  the  crucified  to  carry 
their  own  cross  to  the  place  of  punishment.  To 
this  custom  reference  is  here  made.  The  mean- 
ing of  the  symbol  is,  whoever  is  not  willing  freely 
to  deny  himself,  even  unto  death,  and  that  the 
most  painful  and  shameful,  is  not  worthy  of  me. 
It  is,  of  course,  a  prophetic  reference  to  Christ's 
own  death,  a  prophecy  which,  at  the  time,  the 
disciples  could  have  only  imperfectly  understood 
(John  12 ;  le).  Observe  that  it  is  not  only  cross-bear- 
ing but  cross-taking  that  is  required  of  the  disci- 
ple ;  not  merely  submission  to  burdens  which 
God's  providence  lays  upon  them,  but  a  volun- 
tary assuming  of  burdens,  even  the  burden  of 
death,  for  the  sake  of  Christ  and  humanity.  In 
slightly  different  forms  this  aphorism  repeatedly 
appears  in  Christ's  teaching  (Matt,  is  ■  24 ;  Mark  10 :  21 ; 
Luke  9 :  23).  Paul,  by  his  usc  of  the  metaphor  in 
Galatians  (2 :  20 ;  5 :  24 ;  6 :  14),  gives  a  partial  inter- 
pretation to  it.  We  take  up  our  cross  when  we 
mortify  the  deeds  of  the  flesh  for  the  sake  of  the 
Spirit  (Col.  3 : 5),  or  when  we  gladly  suffer  the  loss 
of  all  things  that  we  may  be  found  in  Christ  (phii. 
3 : 8-10),  or  share  his  sufferings  and  self-sacrifices 
that  we  may  minister  to  his  suffering  ones  (Matt. 

25  :  35,  36). 

39.  He  that  findeth  his  life  shall  lose  it. 

Repeated  in  Matt.  16  :  25  ;  Luke  17  :  33 ;  John 
12  :  25.  Not  merely,  he  that  finds  the  life  of  this 
world  shall  lose  eternal  life  in  the  world  to  come, 
though  this  is  implied  in  John,  nor  he  that  finds 
the  lower  earthly  life  shall  lose  the  higher  and 
spiritual  life.  The  significance  of  the  saying 
does  not  depend  upon  any  such  play  on  the 
word  life.  The  aphorism  goes  deeper.  All  self- 
seeking  is  self-losing.  Even  in  spiritual  things,  he 
who  is  perpetually  studying  how  to  secure  joy 
and  peace /or  AimscZf  loses  it.  A  certain  measure 
of  self-forgetfulness  is  the  condition  of  the  high- 
est success  even  in  Christian  grace.  ObseiTe 
ihaX  finding  implies  seeking  ;  so  that  this  proverb 
is  not  at  all,  He  that  gains  this  life  loses  the  next, 
but.  He  that  makes  his  own  life  the  chief  object 
of  his  endeavor  and  seems  to  succeed,  really  fails. 

40.  He  that  receiveth  you  receiveth  me. 


Ch.  X.] 


MATTHEW. 


147 


receiveth  a  righteous  man  in  the  name  of  a  righteous 
man,  shall  receive  a  righteous  man's  reward. 

42  And  whosoever  sliall  give  to  drink  unto  one  of 
these  little  ones  a  cup  of  cold  water  only  in  the  name 
of  a  disciple,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  he  shall  in  no  wise 
lose  his  reward. 


CHAPTER    XL 


AND  it  came  to  pass,  when  J  esus  had  made  an  end 
of  commanding  his  twelve  disciples,  he  departed 
thence,  to  teach  and  to  preach  in  their  cities. 


The  primary  reference  is  to  the  twelve  apostles 
in  their  commission ;  the  receiving  is  that  referred 
to  in  verses  13,  14,  receiving  to  the  house  with 
hospitality  (compare  Hebrews  13 : 2).  Underneath  this 
is  a  deeper  meaning  of  wider  application.  He 
who  receives  the  servant  of  Christ  and  his  mes- 
sage in  his  heart,  receives  Christ ;  he  who  opens 
his  heart  to  Christlike  influence  from  men,  opens 
it,  even  though  unconsciously,  to  Christ.  Com- 
pare 2  Cor.  5  :  20. 

41.  In  the  name  of  a  prophet,  i.  e.,  as  a 
prophet,  because  he  is  a  prophet.  The  word 
prophet  in  N.  T.  usage  signifies  not  necessarily  a 
foreteller  of  events,  but  an  inspired  teacher  of 
God.  See  illustrations  of  this  truth  in  2  Kings, 
ch.  4.  The  joys  of  Christ's  kingdom  are  awarded 
according  to  the  spiritual  aspirations,  not  ac- 
cording to  the  intellectual  abilities  and  actual 
achievements  in  work.  If  one,  however  humble 
his  station,  shows  himself  in  his  spiritual  sympa- 
thy one  with  the  prophets,  he  shall  receive  the 
prophet's  place  ;  if,  however  imperfect  his  char- 
acter, he  approves  himself  the  friend  of  right- 
eousness, he  shall  receive  the  reward  of  right- 
eousness. Observe  that  that  reward  is  a  perfect 
character  (coi.  i :  22) ;  so  that  the  promise  is  in- 
volved in  Matt.  5  :  6. 

42.  Whosoever  shall  give  *  *  *  a  cup 
of  cold  water.  "This  he  saith  lest  any  one 
should  allege  poverty." — {Chrysostom.)  It  is 
never,  even  in  our  intercourse  with  each  other,  the 
largeness  of  the  gift,  but  always  the  spirit  which 
inspires  the  giver,  which  determines  its  value. 
It  is  not  the  service  we  render  to  Christ's  cause 
or  church,  but  the  will  to  render  it  which  Christ 
looks  at.  Compare  Luke  21 : 1-4.  In  the  name 
of  a  disciple,  i.e.,  "because  ye  belong  to 
Cb:ist"  (Mark 9: 41).  To  onc  of  these  little 
ones;  not,  as  De  Wette,  to  the  despised  and 
meanly  esteemed  for  Christ's  sake;  nor  neces- 
sarily, as  Alford,  to  children  that  may  have  been 
present;  but  to  one  insignificant  and  unknown 
in  Christ's  kingdom  in  contrast  with  the  inspired 


teacher  and  the  well-known  righteous  man.  It 
is  explained  by  Matt.  25  :  40.  Dr.  Brown  notices 
here  "a  descending  climax— '  the  prophet,'  'a 
righteous  man,'  'a  little  one,'  signifying  that 
however  low  we  come  dovni  in  our  service  to 
those  that  are  Christ's,  all  that  is  done  for  his 
sake,  and  that  bears  the  stamp  of  love  to  his 
blessed  name,  shall  be  divinely  appreciated  and 
owned  and  rewarded."  Chrysostom,  on  the 
other  hand,  notices  the  climax  in  the  entire  pas- 
sage, the  connection  of  which  he  thus  indicates  : 
"Seest  thou  what  mighty  persuasions  he  used, 
and  how  he  opened  to  them  the  houses  of  the 
whole  world  ?  Tea,  he  signified  that  men"  are 
their  debtors,  first  by  saying.  The  workman  is 
worthy  of  his  hire  ;  secondly,  by  sending  them 
forth  bearing  nothing ;  thirdly,  by  giving  them 
up  to  wars  and  fightings  in  behalf  of  them  that 
receive  them  ;  fourthly,  by  committing  to  them 
miracles  also  ;  fifthly,  in  that  he  did  by  their  lips 
introduce  peace,  the  cause  of  all  blessings,  into 
the  houses  of  such  as  receive  them  ;  sixthly,  by 
threatening  things  more  grievous  than  Sodom  to 
such  as  receive  them  not ;  seventhly,  by  signify- 
ing that  as  many  as  welcome  them  are  receiving 
both  himself  and  the  Father  ;  eighthly,  by  prom- 
ising both  a  prophet's  and  a  righteous  man's 
reward  ;  ninthly,  by  undertaking  that  the  recom- 
pense shall  be  great  even  for  a  cup  of  cold 
water." 

Ch.  11  :  1.  When  Jesus  had  made  an 
end,  i.  e.,  for  the  time,  had  finished  this  special 
discourse.  He  departed  thence.  The  local- 
ity Is  not  fixed.  The  address  was  delivered 
during  a  journey  in  Galilee  (Matt.  9 :  35).  To 
preach  in  their  cities.  They  preached  in 
the  towns  or  villages  (Luke  9 :  e),  that  men  should 
repent  (Mark  e :  12),  basing  their  preaching  on  the 
announcement  that  the  kingdom  of  Heaven  was 
at  hand  (Matt.  10 : 7).  Their  preaching  thus  cor- 
responded to  that  of  John  the  Baptist  and  the 
earlier  mmistry  of  Jesus  (Matt.  3 : 2 ;  4 :  17). 


THE  TWELVE  APOSTLES:   THEIK  LIVES  AND  CHARACTERS. 


For  the  convenience  of  the  student,  I  embody 
here  very  brief  references  to  the  Scriptural  in- 
formation concerning  the  twelve  apostles,  and 
shall  refer  to  this  note  in  other  parts  of  the  com- 
mentary when  their  names  occur. 

Simon  Peter  (rock).  His  original  name  was 
Simon  or  Simeon  (Acts  15 :  14) ;  he  was  born  at 
Bethsaida  on  the  Sea  of  Galilee  (john  1 .-  44) :  with 


his  father  Jonas  and  his  brother  Andrew  carried 
on  the  trade  of  a  fisherman  on  the  Sea  of  Galilee 
(Luke  5:3;  John  21 :  s) ;  was  married,  and  his  mother- 
in-law  lived  with  him  (Mark  i :  29, 30) ;  was  origi- 
nally, with  his  brother  Andrew,  a  disciple  of 
John  the  Baptist ;  joined  Jesus  temporarily  at 
the  ford  of  Bethabara  (John  1 :  4o,  41),  where  he  re- 
ceived his  new  name  of  Peter  (verse  42) ;  he  re* 


148 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  X. 


sumed  his  fishing,  and  was  a  second  time  called 
to  follow  Christ,  which  he  did,  with  Andrew  his 
brother,  and  with  James  and  John  (Luke  6 : 8-11). 
The  healing  of  his  mother-in-law  followed  almost 
immediately  (Mark  1 :  29-31 ;  Luke  4 :  38, 39).  The  sub- 
sequent incidents  in  his  life  indicate  a  warm, 
affectionate,  impulsive  but  unstable  character. 
He  starts  to  walk  to  Jesus  on  the  wave,  but  loses 
courage  almost  as  soon  as  his  feet  touch  the 
water  (Matt.  i4 :  28-30) ;  impetuously  refuses  to  let 
Christ  wash  his  feet,  and  as  impetuously  offers 
his  head  and  his  hands  (John  13 : 6, 8, 9) ;  draws  his 
sword  to  fight  single-handed  the  Roman  soldiers, 
yet  turns  and  flees  with  the  others  when  Christ 
surrenders  to  the  band  (John  18 :  10 ;  Matt.  26 :  se) ;  fol- 
lows Christ  into  the  palace,  but  there  denies  with 
vehemence  and  oaths  that  he  is  a  disciple  (Matt. 

S6  :  69-75 ;  John  18  :  16,  17,  25-27)  ;    iS    OnC    of  the    first   tO 

baptize  the  Gentiles,  then  refuses  to  fraternize 
with  them  from  fear  of  opposition  in  the  church 

(Acts  10  :  47,  48  J  Gal.  2  :  11-13  ;  but  compare  Acts  15  :  7,  etc.)  Af- 
ter the  resurrection  and  ascension  of  our  Lord, 
Peter  appears  to  have  taken  a  leading  position  in 
the  church,  but  as  an  orator  rather  than  as  an 
organizer  or  ecclesiastical  leader  (Acts  i :  is ;  2 :  14-41 ; 
4:8).  He  traveled  about  in  missionary  work, 
taking  his  wife  with  him  (1  Cor.  9 : 5),  ministering 
to  the  Gentiles,  and  probably  traveling  as  far 
east  as  Babylon  (1  Pet.  5 :  13).  If  he  ever  visited 
Rome,  which  is  uncertain,  it  was  not  until  the 
later  years  of  his  life,  and  after  the  founding  of 
the  Christian  church.  According  to  tradition, 
he  was  crucified  under  Nero,  with  his  head  down- 
ward, and  to  this  event  our  Lord  is  thought  to 


refer  in  John  21  :  18.  The  personal  friendship 
between  himself  and  John,  illustrated  by  many 

incidents    (Luke  6  :  1-11;   John  13:  23,  24:    18  :  16,   16;    21  :  7  ; 

Acts  3 : 1 ;  4 :  13),  is  One  of  the  most  touching  and 
tender  of  the  minor  episodes  in  Gospel  history, 
all  the  more  so  from  the  incidental  indication  of 
the  contrasts  in  their  characters  (john  20 : 3-9 ;  21 : 7). 

Andkew  {manly).  A  son  of  Jonas  and  brother 
of  Peter.  He  brought  the  latter  to  Christ  (John 
1 :  40-42),  and  with  him  was  subsequently  called  by 
Christ  to  become  a  disciple,  and  later  an  apostle 
(Matt.  4 :  21 ;  Luke  6 :  u).  The  Only  Other  incidents 
respecting  him  recorded  in  the  Gospels  are  those 
narrated  in  Mark  13  : 3,  John  6  : 8,  and  12  :  22,  and 
these  give  little  or  no  information  respecting  his 
character.  After  the  resurrection  of  our  Lord, 
he  appears  only  in  the  list  of  apostles  in  Acts 
1 :  13.  Tradition  reports  him  to  have  preached  the 
Gospel  in  Scythia,  Greece,  and  Asia  Minor,  and  to 
have  been  crucified  upon  a  cross  in  the  form  of  a  X, 
which  is  called,  accordingly,  St.  Andrew's  cross. 

James  (same  as  Jacob,  i.  e.,  SupplMiter).  He 
was  a  son  of  Zebedee ;  his  mother's  name  was 

Salome  (compare  Matt.  27  :  66  with  Mark  16  :  4o).  He  proba- 
bly resided  at  Bethsaida ;  joined  Jesus  with  his 
brother  John  at  the  Sea  of  Galilee  (Matt.  4 :  21) ;  is 
never  mentioned  in  the  Gospels  except  in  con- 
nection mth  his  brother  John ;  was  martyred 
under  Herod  Agrippa,  a.  d.  44  (Acts  12 : 2).  There 
is  reason  to  believe  that  he  and  his  brother  John 
were  own  cousins  of  our  Lord.  This  opinion 
rests  on  the  account  given  by  Matthew,  Mark, 
and  John,  of  the  women  at  the  crucifixion.  They 
describe  these  women  as  follows : 


M*rk  15 :  40. 


Mary,  mother  of 
Jesus. 


Mary  Magdalene. 


Mary,  mother  of 
James  and  Joses. 


Mary,  mother  of 
James  the  less. 


Mary,  wife  of 
Cleophas. 


Mother  of  Zebe- 
dee's  children. 


Sister  of  Jesus' 
mother. 


It  is  evident,  from  a  comparison  of  these  ac- 
counts, that  Salome  and  the  mother  of  Zebedee's 
children  are  the  same  ;  that  is,  that  Salome  was 
the  mother  of  James  and  John.  It  is  a  question 
whether  the  sister  of  Jesus'  mother  mentioned 
by  John  is  to  be  identified  with  Salome  or  with 
Mary,  wife  of  Cleophas ;  whether,  that  is,  John 
mentions  two  or  three  persons  in  addition  to 
Mary,  the  mother  of  Jesus.  If  Mary,  wife  of 
Cleophas,  were  the  sister  of  Jesus'  mother,  there 
would  have  been  two  sisters  of  the  same  name, 
Mary,  which  is  not  impossible,  as  Jewish  records 
show,  but  is  improbable.  On  the  whole,  I  think 
the  better  opinion  to  be  that  which  identifies  the 
sister  of  Jesus'  mother  with  Salome,  the  mother 
of  Zebedee's  children,  in  which  case  Jesus  was 


own  cousin  to  James  and  John.  See  note  on 
Matthew  13  :  55. 

John  {grace  of  the  Lord).  He  was  a  brother  of 
James,  and  of  course  is  not  to  be  confounded 
with  John  the  Baptist.  Several  references  in 
the  N.  T.  indicate  that  his  family  was  one  of  some 

wealth  and  social  position  (Mark  1  :  20 ;  Luke  8  :  3  ;  23  :  65, 
comp.  with  Mark  16  :  1 ;  John  19  :  27).      He  appears  tO  haVB 

accompanied  our  Lord  in  his  first  ministry  in  Ju- 
dea,  and  he  is  the  only  one  of  the  Evangelists  who 
gives  any  account  of  that  mmistry.  He  is  men- 
tioned frequently  in  connection  with  Peter  and 
James  as  especially  intimate  with  Jesus  (Matt,  n  ■  i , 
Mark  5 :  37 ;  John  13 :  23) ;  and  of  thosc  three,  he  appears 
to  have  been  the  one  most  beloved  of  our  Lord 

(John  13  :  23 ;  19  :  26 ;  20  :  2 ;  21  :  7,  20,  24).      Of  hiS  personal 


Ch.  X.] 


MATTHEW. 


149 


history  subsequent  to  the  crucifixion  little  is 
known.  He  went  into  Asia,  exercised  a  pastoral 
supervision  over  the  Asiatic  churches,  was  ban- 
ished to  Patmos,  and  probably  died  in  extreme  old 
age  a  natural  death.  Of  his  personal  character 
much  has  been  written,  yet  it  is  certain  he  has  been 
greatly  misunderstood.  He  was  naturally  im- 
petuous and  ambitious  (Matt.  20  :  20,  21 ;  Mark  3:17;  10  : 

35-37 ;  Luke  9 :  54),  and  of  all  the  apostlcs,  he  appears 
to  have  been  the  most  courageous  ;  he  alone  of 
the  EvangeUsts,  apparently,  accompanied  Jesus 
in  his  earlier  Judean  ministry,  since  he  is  the 
only  one  who  gives  any  account  of  it ;  and  he 
alone  clung  to  him  and  followed  him  during  the 
trial  in  the  court  of  Caiaphas  and  before  Pilate's 
judgment-seat ;  this  is  evidenced  by  his  narrative, 
which  is  unmistakably  that  of  an  eye-witness. 
His  gentleness,  patience,  love,  and  spiritual  ap- 
prehension of  Christ's  interior  teaching,  seem 
to  have  been  the  effect  of  Christ's  personal  influ- 
ence upon  him.  He  was  the  beloved  disciple, 
because  of  all  the  disciples  he  was  the  most 
docil*  and  most  ready  to  yield  to  and  receive 
Christ's  teaching  and  influence.  See  further  on 
his  character,  Introduction  to  Gospel  of  John. 
We  have,  in  the  N.  T.,  four  books  from  his  pen : 
one  Gospel  and  three  Epistles. 

Philip  {warlike).  He  was  a  native  of  Beth- 
Baida ;  brought  Nathanael,  who  was  probably  the 
Bame  as  Bartholomew,  to  Jesus  ;  and  is  generally 
mentioned  in  connection  with  Bartholomew. 
The  only  direct  reference  to  him  in  the  Gospels, 
except  the  mere  mention  of  his  name  here  and 
in  other  lists  of  the  twelve,  are  in  John  1  :  43-45  ; 
12  :  21,  22 ;  14  :  8,  9.  Of  his  life  and  labors 
nothing  else  is  known ;  and  the  traditions  re- 
specting him  are  conflicting.  He  is  not  to  be 
confounded  with  Philip,  the  deacon,  mentioned 
in  Acts  6  :  5  ;  8  :  5-13,  26-40  ;  21  :  8,  9. 

BAKTfiOLOMEW  {son  of  Thohiiai).  It  is  gene- 
rally thought  by  Biblical  scholars  that  this  apos- 
tle is  identical  with  Nathanael.  John  alone  men- 
tions Nathanael  (johni  :45-49;  21 :2),  whom  Philip 
brought  to  Jesus ;  Matthew,  Mark,  and  Luke  do 
not  mention  him,  but  give  the  name  of  Bartholo- 
mew in  connection  with  Philip.  This  fact, 
coupled  with  their  otherwise  singular  omission 
of  the  name  of  Nathanael,  and  with  the  fact  that 
Bartholomew  is  not  properly  a  name  at  all,  but  a 
descriptive  title,  meaning  son  of  Tholmai,  have 
led  to  the  hypothesis  which  identifies  the  two. 
It  is,  however,  but  an  hypothesis,  though  cer- 
tainly a  reasonable  one.  Nothing  is  known  of 
his  life  or  character,  except  what  may  be  gath- 
ered from  the  above  reference. 

Thomas  (twin).  This  word  is  of  Hebrew  ori- 
gin ;  its  Greek  equivalent  is  Didymus,  and  his 
name  occurs  in  this  form  ( John  11 ;  le ;  20 :  24 ;  21 : 2). 
He  was  doubtless  a  Galilean,  but  neither  his 
parentage,  birth-place,  nor  call  are  mentioned. 


There  are  but  four  incidents  in  his  ]tfe  recorded 

in  the  N.  T.  (John  11  :  is ;  U  :  6 ;  20  :  24-29  ;  21  :  2).      These 

indicate  that  he  possessed  an  affectionate  spirit 
but  a  skeptical  mind.  The  earnestness  and  fidel- 
ity of  his  love  was  unaccompanied  by  a  faith  and 
hope  at  all  comparable  to  it  (John  ii :  le) ;  he  could 
not  understand  the  "mansions"  which  Christ, 
after  his  death,  would  prepare  for  his  followers 
(John  14 : 5) ;  he  refused  to  believe  in  his  Lord's 
resurrection  without  tangible  evidence  (John  20 : 
21-29).  Of  his  history  subsequent  to  the  ascension 
of  Christ,  nothing  is  known  with  any  certainty ; 
the  Syrian  Christians,  however,  claim  bim  as  the 
founder  of  their  church. 
Matthew  (probably,  gift).   He  is  also  called 

Levi   (Luke  5  :  27-29  ;  and  see  note  on  Matt.  9 :  9).      He  WaS  a 

publican,  i.  e.  tax-gatherer  and  the  son  of  Alphae- 
us  (Mark  2 :  u) ;  but  Whether  of  the  same  Alphaeus 
mentioned  m  this  history  as  the  father  of  James 
the  less  is  uncertain  ;  most  scholars  think  not. 
The  name  Alphaeus  is  a  common  one  in  Jewish 
records,  and  if  Matthew  were  a  brother  of  James, 
the  two  would  probably  have  been  mentioned  to- 
gether, as  are  Simon  Peter  and  his  brother  An- 
drew and  James  and  his  brother  John.  Of  his 
life,  subsequent  to  his  call,  the  N.  T.  gives  no 
information,  except  that  his  Gospel  indicates 
that  he  accompanied  Christ  to  the  last.  No  re- 
liance can  be  placed  on  the  traditions  respecting 
his  later  history. 

James,  the  son  of  Alph^tjs.  His  father's 
name  is  given  by  John  as  Cleophas  or  Cleopas,  a  dif- 
ferent form  of  the  same  word  ;  his  mother's  name 
was  Mary  (Mark  15 :  40),  assuming,  as  I  do  from  rea- 
sons which  will  appear  elsewhere  (see  note  on  Brethren 

of  our  Lord  on  Matt.  13 :  60),  that  there  are  three  persons 
of  the  name  of  James  mentioned  in  the  N.  T., 
James  the  brother  of  John,  James  the  son  of 
Alphseus,  and  James  the  Lord's  brother,  and 
that  the  latter  was  the  author  of  the  Epistle  Gen- 
eral of  James,  nothing  more  is  known  concerning 
this  James,  who  is  generally  in  Biblical  literature 
distinguished  from  James  the  brother  of  John 
by  being  entitled  James  the  less. 

Lebb^us  (the  meaning  is  uncertain).  In 
Mark  3  :  18  he  is  called  Thaddaeus,  and  it  is  prob- 
able that  the  addition  here  of  the  words,  "whose 
surname  was  Thaddaeus,"  has  been  added  by 
some  copyist  to  harmonize  the  two  accounts.  In 
the  lists  given  in  Luke  6  :  14,  etc.,  and  Acts  1  :  13, 
neither  Lebbseus  nor  Thaddajus  appears,  but  in 
their  place  the  name  of  Judas  of  James,  which 
our  translators  interpret  Judas  the  brother  of 
James.  This  is,  however,  merely  their  interpre- 
tation, the  word  brotTier  being  added  by  them  ;  the 
better  opinion  appears  to  be  that  the  proper  in- 
terpretation would  be  non  of  James.  This  Jude 
or  Judas,  also  called  Lebbseus  and  Thaddaeus,  is 
by  many  critics  regarded  as  identical  with  the 
Judas  mentioned  in  Matthew  13  ;  55,  and  as  the 


150 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XL 


2  Now«  when  John  had  heard  in  the  prison   the 
works  of  Christ,  he  sent  two  of  his  disciples, 


3  And  said  unto  him,  Art  thou  he  that  should  come, 
or  do  we  look  for  another  ? 


Luke  7  ;  18,  etc. 


writer  of  the  epistle  of  Jude.  WhUe  the  ques- 
tion, like  that  of  the  possible  identity  of  James 
the  less  with  James  the  Lord's  brother  is  beset 
with  diflaculties,  I  think  the  better  opinion  is  that 
which  considers  that  there  were  two  persons  of 
the  name  of  Jude  or  Judas,  one  the  apostle  who 
is  mentioned  only  in  the  lists  of  the  twelve  and 
is  identical  with  Lebbseus  or  Thaddaeus,  the  other 
Jude  the  brother  of  James  the  Lord's  brother, 
and  so  the  brother  of  our  Lord  (Matt.  13:E5;  jude, 
verse  i),  and  the  author  of  the  Epistle  which  bears 
his  name.  See  Introduction  and  notes  to  that 
epistle. 

Simon  {that  obeys)  the  Canaanite,  In  Luke 
and  Acts  he  is  called  Simon  Zelotes,  i.  e.  Simon  the 
Zealot.    He  is  not  to  be  confounded  with  Simeon 

the  brother  of  Jesus  (Matt.  13  :  55,  and  note  there).      The 

Zealots  were  a  faction  of  the  Jews  who  were 
conspicuous  for  their  fierce  advocacy  of  the  Mo- 
saic ritual ;  their  fanatical  violence  was  one  of  the 
principal  causes  which  led  to  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem.  Nothing  is  known  of  his  life  and 
character. 

Judas  Iscaetot.  The  derivation  of  this  name 
is  uncertain ;  it  is  probably  Of  Kerioth,  a  town  of 
Judea  (josh.  16 ;  25).  In  that  case  Judas  Iscariot 
was  the  only  Judean  among  the  twelve,  and  this 
fact  would  afford  a  key  to  his  enigmatical  char- 
acter and  career.  His  father's  name  was  Simon 
(John  6 :  71).  He  followed  Christ  with  the  other 
disciples,  received  from  him  a  commission  to 
preach  the  Gospel,  and  apparently  preached  it 
endowed  with  the  same  power  to  "  heal  all  manner 
of  sickness  and  all  manner  of  disease,"  was  en- 
trusted with  the  funds  of  the  little  band,  and  ad- 
hered to  Christ  and  his  cause  until  the  unmis- 
takable declaration  of  Jesus  respecting  his  death, 
when  he  deserted  and  betrayed  him.  For  a  con- 
sideration of  his  enigmatical  character  and  career 
see  Abbott's  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  chap.  29,  and 
notes  hereafter,  especially  on  chap.  27  :  3-10. 

Ch.  11  :  2-19.  JOHN'S  EMBASSY  AND  JESUS'  DIS- 
COURSE ON  JOHN.  Quiet  brings  temptation  to  un- 
QOTET  SOULS.— The  perplexity  of  the  disciplb  to 
WHOM  Christ  is  not  cleaklt  revealed:  "Do  we 

LOOK  FOR  ANOTHER  f  " — THE  EVIDENCE  OP  CHRISTIAN- 
ITY, BOTH  IN  THE  SOUL  AND  IN  THE  WORLD  :   A  WORK  OP 

Divine  power,  of  Dftine  HEALwa,  of  Divine  love. 
—The  best  evidence  is  a  present  evidence  ;  what 

WE  DO  NOW  HEAR  AND  SEE. — ChRIST  18  BOTH  A  STUM- 
BLING-STONE AND  THE  STONE  OF   THE  CORNER  (verSB  6  ; 

Matt.  21 :  42,  44).— John  the  Baptist  a  true  preach- 
BK ;  neither  shaken  by  adversity,  NOR  seduced  by 
prosperity.— The  glory  of  John  the  Baptist,  the 

ttLORY    op    the    true    PREACHER:    A  HERALD  OF  THE 


Lord.— The  greatest  ra  the  O.  T.  dispensation  is 

LESS  privileged  THAN  THE  LEAST   IN   THE    NEW.— ThB 

Kingdom  op  Heaven  is  worthy  op  our  enthusiasm. 
— The  fulfillment  of  prophecy  is  in  unexpected 
ways;  the  Jews  looked  for  Elijah  and  behold 
John   the  Baptist. — The    unwilling  can  always 

FIND  AN  excuse  FOR  REJECTING  BOTH  THE  WARNINGS 
AND  THE  INVITATIONS  OF  THE  GoSPEL. — THERE  ARE 
MANY  MESSENGERS,  YET  BUT  ONE  MESSAGE ;  MANY 
INVITATIONS,  YET  BUT  ONE  DlVINB  LoRD. 

Of  this  embassy  of  John  the  Baptist  to  Jesus 
(vs.  2-6),  and  the  subsequent  discourse  concerning 
him  (vs.  7-19),  there  is  also  an  account  in  Luke 
(t  :  18-35).  It  occurred  apparently  immediately 
after  the  resurrection  of  the  son  of  the  widow  of 
Nain  (Luke  7 :  ii-u) ;  and  probably  prior  to  the  com- 
mission of  the  twelve  ;  for  Herod  beheaded  John 
while  the  disciples  of  Christ  were  absent  on  their 

mission  (Mark  6  ;  30 ;  Matt.  U  :  13). 

3.  When  John  (Baptist)  had  heard  in 
the  prison.  For  an  account  of  Ms  imprison- 
ment, see  Mark  6  :  17-20.  For  brief  history  of 
his  life,  see  notes  on  Matt.  14  : 1-12.  The  prison 
was  the  castle  of  Machaerus,  east  of  the  Dead 
Sea.  Next  to  Jerusalem  it  was  the  strongest  for- 
tress of  the  Jews.  "It  is,  as  it  were,  ditched 
about  with  such  valleys  on  all  sides,  and  to  such 
a  depth  that  the  eye  cannot  reach  their  bottoms." 
— (Josephus''  Wars  of  Jews,  7,  §§  1,  2.)  Its  ruins  still 
exist.  The  citadel,  an  isolated  and  almost  im- 
pregnable work,  small,  circular,  and  exactly  one 
hundred  yards  in  diameter,  was  placed  on  a  sum- 
mit overlooking  the  city.  The  wall  can  be  clear- 
ly traced.  There  are  also  remains  of  two  dun- 
geons ;  the  holes  where  staples  of  wood  and  iron 
had  once  been  fixed  are  clearly  visible.  See  de- 
scription of  the  ruins  in  Tristram's  Land  of  Moab. 
John,  in  this  prison,  heard  of  the  works  of  Jesus 
through  his  own  disciples  (Luke  i  -.  is).  Tristram 
supposes  that  John  was  confined  in  one  of  the 
above  dungeons.  But  it  is  not  probable  that  at 
this  time  his  imprisonment  was  very  close,  for 
his  disciples  had  access  to  him  ;  and  Herod,  who 
was  educated  in  the  Jewish  religion,  stood  in  awe 
of  John  as  a  prophet  whom  the  people  revered 

(Matt.  14  :  s). 

The  works  of  Christ.  Primarily  of  course, 
and  chiefly,  the  miracles  which  Christ  had 
wrought ;  but  the  phrase  may  also  here  include 
those  features  in  Christ's  ministry  which  per- 
plexed the  disciples  of  John  the  Baptist,  such  as 
Christ's  not  keeping  any  fasts  (Mark  2:  is).  It  is 
observable  that  it  is  said  John  had  heard  of  the 
works  of  Christ,  i.  e.  the  Messiah,  not  the  works 
of  Jesus.    It  is  the  only  place  in  Matthew  where 


Ch.  XI.] 


MATTHEW. 


151 


4  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  them,  Go  and  shew 
John  again  those  things  which  ye  do  hear  and  see  : 

5  The  blind  receive  their  sight,  and  the  lame   walk, 
the  lepers  are  cleansed,  and  the  deaf  hear,  the  dead  are 


raised  up,  and  the  poor  have  the  gospel  preached  to 
them. 

6  And  blessed  is  he^  whosoever  shall  not  be  offended'' 
in  me. 


d  Isa.  8  :  14,  16  ;  1  Cor.  1  :  22,  23;  1  Pet.  2  :  8. 


the  name  Christ  stands  by  itself  in  lieu  of  Jesus 
or  Jesus  Christ,  and  it  indicates  that  John  recog- 
nized in  those  works  an  evidence  of  the  Messiah- 
ship  of  our  Lord,  even  though  he  shared  with 
the  disciples  their  perplexity  at  Christ's  course. 
See  note  below.  Two  of  his  disciples.  Some 
manuscripts  have  here  hy  his  disciples.  The  dif- 
ference is  important  only  in  its  bearing  on  the 
question  whether  John  sent  to  satisfy  his  own 
doubts  or  theirs.  Luke  says  that  he  sent  two, 
so  that  there  is  no  question  as  to  the  fact. 

3.  And  said  unto  him.  Observe  that 
both  here  and  in  Luke  (t  :  20),  the  message  is 
represented  as  that  of  John  the  Baptist,  not  as 
that  of  his  disciples.  Art  thou  he  that 
should  come  ?  Literally,  The  coming  one 
(Greek  o  in-/<>utvo;).  The  phrase  is  an  unmistak- 
able reference  to  the  Messiah,  as  to  the  one  whom 
the  prophets  had  foretold,  and  for  whom  the 
Jews  looked.  The  same  Greek  word  is  used  in  the 
Septuagint  in  Psalm  118  :  26,  and  a  different  form 
of  the  same  verb  in  Zech.  9  :  9.  Compare  Matt. 
10  :  23  and  note.  The  question  then  is  this  :  Art 
thou  the  Messiah  long  prophesied,  for  whom  we 
have  looked,  or  are  we  still  to  look  for  the  ful- 
filling of  those  prophecies  in  the  coming  of  an- 
other V  This  is  the  common  question  of  all  dis- 
pirited and  discouraged  Christians.  Has  the  Lord 
Jesus  really  come  to  me,  or  am  I  to  look  for 
some  other  experience  of  his  coming  ?  And  the 
answer  is  always  that  which  the  Lord  makes  here 
(verse  4).  If  your  cyes  see  the  truth  more  clearly, 
your  limbs  are  stronger  to  run  the  Christian 
race,  your  disease  of  sin  is  even  partly  purged 
away,  and  you  have  begun  to  walk  in  newness  of 
life,  do  not  be  disheartened  because  the  kingdom 
of  God  comes  without  observation,  nor  look  for 
another  and  more  marvelous  coming.  In  the  soul, 
as  in  the  world,  God's  work  of  love  is  best 
demonstrated  by  t^e  fruits  of  love. 

4.  Jesus  answered  and  said.  Luke  says 
(7 :  21),  "In  the  same  hour  he  cured  many  of 
their  infirmities  and  plagues,  and  of  evil  spirits  ; 
and  unto  many  that  were  blind  he  gave  sight." 
Go  and  shew  John  again.  The  word  again 
is  not  in  the  original.  It  is  one  of  the  Illustra- 
tions of  the  need  of  a  new  translation  of  the  Bible 
that  the  Greek  here  and  in  Luke  is  precisely  the 
same  (noQiv^irrf:!  unayYiUXuti),  but  the  English 
is  quite  different.  In  Luke  the  rendering  is 
*'  Oo  your  way  and  telV  Observe,  they  were  to 
shew  John,  an  indication  that  the  doubt,  which 
led  to  the  question,  was  truly  his.  "Those 
things  which   ye  do  hear  and  see."    Ob- 


serve that  the  truths  heard,  as  well  as  the  mira- 
cles seen,  are  included  among  the  evidences  of 
Christ's  divine  character  and  mission.  For  by 
this  phrase  what  ye  do  hear,  we  are  not  to  under- 
stand that  they  were  to  report  rumors  of  mira- 
cles heard  of  by  them  ;  such  rumors  John  had 
already  heard.  They  were  to  carry  the  testi- 
mony of  their  own  observation. 

5.  The  blind  receive  their  sight.  "As 
the  article  is  wanting  in  each  of  these  clauses, 
the  sense  would  be  better  perceived  by  the  Eng- 
lish reader  thus,  though  scarcely  tuneful  enough : 
'  Blind  persons  are  seeing,  lame  people  are  walk- 
ing, le^jrous  persons  are  getting  cleansed,  deaf 
people  are  hearing,  dead  persons  are  being 
raised." — {Dr.  Brown.)  The  reference  to  the 
0.  T.  prophecies  respecting  the  Messiah  is  un- 
mistakable ;  see  in  particular  Isaiah  35  :  5  ;  61  : 
1-3,  and  the  application  of  the  latter  passage  by 
Christ  to  himself  in  Luke  4  :  16-21.  This  is  the 
principal,  if  not  the  only  place  in  the  N.  T.,  in 
which  Jesus  Christ  employs  the  argument  from 
miracles  directly  in  support  of  his  mission ;  and 
it  is  to  be  noticed  that  he  refers  to  them,  not  to 
convince  an  opponent,  but  to  strengthen  the  fal- 
tering faith  of  a  friend.  In  John  .5  :  36  and  10  :  38 
the  appeal  is  not  merely  to  his  miracles  (aijuffor) 
but  to  works  (iy/'Ji),  which  includes  much  more. 
The  argument  is  as  potent  now  as  it  was  in  the 
time  of  Christ ;  viz.,  the  healing  and  evangel- 
izing power  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  not  as  it  is 
reported  to  us  from  the  past,  but  as  we  do  hear 
and  see  its  beneficent  effects  now. 

The  poor  receive  good  news.  (Greek 
ivuyytli^o\iaC).  Our  English  version  gives  the 
true  sense,  but  not  as  John  would  have  appre- 
hended it ;  for  the  Gospel,  in  the  modem  sense, 
dates  from  the  death  of  Christ.  Observe  that  it 
is  characteristic  of  every  revival  of  the  Chris- 
tian religion  that  it  proclaims  the  Gospel  without 
money  and  without  price,  and  therefore  makes 
the  poor  full  participants  m  its  privileges.  But 
the  language  here  also  embraces  the  poor  in 
heart-life,  all  who  suffer  heart-hunger,  the  meek, 
the  broken-hearted,  the  captives,  the  bound  of 
Isaiah  61  : 1. 

6.  Shall  not  be  offended  in  me.  Shall 
not  be  caused  to  stumble  in  me.  Compare  Mark 
14  :  27.  See  note  on  Matt.  .5  :  29.  Christ  is  a 
stumbling-stone,  a  rock  of  offence,  to  many,  as 
he  was  to  John  the  Baptist  (Rom.  9 :  33 :  1  Cor.  1 :  23), 
because  his  character  and  mission  are  lowly,  and 
because  he  does  not  immediately  accomplish  the 
redemption  of  the  world,  or  of  the  individual 


152 


Boul.  That  he  should  be  such  a  stumbling-block 
was  prophesied  by  Jeremiah  (o :  21).  John  (sec  note 
below)  shared  the  general  expectation  of  an  im- 
mediate and  temporal  reformation  to  be  wrought 
by  the  Messiah.  Christ's  reply  is  well  para- 
phrased by  Andrews:  "Blessed  is  he  who  shall 
understand  the  work  I  now  do,  and  not  stumble 
at  it." 

John's  embassy  to  Jesus.  This  embassy  has 
given  rise  to  some  perplexity,  and  there  are  two 
principal  interpretations  of  it.  One  supposes 
that  John  himself  was  in  no  doubt  respecting 
Christ's  Messianic  character,  but  that  his  disci- 
ples were,  and  that  he  sent  them  to  Jesus  for 
the  purpose  of  solving  their  doubts,  selecting  for 
that  purpose  two  whose  testimony  would  be 
conclusive  to  the  others.  In  support  of  this 
opinion,  it  is  argued  that  John  the  Baptist  had 
repeatedly  borne  testimony  to  Christ's  character 
as  the  divine  Son  and  Lamb  of  God  (Matt.  3 :  n,  u ; 
John  1 :  27, 29, 33, 34 ;  3 :  3o) ;  that  Christ,  in  his  subse- 
quent discourse,  expressly  repudiated  the  idea 
that  John  was  one  easily  shaken  by  stress  of 
trial  (verse  7) ;  that  he  utters  no  word  of  rebuke, 
but  much  strong  commendation  ;  and  that  while 
there  are  no  other  indications  of  a  faltering  faith 
in  John,  there  are  many  that  the  disciples  of 
John  were  skeptical  respecting  Jesus,  and  jeal- 
ous of  his  growing  fame  and  influence  (Matt.  9 :  u; 
John  3 :  25,  26).  This  view  was  generally  entertained 
by  the  early  fathers,  who  seem  to  have  adopted 
it  to  exculpate  the  Baptist.  Wordsworth,  who 
reflects  their  opinions  throughout  his  commen- 
tary, even  declares  of  this  embassy  that  "it  was 
the  crowning  act  of  St.  John's  ministry."  "He 
thus  guarded  against  a  schism  between  his  own 
disciples  and  those  of  Jesus  ;  he  bequeathed  his 
disciples  to  Christ ;  he  had  prepared  the  way  for 
Christ  in  the  desert,  he  now  prepared  it  in  the 
prison."  But  this  opinion  rests  wholly  upon  con- 
jecture. The  other  opinion  is  that  John  was 
himself  in  perplexity,  and  sent  his  disciples  to 
solve  both  his  own  and  their  doubts.  This  opin- 
ion accords  best  with  the  natural  meaning  of  the 
narrative.  The  message  came  from  John ;  the 
answer  is  sent  to  him,  not  to  them,  "Go  and 
Bhew  John ;  "  the  message  closes  with  a  benedic- 
tion, which  indicates  that  John  was  in  danger  of 
stumbling  at  the  course  of  Jesus ;  and  the  dis- 
course which  follows  is  on  the  character  of  John, 
and  gives  no  indication  that  the  question  was  not 
truly  his  own.  This  view  is  entertained  by  nearly 
all  modern  commentators,  and  requires  no  con- 
jectural addition  to  the  narrative  to  support  it. 
Various  attempts  have  been  made  to  explain  the 
cause  andnature  of  John's  doubts ;  e.g.,  DeWette, 
Lange,  and  Dr.  Schaff  think  the  doubt  was  not 
respecting  our  Lord's  mission,  but  his  way  of 
manifesting  it;  Olshausen  attributes  it  to  the 
discouraging  effects  produced  by  imprisonment 


MATTHEW.  [Ch.  XL 

on  John's  mind ;  Lightfoot,  and,  apparently.  Dr. 
Brown,  to  his  dissatisfaction  at  not  being  liber- 
ated from  prison ;  Matthew  Henry,  to  the  neg- 
lect of  Jesus  to  visit  him  there  ;  Alford,  and  sim- 
ilarly Neander,  to  impatience  at  the  slow  and  \in- 
ostentatious  course  of  our  Lord's  self-manifesta- 
tion, and  a  desire  to  impel  Jesus  to  a  public  ac- 
knowledgment of  his  own  character  and  mis- 
sion; still  others,  referred  to  by  Alford,  to  a 
doubt  whether  the  one  of  whose  miracles  rumors 
reached  him  in  prison  was  really  the  Jesus  whom 
he  baptized,  and  to  whom  he  testified.  All  this 
is  but  matter  of  conjecture  ;  the  sacred  narrative 
is  silent  as  to  the  Baptist's  motives,  and  leaves 
us  only  in  possession  of  the  fact.  Observe,  how- 
ever, that  his  doubt  is  not  distrust,  for  he  sends 
to  Jesus  for  its  solution;  that  Jesus  carefuUy 
guards  the  people  against  the  supposition  that 
the  temporary  doubt  really  shakes  his  reUgious 
faith  and  character  (verse  7) ;  that  similar  experi- 
ences of  perplexity  at  the  course  of  God's  provi- 
dential dealings  are  recorded  of  Moses  (Eiod.  17 : 4), 
Elijah  (1  Kings  19 :  lo),  David  (Ps.  10 :  1),  Jeremiah 
(jer.  12:1,2;  Lam.,  ch.  3),  and  the  uhknown  author 
of  Psalm  77,  written  during  the  Babylonian 
captivity;  that  it  is  not  unnatural  to  suppose 
that  John  the  Baptist  shared  the  universal  ex- 
pectation among  the  Jews  and  Christ's  own  dis- 
ciples of  the  temporal  reign  of  the  Messiah,  and 
may,  therefore,  have  been  perplexed  by  the  fact 
that  there  was  no  sign  of  the  establishment  of 
the  kingdom  of  God  in  the  nation  ;  that  experi- 
ence of  doubts  are  a  peculiar  temptation  of  ac- 
tive natures  in  times  of  enforced  inactivity ;  and 
finally  that  the  result  of  this  embassy  was  prob- 
ably to  solve  his  doubts,  certainly  to  put  an  end 
to  the  doubts  and  jealousies  of  his  disciples. 
"  The  happy  result  of  this  mission  is  Intimated 
in  those  touching  words,  '  His  disciples  took  up 
the  body  of  John  and  buried  it,  and  came  and 
told  Jesus,''  Matt.  lA^-.Vi.'"— {Wordsworth.)  Ob- 
serve, too,  that  Christ  makes  no  direct  answer, 
affords  to  John  the  Baptist  no  peculiar  assurance 
or  evidence,  but  leaves  his  faith  to  rest  on  the 
common  evidence  on  which  the  faith  of  all  the 
disciples  is  built.  The  moral  of  the  incident 
thus  interpreted  is  plain,  viz.  :  that  the  strongest 
disciple  is  liable  to  incursions  of  unbelief ;  that 
the  true  solver  of  doubts,  in  such  times,  is  Jesus 
himself ;  that  he  solves  them  by  pointing  us  to 
those  evidences  of  Christianity  which  are  open 
to  all — the  beneficent  works  of  this  Gospel ;  and 
that  the  argument  from  miracles  is  valid  rather 
to  sustain  the  faltering  faith  of  the  disciple  than 
to  compel  the  reluctant  assent  of  a  willing  skep- 
tic. Compare  effect  of  miracles  on  Pharisees, 
Matt.  12  :  14,  24. 

7-19.  DiscouKSE  ON  John  the  Baptist. 
This  discourse  evidently  followed  directly  the 
departure  of  the  disciples  of  John.     Whether 


Ch.  XL] 


MATTHEW. 


153 


7  And,  as  they  departed,  Jesus  began  to  say  unto 
the  multitudes  concerning  John,  What  went'  ye  out 
into  the  wilderness  to  see  ?  A  reed  shaken  with  the 
wind  ?f 

8  But  what  went  ye  out  for  to  see  ?  A  man  clothed 
in  soft  raiment  ?  behold,  they  that  wear  solt  clothing 
are  in  kings'  houses. 


9  But  what  went  ye  out  for  to  see  ?  A  prophet  ?  yea, 
I  say  unto  you,  and  more  than  a  prophet. 

10  For  this  is  he  of  whom  it  is^  written.  Behold,  I 
send  my  messenger  before  thy  face,  which  shall  pre- 
pare thy  way  before  thee. 

11  Verily  I  say  xmto  you.  Among"  them  that  are 
bom  of  women  there  hath  not  risen  a  greater  than 


Luke  7  :  24,  30 f  Eph.  4  :  14 ;  James  1  :  6. . .  .g  Isa.  40  :  3 ;  MiU.  3:1;  Lake  1  :  76. 


the  subsequent  portion  of  this  chapter  is  a  part 
of  the  same  discourse  is  uncertain.  See  prelimi- 
nary note  verses  20-2-4,  below,  Luke  (? :  29,  so)  adds 
an  account  of  the  effect  this  discourse  produced. 
7.  As  they  departed.  Christ  utters  no 
word  of  commendation  of  John  while  the  disci- 
ples are  present.  "  He  would  not  flatter  John, 
nor  have  his  praises  reported  to  him.  *  *  * 
Pride  is  a  corrupt  humor,  which  we  must  not 
feed  either  in  others  or  in  ourselves." — {2IaWiew 
Henry.)  What  he  has  before  said  is  in  reply  to 
the  question  of  John,  and  is  addressed  to  John's 
disciples ;  what  he  now  says  is  in  reply  to  the 
thoughts  of  the  people,  lest  they  shall  misinter- 
pret and  misjudge  the  Baptist.  But,  as  often  in 
his  sayings,  the  occasion  becomes  a  text  for  spir- 
itual instruction  respecting  his  kingdom.  He 
begins  with  John  the  Baptist ;  he  ends  with  the 
privileges  of  the  least  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 
What  went  ye  out  into  the  wilderness  to 
see  ?  The  reference  is  to  the  earlier  ministry  of 
John  the  Baptist,  when  it  is  said  of  him  that 
Jerusalem  and  all  Judea,  and  all  the  region 
round  about  Jordan,  went  out  to  him  (iiatt.  3 : 5). 
To  see.  Rather,  to  gaze  upon.  The  original 
verb  here  is  not  the  same  as  in  the  succeeding 
verse.  A  reed  shaken  with  the  wind  ?  The 
word  reed  is  a  general  one,  standing,  as  with  us, 
for  a  variety  of  plants  of  a  similar  character. 
The  Jordan  abounded  with  these  reed-like  plants. 
In  Scripture,  the  reed  is  an  emblem  of  weakness 

(2  Kings  18  :  21  ;    Isaiah   42  :  s).       The    COntrast    SUrcly    iS 

not,  as  Alford  interprets  it,  between  a  reed,  or 
the  banks  of  the  Jordan  with  its  reeds,  and  a 
man  ;  the  former  is  employed  as  a  symbol  of  a 
weak  and  wavering  character,  easily  bending  be- 
fore the  storm  of  adversity.  Because  John  has 
sent  this  message,  the  people  are  not  to  imagine 
that  he  is  yielding  to  fear  and  persecution.  John 
is  "not  a  reed  planted  in  the  morass  of  a  weak 
and  watery  faith,  and  quivering  in  the  wind  of 
doubt.  Not  a  reed — but  a  rock." — {Wordsworth.) 
The  question  requires  no  answer  ;  Christ  gives  it 
none. 

8.  A  man  clothed  in  soft  raiment  ?  Con- 
trast his  real  raiment  (Matt.  3 : 4).  Chrysostom 
gives  the  connection:  "He  was  not  himself  a 
waverer.  *  *  *  Much  less  can  any  one  say 
this,  that  he  was  indeed  firm,  but  having  made 
himself  a  slave  to  luxury,  he  afterwards  became 
languid."     Behold    they   that   wear    soft 


clothing.  Luke  interprets  and  at  the  same  time 
adds  to  this  declaration  :  '■'■Behold  thexj  which  are 
gorgeoudy  apjiaralled  and  live  delicately.'"''  "Had 
he  been  minded  to  wear  soft  raiment  he  would 
not  have  lived  in  the  wilderness,  nor  in  prison, 
but  in  the  king's  courts ;  it  being  in  his  power, 
merely  by  keeping  sUence,  to  have  enjoyed  honor 
without  limit. ' ' — (  Chrysostom. ) 

9.  A  prophet  ?  All  the  people  regarded 
John  as  a  prophet  (Matt.  21 :  26).  Jesus  thus  ap- 
pealed to  their  public  recognition  of  his  charac- 
ter. Observe  how  our  Lord  begins  by  strength- 
ening and  clarifying  their  appreciation  of  John 
as  a  prophet,  and  so  establishing  sympathy  be- 
tween himself  and  them,  as  a  preliminary  to  lead- 
ing them  on  to  higher  matters.  The  underlymg 
thought  is  this :  Te  were  attracted,  not  by  an 
ardent,  impulsive  orator,  easily  swayed  from  his 
purpose  by  adversity,  nor  by  any  glitter  of  ex- 
ternal show,  but  by  the  moral  qualities  of  a  reli- 
gious and  inspired  teacher.  More  than  a 
prophet.  More — because  himself  the  object  of 
prophecy ;  because  the  last  in  the  succession  of 
the  prophets  and  the  clearest  in  his  prophecies 
of  the  coming  King  ;  because  he  pointed  out  the 
Messiah  whom  others  only  foretold,  and  saw  Him 
whom  kings  and  prophets  desired  to  see,  but 
died  without  the  sight  (Matt.  13 :  n) ;  and  chiefest 
of  aU  because  he  was  a  forerunner  as  well  as  a 
prophet,  and,  as  a  herald,  went  before  the  Lord, 
preparing  his  way.  For  it  was  characteristically 
his  office,  not  merely  to  foretell  the  coming  of 
the  Lord,  but  to  bring  about  among  the  people 
a  state  of  heart  and  mind  which  should  make 
them  ready  to  receive  the  Lord  (Luke  3 : 4 ;  7 :  29). 
See  next  verse,  which  gives  the  reason  for  the 
declaration  in  this. 

10.  For.  Equivalent  here  to  because,  and 
introduces  the  ground  of  the  preceding  assertion. 
This  is  he  of  whom  it  is  written.  The 
reference  is  to  Malachi  3  : 1.  Alford  notes  the 
change  from  the  first  to  the  second  person ;  in 
Malachi  it  is  "<^  way  before  me;"  here  "<% 
way  before  tJiee;"  and  this  change  is  preserved 
by  all  the  Evangelists  in  their  citations  (Mark  1 : 2 ; 
Luke  7 :  27).  That  Christ  thus  changes  the  lan- 
guage, "making  that  which  is  said  by  Jehovah 
of  himself  to  be  addressed  to  the  Messiah,  is,  if 

such  were  needed  (compare  also  Luke  1  :  16,  17,  and  76),  nO 

mean  indication  of  his  own  eternal  and  coequal 
Godhead."     Alford's   deduction   is   also   note- 


154 


MATTHEW. 


[Oh.  XI. 


John  the  Baptist :  notwithstanding,  he'  that  is  least  in 
the  Icingdom  of  heaven  is  jgreater  tlian  he. 

12  And  from  the  days  of  John  the  Baptist  until  now 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  suffereth  violence,  and  the 
violent  talce^  it  by  force. 


13  For  all  the  prophets  and  the  law  prophesied  until 
John. 

14  And  if  ye  will  receive  it,  this  is  Elias,  which*  was 
for  to  come. 

15  He'  that  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear. 


I  John  1  :  15,  27 ;  3  :  30 j  Luke  16  :  16  j  Eph.  6  : 


.k  ch.  17  :  1-2  ;  Mai.  4:5. 


worthy:  "Ii  John  was  thus  great  above  all 
others,  because  he  was  the  forerunner  of  Christ, 
how  above  all  prophets  and  holy  men  of  old  must 
Christ  himself  be."  Behold  I  send  my  mes- 
senger. Observe  that  John  attributes  to  him- 
self the  humbler  prophecy  which  designates  him 
as  "the  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness  " 
(John  1:23),  while  Christ  designates  him  as  "my 
messenger."  The  contrast  illustrates  Luke 
14  :  11.  Prepare  thy  way  before  thee.  See 
note  on  Matt.  3  :  3. 

11.  There  hath  not  risen  a  greater  than 
John  the  Baptist ;  notwithstanding,  he 
that  is  least  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
is  greater  than  he.  This  is  the  climax  in  the 
ascending  scale,  for  which  the  preceding  verses 
have  been  a  preparation.  John  the  Baptist  is 
more  than  a  mere  impetuous  orator,  fickle- 
minded  and  easily  swayed  by  storm,  more  than  a 
king  gorgeously  appareled,  more  than  a  prophet, 
yea,  greatest  of  men,  yet  the  least  in  my  kingdom 
is  greater  than  he.  The  object  of  the  whole  dis- 
course is  to  lead  up  the  mind  to  an  appreciation 
of  the  greatness  of  this  kingdom  and  those  who 
are  in  it.  On  the  meaning  of  the  phrase  king- 
dom of  heaven,  see  Matt.  3  : 2.  Observe, 
that  there  John  is  represented  as  preaching,  not 
in  the  kingdom,  but  as  a  herald  who  precedes  it. 
Here,  as  there,  the  phrase  points  to  the  advent  of 
the  Messiah  as  King  and  Lord,  and  the  inaugu- 
ration of  Christ's  kingdom  by  his  crucifixion. 

What  is  meant  by  ^^  least  in  the  kingdom  of 
heaven?''''  Chrysostom  and  many  of  the  fathers 
understand  Christ  himself.  "Less  in  age  and 
according  to  the  opinion  of  the  multitude,"  says 
Chrysostom,  referring  to  verse  19,  and  to  chap- 
ter 13  :  5.5.  Wordsworth  revives  this  opinion, 
which  is  now  generally  abandoned,  which  cer- 
tainly the  plain  reader  would  never  attach  to 
the  words,  and  wliich  is  indefensible,  because, 
(a,)  Christ  is  never  spoken  of  in  the  N.  T.  as  in 
the  kingdom  of  heaven,  but  rather  as  its  Lord 
and  King;  (6,)  the  words  "little"  and  "least" 
(Gr.  uixQoc,  uiy.ooTioog)  applied  to  the  kingdom 
of  heaven  have  a  well-defined  meaning  in  N.  T. 
usage = to  humble  in  position,  authority  and  in- 
fluence (Matt.  10  :  42 ;  18  :  6,  10,  14 ;  Mark  9  :  42 ;  Luke  9  :  48  ; 
n  :  2  ;  compare  Matt.  13  :  32,  and  Acts  8  :  lo)  ;    it    iS    Only    in 

Mark  15  :  40,  "James  the  Less,"  that  the  word 
bears  the  meaning  of  younger.  The  key  to  the 
interpretation  is  given  by  Maldonatus,  quoted  by 
Wordsworth  and  Alford :  "The  least  of  the 
greatest  is  greater  than  the  greatest  of  the  least. " 


It  is  here  not  greater  in  personal  character,  nor 
in  eternal  condition,  but  injjresetit  privilege,  pre- 
rogative, station,  as  the  least  child  is  greater 
than  the  highest  servant.     John  was  a  servant, 

we    are    sons    of    God    (Oah  4  :  7  ;    compare  John  16  :  is). 

There  is  a  significance,  too,  in  the  language  used 
here,  "&orw.  of  women,''''  Whoever  enters  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  is  born  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
(John  3 :  s).  Alford  cmbodies  the  contrast  well. 
"John  not  inferior  to  any  that  are  born  of 
women ;  but  these,  even  the  least  of  them,  are 
born  of  another  birth.  John,  the  nearest  to  the 
King  and  kingdom,  but  never  having  himself 
entered ;  these  in  the  kingdom,  subjects  and 
citizens  and  indweUers  of  the  realm ;  He  the 
friend  of  the  Bridegroom ;  they,  however  weak 
and  unworthy,  his  Body  and  his  Spouse."  Ob- 
serve, that  Paul  calls  himself  "least  of  the  apos- 
tles" (1  Cor.  15,:  9). 

12.  And  from  the  days  of  John  the 
Baptist  until  now  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
suffereth  violence,  etc.  The  metaphor  is 
that  of  a  city  to  which  long  siege  has  been  laid, 
and  into  which  at  last  the  victorious  troops  pour 
joyfully,  seizing  on  it  as  their  prey.  The  preach- 
ing of  John  the  Baptist  inaugurated  the  new  dis- 
pensation, in  which  the  poor  had  the  Gospel 
preached  unto  them.  Crowds  thronged  to  hear 
him,  as  now  they  were  thronging  to  hear  Christ, 
eager  to  seize  hold  of  the  kingdom  which  both 
John  and  Jesus  declared  to  be  at  hand.  There 
was  no  such  eagerness  to  lay  hold  on  the  preach- 
ing of  the  Scribes  ;  this  very  contrast  was  an  evi- 
dence that  the  kingdom  of  heaven  was  at  hand, 
and  it  dated  from  the  advent  of  John,  M-ho  was 
thus  pointed  out  as  the  messenger  sent  before 
the  Lord  (verse  10),  the  Elias  that  was  for  to  come 
(verse  14).  Other  interpretations  have  been  pro- 
posed, as,  (a,)  that  the  kingdom  of  heaven  forces 
itself  on  others,  breaks  in  upon  them  with  vio- 
lence, an  interpretation  explained  by  Joel  2  : 
28-33,  and  Acts  2  :  16-21 ;  (&,)  it  is  forcibly  re- 
sisted, and  thus  suffers  violence;  e.g.,  at  the 
hand  of  the  Pharisees ;  (c, )  it  yields  only  to  a 
quasi  violence,  a  spiritual  resoluteness  and  im- 
portunity, as  implied  in  Luke  14  :  25-33.  Either 
of  these  interpretations  is  grammatically  defensi- 
ble ;  the  one  I  have  given  alone  agrees  with  the 
context,  and  is  now  generally  adopted.  Observe 
in  this  metaphor  thus  interpreted,  a  justification 
of  intense  enthusiasm  in  the  religious  Ufe.  Com- 
pare for  spiritual  interpretation  2  Cor.  7  :  11. 

13.  For  all  the  prophets  and  the    law 


Ch.  XI.] 


MATTHEW. 


155 


i6  But™  whereunto  shall  I  liken  this  generation  ?  It 
is  like  unto  children  sitting  in  the  markets,  and  calling 
unto  their  fellows. 


17  And  saying,  We  have  piped  unto  you,  and  ye 
have  not  danced  ;  we  have  mourned  unto  you,  and  ye 
have  not  lamented. 


prophesied  until  John.  That  is,  until  John 
the  whole  dispensation  was  typical  and  prophetic  ; 
he  introduced  the  new  dispensation,  that  of  ful- 
fillment ;  for, 

14.  This  is  Elijah  which  was  for  to 
come,  i.  e.  he  fulfilled  the  prophecy  of  Malachi 
4:5:  "  Behold  I  wLU  send  you  Elijah  the  proph- 
et before  the  coming  of  the  great  and  dreadful 
day  of  the  Lord."  How  he  fulfilled  it  is  ex- 
plained in  Luke  1  :  17  ;  he  came  "in  the  spirit 
and  power  of  Elijah."  That  John  the  Baptist 
fulfilled  this  prophecy  is  again,  if  possible,  more 
distinctly  stated  by  our  Lord  in  answer  to  the 
arguments  of  the  scribes  (Matt.  17 :  10-13),  "Elijah  is 
come  already.''^  The  rabbis  held  that  as  Elijah 
ascended  bodily  into  heaven,  so  he  is  destined  to 
reappear  bodUy  upon  the  earth  before  the  advent 
of  the  Messiah  ;  and  -some  Christian  scholars, 
Alford  for  example,  seem  to  hold  the  same  view, 
believing  that  the  literal  resurrection  and  re- 
appearance of  Elijah  will  precede  the  second 
coming  of  Christ.  But  our  Lord  neither  here 
nor  in  Matt.  17  :  10-13  gives  any  hint  of  this. 
T?iere  is  no  more  reason  to  regard  John  the  Baptist 
as  a  typical  fulfillment  of  the  prophecy  of  the 
coming  of  Elijah  than  there  is  to  regard  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  as  a  typical  fulfillment  of  the  propMcies 
regarding  the  3Iessiah.  Christ  thus  gives  the 
sanction  of  his  authority  to  the  spiritual  inter- 
pretation of  the  O.  T.  prophecies ;  these  are 
largely  books  of  inspired  poetry,  and  are  to  be 
read  and  interpreted  accordingly.  The  advent 
of  Christ  was  to  the  Jewish  nation  the  "great 
and  dreadful  day  of  the  Lord,"  because  it  ush- 
ered in  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  the 
dispersion  of  the  Jews.  Observe  that  the  closing 
words  of  the  O.  T.  canon  prophesy  the  advent 
of  John  the  Baptist,  and  that  in  the  opening 
chapter  of  the  N.  T.  canon  the  fulfillment  of  that 
prophecy  is  recorded.  John  the  Baptist,  when 
asked,  said  that  he  was  not  Elijah  (john  1 :  21).  It 
is  not  probable  that  he  fully  understood  his  own 
mission,  or  the  extent  to  which  he  fulfilled  the 
O.  T.  prophecy,  and  ushered  in  the  N.  T.  dis- 
pensation. The  greatest  and  best  men  rarely 
understand  their  own  mission  fully,  or  are  under- 
stood by  others,  till  after  their  death.  If  ye 
will  receive.  Not  receive  it,  as  in  our  English 
version,  i.  e.  the  statement  of  Christ,  nor  him, 
i.  e.  John  the  Baptist,  as  a  prophet,  but  receive 
simply,  i.  e.  accept  the  divine  teaching  and  in- 
fluence whencesoever  it  comes.  The  function  of 
Elijah,  as  described  by  Malachi  (4 :  e),  was  to  pro- 
duce domestic  peace  and  concord  by  the  preach- 


ing of  repentance  as  a  preparation  for  the  com- 
ing of  the  Prince  of  Peace  (compare  Malachi  3 : 1).  How 
far  John  would  fulfill  this  prophecy  depended 
on  how  far  the  people  would  receive  and  yield  to 
instructions,  which  he  gave  in  the  spirit  of  the 
prophet  Elijah. 

15.  He  that  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him 
hear.  A  phrase  frequently  used  to  point  out 
the  fact  that  there  is  a  deep  significance  in  the 
instruction  aiforded,  which  requires  thought- 
ful   hearing.       (Mark.  7  :  I6 ;    Lute  14  :  33 ;  Rev.  2  :  7,  etc.) 

Its  meaning  is  indicated  by  the  reference  in 
Matt.  13  :  13,  14  to  those  who,  having  ears,  hear 
not. 

16.  17.  This  generation  *  *  *  like  unto 
children  sitting  in  the  market.  The  mar- 
kets were  always  held  in  an  open  street  or  square, 
as  in  many  of  our  cities ;  and  these  market-places 
were  used,  not  only  for  business,  but,  like  the 
streets  and  open  squares  of  to-day,  by  children 
in  their  sports.  Piped  unto  you  *  *  * 
mourned  unto  you.  The  metaphor  is  drawn 
from  the  sports  of  children,  imitating  the  serious 
business  of  life,  here  weddings  and  funerals. 
"Among  the  Jews,  the  Greeks,  and  the  Romans 
it  was  customary  to  play  the  flute,  especially  at 
marriage  dances.  Similarly,  solemn  wailing  was 
customary  at  burials." — {Lange.)  Dancing  in 
that  age  was  radically  different  from  the  modem 
dance  ;  it  is,  however,  worthy  of  note  that  Christ 
implies  its  common  use  as  a  recreation,  and  in- 
cidentally compares  his  gospel  to  a  call  to  the 
dance,  as  it  is  elsewhere  compared  to  an  invita- 
tion to  a  feast  (Luke  14 :  16-24).  Observe,  too,  in  this 
metaphor,  one  of  the  many  indications  in  the 
N.  T.,  not  only  of  Christ's  love  for  children,  but 
also  of  his  sympathy  for  them  in  then-  chDdish 
sports  and  games.  Of  this  parable,  for  such  it 
is,  in  fact,  three  interpretations  have  been  pro- 
posed :  (a,)  that  the  children  represent  the  Jews, 
who  called  to  John  and  to  Jesus,  but  were  dis- 
satisfied with  the  mourning  of  the  one,  and  the 
joyousness  of  the  other;  (6,)  that  the  children 
and  their  fellows  represent  different  classes  of 
the  Jews,  one  part  desiring  one  thing,  and  an- 
other another,  so  that  they  could  agree  in 
nothing;  (c,)  that  the  children  represent  Jesus 
and  John,  the  one  of  whom  called  to  joyousness 
and  the  other  to  mourning,  and  both  of  whom 
were  rejected.  The  latter  is  the  older  interpre- 
tation, it  accords  best  with  the  context,  and  it  is 
that  which  the  ordinary  reader  would  at  once 
gather  from  the  passage.  The  objection  that 
Christ  says  ^Uhis  generation  is  like  unto  children 


156 


MATTHEW. 


i8  For  John  came  neither  eating  nor  drinking,  and 
they  say,  He"  hath  a  devil. 
19  The  Son  of  man  came  eating"  and  drinliing,   and 


[Ch.  XI. 


they  say,  Behold  a  man  gluttonous,  and  a  winebibber, 
a  friend  of  publicansf  and  sinners.  But  wisdomi  is 
justified  of  her  children. 


ch.  10  :  25 ;  John  7  :  20. . .  .0  ch.  9  :  10 ;  John  2  :  2. . .  .p  Luke  15  ;  2 ;  19:7.. 


P«.  92  :  6,  6 ;  Prov.  17  : 


sitting  and  calling,"  is  not  conclusive,  for  he 
similarly  says  (Matt.  13 :  24),  "  The  kingdom  of  heaven 
is  likened  unto  a  man  who  sowed  good  seed," 
while  he  afterwards  (ver.  37)  explams  that  the 
sower  is  the  Son  of  man ;  compare  similar  use  of 
language  in  Matt.  13  :  45.  The  objection  that  it 
is  undignified  or  harsh  to  understand  of  the 
children  John  the  Baptist  and  Jesus  is  even  less 
forcible,  for  Christ  elsewhere  compares  himself  to 
objects  lowlier  and  less  dignified  than  children 
playing,  e.  g.  to  a  road- way,  to  bread,  to  a  gate, 
etc.  See  also  for  Biblical  use  of  very  lowly  im- 
agery, Ezekiel  4  : 1-3 ;  5  : 1,  etc.  I  accept,  there- 
fore, the  interpretation  which  is  the  most  common 
and  natural,  though  many  of  the  ablest  com- 
mentators, Lange,  Schaff,  Olshausen,  and  Alford 
among  others,  reject  it.  John  comes  mourning 
and  warning,  but  the  nation  mourns  not ;  Jesus 
comes  rejoicing  and  caUing  to  joy,  but  the  nation 
rejoices  not. 

18.  For.  This  connects  the  following  verses 
with  the  preceding  metaphor,  and  shows  them 
to  be  an  interpretation  of  it.  John  came 
neither  eating  nor  drinking;  i.  e.,  sociably. 
He  lived  the  life  of  an  ascetic,  almost  of  an  her- 
mit (Matt.  3 : 4).  He  hath  a  devil.  This  charge 
is  nowhere  else  reported  against  John,  though  it 
is  reported  as  brought  against  Jesus  (Matt.  9 :  34 ; 

12  :  24 ;  John  7  :  20 ;  8  :  48,  62  ;  10  :  2o).      But  the  Pharisees, 

who  rejected  Jesus,  and  charged  him  with  laxity 
of  morals  in  mixing  with  siimers,  also  rejected 
John,  whose  spirit  was  the  reverse  of  that  of 
Jesus  in  this  respect  (Matt.  21:25 ;  Lute  7: 30).  Dr. 
Brown  remarks:  "When  men  want  an  excuse 
for  rejecting  or  disregarding  the  grace  of  the 
Gospel,  they  easily  find  it.  *  *  *  One  preacher 
is  too  austere  ;  another  too  free  ;  one  is  too  long  ; 
another  too  short ;  one  is  too  sentimental ;  an- 
other is  too  hard." 

19.  The  Son  of  man  came  eating  and 
drinking ;  i.  e.,  he  mingled  in  the  social  festivi- 
ties of  his  age.  There  is  no  record  in  the  N.  T. 
of  his  ever  having  declined  an  invitation.  His 
habit  m  this  respect  is  illustrated  by  his  presence 
at  the  marriage  at  Cana  of  Galilee  (john  2 : 1-11), 
the  feast  at  Matthew's  house  (Matt.  9 : 9, 10),  the 
house  of  Simon  (Luke  7  :  36),  the  dinner'  given 
him  by  the  Pharisees  (Lukeii :  37;  u:  1),  and  the 
supper  given  by  Mary  and  Martha  (John  12 :  i,  2). 
Christ's  example  justifies  a  right  enjoyment  of 
social  festivity,  and  affords  no  ground  for  asceti- 
cism. They  say.  Note  the  value  of  a  "  they 
say ;''''  i.  e.,  the  weight  that  belongs  to  mere 
common  report.    Behold  a  man  gluttonous 


and  a  wine-bibber.  Observe  that  Christ 
did  not  permit  the  fear  that  his  example  would 
be  misunderstood  and  misinterpreted  to  prevent 
his  participation  in  social  festivities,  in  which 
there  was  then,  as  there  is  now,  sometimes  ex- 
cess. It  is  not  true  that  we  are  to  avoid  all  ap- 
pearance of  evil,  as  that  language  is  ordinarily 
understood  (see  note  on  1  Thess.  5 :  22) ;  and  the  apos- 
tle's pi"inciple,  "If  meat  make  my  brother  to 
offend,  I  will  eat  no  flesh  while  the  world  stand- 
eth,"  is  to  be  qualified  by  Christ's  example.  An 
example  that  is  a  stumbling-block  to  others  some- 
times becomes  a  duty.  A  friend  of  publicans 
and  sinners.  A  sublime  truth,  though  uttered 
as  a  slanderous  lie. 

But  Avisdom  is  justified  by  her  children, 
i.  e.,  the  divine  Spirit  is  recognized  by  the  children 
of  God.  Wisdom  is  not  here  equivalent  to  Christ ; 
it  is  the  spirit  of  divine  Wisdom  which  was  mani- 
fested both  in  John  the  Baptist  and  in  Jesus  (see 
Prov.  ch.  8).    Justified  is  equivalent  to  recognized  as 

right  (compare,  for  use,  Matt.  12  :  37  ;  Luke  7  :  29 ;  10  :  29  ;  16  :  15  j 

IS :  14).  In  the  Gospels,  as  in  its  theological  use 
in  Romans,  it  signifies,  not  a  making  right,  but 
regarding  as  right,  treating  as  right.  Her  children 
are  the  children  that  are  begotten  of  the  divine 
Wisdom,  i.  e.,  the  sons  of  God  (John  i :  12, 13).  The 
true  meaning  of  the  passage  is  indicated  by 
Luke's  declaration  (Luke 7: 29):  "All  the  people 
that  heard  him  and  the  publicans  justified  God, 
being  baptized  with  the  baptism  of  John."  For 
contrast  between  the  effect  produced  by  the 
Gospel  on  the  children  of  foolishness  and  the 
children  of  wisdom,  see  1  Cor.  1 :  23,  24.  Observe 
that  the  Pharisees,  the  wise  and  mighty  and 
rich  of  Judea,  were  stumbled,  while  the  publi- 
cans and  sinners,  the  foolish  and  weak  and  base, 

justified    God  (1  Cor.  1  :  26-28 ;  compare  John  7  :  48,  49). 

Ch.  U  :  20-24.  WOES  PRONOUNCED  AGAINST  GALI- 
LEAN   CITIES.     The   object   of   Chkist's   mightt 

WORKS  :  THE  PRODUCTION  OF  REPENTANCE— ThB 
GROUND  OP  ETERNAL  CONDEMNATION  :  THE  REFUSAL  TO 
REPENT.— The  HEATHEN  CONDEMN  CHRISTENDOM.— 
The  PROSPERITY  OP  GREAT  CITIES  OFTEN  FALLACIOUS. 

—The  rasTORT  of  divine  judgments  in  the  past  an 
exemplification  of  divine  judgments  in  the  fu- 
ture.—differences  in  sin  and  in  punishment.— 
The  greater  the  grace,  the  greater  the  sin,  and 
the  greater  the  judgment. 

This  discourse  and  that  contained  in  the  fol- 
lowing part  of  the  same  chapter  (ver.  25-30),  appear 
only  in  Matthew.  But  thoughts  almost  identical 
with  those  down  to  verse  27,  appear  in  Luke 
10  ;  13-16,  21,  22,  in  connection  with  the  commis- 


Ch.  XL] 


MATTHEW. 


157 


20  Taen"'  began  he  to  upbraid  the  cities  wherein 
most  of  his  mighty  works  were  done,  because  they  re- 
pented not : 

21  Woe  unto  thee,  Chorazin  !  woe  unto  thee,  Beth- 
saida  !"  for  if  the  mighty  works  which  were  done  in 
you  had  been  done  in  Tyre  and  Sidon,  they  would 
have  repented  long  ago  in  sackcloth  and  ashes. 


22  But  I  say  unto  you,  It'  shall  be  more  tolerable 
for  Tyre  and  Sidon  at  the  day  of  judgment,  than  for 
you. 

23  And  thou,  Capernaum,  which  art"  exalted  unto 
heaven,  shalt  be  brought  down  to  hell :  for  if  the 
mighty  works  which  have  been  done  in  thee  had  been 
done  in  Sodom,  it  would  have  remained  until  this  day. 


r  Luke  10  :  13,  etc. 


Isa.  14  :  13-15 ;  Lam.  2  ; 


sion  and  the  return  of  the  Seventy.  Most  com- 
mentators regard  the  connecting  words,  "then 
he  began  to  upbraid,"  as  an  indication  that  this 
entire  chapter  is  one  discourse.  So  Alford  :  "I 
would  regard  the  'then  he  began,'  as  the  token 
of  the  report  of  an  ear  witness,  and  as  pointing 
to  a  pause  or  change  of  manner  on  the  part  of 
our  Lord."  The  original  is,  however,  certainly 
susceptible  of  a  more  general  signification.  This 
occasion  marked  a  change  in  Christ's  ministry, 
from  a  mere  proclamation  that  the  kingdom  is 
at  hand  to  a  warning  of  divine  judgments  against 
the  people  for  rejecting  it.  Observe  that  from 
this  time  onward,  these  warnings  grow  more  and 
more  terrible  to  the  close  of  his  ministry.  See 
Luke  11 :  39-54 ;  13  :  1^ ;  16  :  15,  and  their  strong- 
est and  most  terrible  expression  in  Matt.  ch.  33. 
Whether  the  same  woes  were  twice  pronounced 
in  the  cities  of  Galilee,  once  at  the  time  indicated 
here  by  Matthew,  and  again  at  the  time  indicated 
by  Luke,  or  whether  the  two  evangelists  give  in 
different  connections  reports  of  the  same  address, 
is  a  question  which  cannot  be  answered  with  any 
certainty. 

20.  The  cities  (of  Galilee),  wherein  most 
of  his  mighty  works  were  done.  The  Greek 
word  (dvvuuic)  here  translated  "mighty  works," 
is  elsewhere  translated  miracles  (Mark  9 :  39 ;  Acts 
2 :  22).  It  unquestionably  here  means  works  of  a 
miraculous  nature.  That  there  were  many  such 
miracles  unrecorded  is  testified  to  in  Luke  4  :  23 
and  John  21  :  25.  Compare  Matt.  9  :  35  ;  Mark 
1  :  34 ;  Luke  7  :  21.  Because  they  repented 
not.  The  object  of  his  miracles,  as  his  preach- 
ing, was  to  produce  repentance.  Compare  Matt. 
4  :  17.  "  He  does  not  say  because  they  believed 
not ;  for  some  kind  of  faith  [belief  ?]  many  of 
them  had,  as  that  Christ  was  a  teacher  come 
from  God  ;  but  because  they  repented  not ;  their 
faith  [belief  V]  did  not  prevail  to  the  transform- 
ing of  their  hearts  and  the  reformation  of  their 
lives." — {Matthew  Henry.) 

21.  Woe  unto  thee,  Chorazin.  Chorazin 
is  mentioned  only  here  and  in  Luke  10  :  13,  Its 
situation  is  not  with  certainty  known  ;  the  latest 
researches  identify  it  with  modern  Kerazeh,  two 
niiles  north  of  Capernaum,  modern  Tel  Hum, 
and  this  agrees  with  the  testimony  of  Jerome. 
Nothing  is  known  of  its  history.  Bethsaida. 
There  is  no  adequate  ground  for  the  hypothesis 
that  there  were  two  cities  of  this  name  in  Galilee, 


one  on  the  northern  and  one  on  the  western  shore 
of  the  lake,  an  hypothesis  invented  to  reconcile 
Luke  9  :  10  with  Mark  6  :  45.  There  are  some 
passages  in  later  writers,  referred  to  in  Smith's 
Bib.  Diet.,  which  seem  to  substantiate  this  hy- 
pothesis, but  there  is  no  relic  of  a  Bethsaida  on 
the  western  shore,  and  no  adequate  evidence  of 
such  a  tovra  to  overcome  the  inherent  improba- 
bility of  two  towns  of  the  same  name  in  such 
close  proximity.  There  was  a  weU-known  town 
of  this  name,  a  fisherman's  village  (the  name  sig- 
nifies house  offish),  on  the  north  shore,  where  the 
Jordan  enters  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  See  note  on 
Mark  6  :  45. 

Tyre  and  Sidon.  Phoenician  cities  on  the 
Mediterranean  coast  (see  map).  Sidon,  named 
from  the  son  of  Canaan  (oen.  10 :  ib),  was  one  of 
the  oldest  cities  in  the  Holy  Land.  Tyre,  an  off- 
spring of  Sidon,  became  the  chief  commercial  city 
of  Palestine,  if  not  of  all  the  East.  Joshua  did 
not  drive  out  the  aborigines  from  the  neighbor- 
ing plains  (Josh.  11 : 8,  with  Judg.  1 :  19) ;  and  David  and 
Solomon  made  treaties  with  the  kings  of  Tyre 
(2  Sam.  6 :  11 ;  1  Kings  6 : 1-12).  The  Tyriau  manufactures 
and  commerce  are  graphically  described  in  Eze- 
kiel,  ch.  27.  Carthage,  long  the  rival  of  Rome, 
was  a  Tyrian  colony.  Both  Tyre  and  Sidon  fell 
into  the  hands  of  Alexander  the  Great,  and  Phoe- 
nicia became  a  province  of  Syria.  Still ,  in  the  time 
of  Christ,  Tyre  was  the  chief  commercial  city  of 
Palestine,  and  the  largest  city,  probably,  except 
perhaps  Jerusalem.  Both  cities  are  now  com- 
paratively in  ruins.  The  harbor  of  Tyre  is  filled 
up,  the  fishermen  dry  their  nets  on  its  rocks, 
and  even  if  Palestine  should  become  a  prosperous 
nation  again,  Tyre  never  could  be  rebuilt  as  a 
commercial  city,  for  want  of  a  harbor,  a  striking 
illustration  of  the  truth  of  Ezekiel's  prophecy, 
"  Thou  shalt  be  built  no  more  "  (Ezek.  26 :  14).  The 
warnings  denounced  against  Tyre  and  Sidon  in 
Eeekiel,  chaps.  26,  27,  and  28,  rendered  these 
cities  notably  a  type  of  warning  to  the  Jews. 

In  sackcloth  and  ashes.  Sackcloth  is  a 
coarse  texture  of  a  dark  color  made  of  goats' 
hair.  It  was  worn  by  mourners  in  a  garment 
resembling  a  sack  in  shape,  with  holes  for  the 
arms.  For  illustration  of  use,  see  2  Kings  6  :  30 ; 
Job  16  :  15  ;  Isaiah  33  :  11 ;  Joel  1:8;  Jonah  3  : 5. 
Ashes  were  also  put  upon  the  head  and  face  as  a 
symbol  of  mourning.  See  2  Sam.  13  :  19 ;  Esther 
4:1;  Job  3:8;  Isaiah  58  :  5,  etc. 


158 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XI. 


24  But  I  say  unto  you,  That'  it  shall  be  more  tolera- 
ble for  the  land  of  Sodom  in  the  day  of  judgment,  than 
for  thee. 

25  At™  that  time  Jesus  answered  and  said,  I  thank 
thee,  O  Father,  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  because 


thou  hast  hid  these  things  from  the  wise  and  prudent, 
and  hast  revealed  them  unto  babes.^ 

26  Even  so,  Father :  for  so  it  seemed  good  in  thy 
sight. 

27  All  things?  are  delivered  unto  me  of  my  Father : 


..w  Luke  10  :  21,  etc 1  Ps.  8:2;  Jer.  1  :7,  8;  1  Cor.  1  :  27 ych.28:I8;  Luke  10  :  22  ;  John  3:  36;  17:  2;  1  Cor.  15  :  27. 


22.  More  tolerable.  See  note  on  Matthew 
10  :  15. 

23.  And  thou,  Capernaum,  shalt  thou 
be  exalted  unto  heaven  ?  Thou  shalt  be 
brought  down  unto  death.  There  is  some 
uncertainty  as  to  the  reading  ;  that  which  I  have 
adopted  in  this  rendering  is  that  of  the  Sinaitic 
manuscript,  and  is  adopted  by  Lachmann,  Tre- 
gelles,  Conant,  and  Alford  in  his  last  edition. 
The  word  translated  "hell"  is  not  Gehenna 
(yiiva),  the  place  of  punishment,  but  Hades 
(f/df;?),  the  place  of  the  dead.  See  note  on  Matt. 
5  :  23.  The  declaration  is  not  that  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Capernaum  shall  be  eternally  punished, 
but  that  Capernaum  itself,  which  was  the  chief 
commercial  city  of  the  Sea  of  GalUee,  should  not 
have  its  expectation  of  future  greatness  realized, 
but  should  be  obliterated.  This  prophecy  has 
been  so  literally  fulfilled  that  the  very  site  of 
Capernaum  is  a  matter  of  uncertamty.  See  note 
on  Matt.  4  :  13.  Of  course,  the  spiritual  lesson 
is  involved  in  the  symbol,  the  judgment  that  has 
fallen  on  the  place  is  typical  of  the  judgment  that 
will  fall  on  the  people,  as  on  aU  those  that  refuse 
to  repent  at  the  preaching  and  mighty  works  of 
Jesus.  Had  been  done  in  Sodom.  Christ 
elsewhere  compares  the  suddenness  of  the  judg- 
ment which  overtook  Sodom  to  that  which  will 
overtake  the  world  (Luke  n  :  29,  so).  The  O.  T. 
prophets  compared  the  sins  of  Israel  to  those 

of  Sodom  (isaiah  1  :  10 ;  Lam.  4:6;  Ezek.  16  :  46-57). 

It  would  have  remained.  It  is  then  clear 
(a)  that  the  destruction  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah 
was  not  brought  about  by  the  mere  operation  of 
natural  law  or  an  inevitable  decree,  but  by  divine 
Providence  as  a  punishment  for  iniquity,  a  fact 
clearly  stated  in  the  O.  T.  narrative  (Gen.  is :  20, 21 ; 
19 :  13),  but  here  directly  confirmed  by  Christ ; 
(6)  that  the  decrees  of  God  are  not  irrevocable, 
but  are  held  by  him  subjected  to  change  on  the 
repentance  and  reformation  of  those  warned  of 
impending  punishment,  a  truth  illustrated  in  the 
history  of  Nineveh  (jonah  3 :  10) ;  (c)  that  there  is 
no  sin  and  no  sinner  that  cannot  obtain  pardon 
and  absolution  through  repentance,  since  even 
Sodom  might  have  escaped  if  it  had  repented. 

24.  More  tolerable  in  the  day  of  judg- 
ment. History  affords  an  illustration  of  this 
declaration;  for  "the  name  and  perhaps  even 
the  remains  of  Sodom  are  still  to  be  found  on  the 
shore  of  the  Dead  Sea,  whUe  that  of  Capernaum, 
on  the  Lake  of  Gennesareth,  has  been  utterly 
lost." — {Stanley.) 


The  moral  meaning  of  these  woes  and  their 
practical  application  is  plain.  "Unto  whomso- 
ever much  is  given,  of  him  shall  much  be  re- 
quired "  (Luke  12 :  4s).  In  the  divine  judgment  the 
flagrant  vices  of  ignorance  are  less  culpable  than 
the  rejection  of  pardon  and  spiritual  life  by  those 
educated  in  the  Gospel.  The  historical  fulfill- 
ment of  these  warnings,  in  the  destruction  of  the 
cities,  points  forward  to  a  further  spiritual  ful- 
fillment ;  for  the  declaration  is  that  it  shall  be 
more  tolerable  for  the  land  of  Sodom  i?i  that  day, 
which  evidently  looks  to  a  judgment  of  Sodom, 
i.  e.y  of  its  people,  yet  to  come  ;  but  the  judg- 
ment on  the  place,  as  a  place,  had  long  since  been 
fulfilled.  If  Tyre  and  Sidon,  and  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah  would  have  repented  if  further  op- 
portunity and  greater  manifestations  had  been 
awarded  them,  the  question  naturally  occurs, 
why  were  these  not  given  ?  The  answer  is,  that 
sufficient  opportunity  and  sufficient  warnings 
were  given,  and  as  no  laborer  in  the  vineyard  has 
a  right  to  call  God  to  an  account  for  giving  a 
penny  to  all  alike  (Matt.  20 :  lo-u),  so  no  outcast 
has  a  right  to  call  God  to  account  for  not  giving 
all  the  same  opportunity.  If  still  the  disciple, 
perplexed,  asks  why  such  seeming  iaequalities 
in  the  administration  of  divine  grace,  why  the 
gift  of  Christ  to  the  cities  of  Galilee  and  the  with- 
holding of  Christ  from  the  cities  of  the  plain,  the 
gift  of  Christianity  to  Europe  and  the  withhold- 
ing it  from  India,  there  is  no  other  answer  than, 
Even  so.  Father ;  for  so  it  seemed  good  in  thy 
sight. 

Ch.  11  !  23-30.    CHRIST'S  INVITATION.    The  wakn- 

INa  OF  DANGER  AND  DOOM  IS  FOLLOWED  BY  THE  IN- 
VITATION TO  REFUGE  AND  REST. — SprRITtTAL  TRUTH  19 
DISCERNED,  NOT  BY  INTELLECTUAL  POWER,  BUT  BT 
CHTLD-LIKE  DOCILITY.  THE  HUMBLE  CHILD  18  WISER 
THAN  THE  CONCEITED  PHILOSOPHER.— ALL  THINGS  ON 
EARTH  ARE  IN  THE  HANDS  OP  INFINITE  MERCY. — ThE 

MYSTERY  OP  Christ's  nature;    no  theology  can 

FULLY  INTERPRET  HEM.— CHRIST  THE  GREAT  ReVEALER. 

—Without  Christ  God  is  the  Unknown  and  Un- 
knowable.—Who  ARE  invited?  all  IN  NEED;_  TO 
WHOM  INVITED  ?  TO  JeSUS,  WHO  SAVES  FROM  SIN  (Matt. 
1  :  21) ;  FOR  WHAT  invited  ?  for  rest  in  TROUBLE 
HERE,   FROM    TROUBLE     HEREAFTER. — CHRIST's    YOKE, 

self-denial  for  the  sake  op  others;  light,  be- 
cause borne  fof  christ  and  borne  with  christ. 
Christ's  yoke,  because  borne  by  him  for  us,  by 
us  for  him,  and  by  it  we  are  yoked  to  Christ.— 
The  true  Christian  teacher  must  be  meek  aito 
LowxY  IN  HEART.— Christ's  gift,  a  yoke,  tet  pkb- 

FBCT  BEST  ;    A  SEBVIOB  WHICH  IS  JOY  AND  PBACB. 


Ch.  XL] 


MATTHEW. 


159 


25.  At  that  time.  Not  necessarily  in  the 
same  discourse.  It  may  mean  at  this  period  in 
his  ministry,  though  the  discourse  from  verse  7 
may  be  all  one.  Compare  for  signification  of 
phrase,  Matt.  13  : 1 ;  14  : 1 ;  Mark  10  :  30,  etc. 
This  much  is  certain ;  at  the  same  period  in  which 
Jesus  began  to  pronounce  woes  against  the  cities 
of  Galilee,  he  commenced  to  give  to  his  ministry 
a  tenderer  aspect  toward  the  weary  and  heavy- 
laden.  Luke  records  the  same  acknowledgment 
of  God's  mystery  of  grace  with  a  more  definite 
note  of  time,  "in  that  hour"  (Luke  lo:  21),  i.  e.,  in 
the  same  hour  with  the  return  of  the  Seventy. 
Robinson  supposes  it  to  have  been  twice  uttered, 
and  this  is  quite  possible.  See  above,  note  on 
20-24.  I  thank  thee.  The  Greek  verb 
(^;o,uoAoyito)  so  rendered  here  is  nowhere  else  in 
the  N.  T.  so  translated,  except  in  the  parallel 
passage  in  Luke.  The  general  idea  is  ^^ confess,'''' 
but  with  the  idea  of  publicity.  It  is  here  "J 
puhlichj  acknowledge  to  thee  *  *  *  that  thou  hast 
hid,^^  etc.  Father,  Lord  of  heaven  and 
earth.  It  is  to  be  observed  that  he  does  not 
address  the  Father  as  his  Lord,  but  as  Lord  of 
heaven  and  earth.  But  see  John  20  :  17,  where 
he  says  "My  Father  and  your  Father,  and  my 
God  and  your  God.  These  things.  That  is, 
the  mysterious  operation  of  that  divine  power 
which  destroys  the  cities  of  Galilee  and  raises  up 
other  nations  to  become  light-bearers,  as  set  forth 
in  Matt.  21  :  43.  Compare  Rom.  11  :  33,  and  ob- 
serve that  Paul's  expression  there  is  in  view  of  the 
casting  out  of  Israel  and  the  admission  of  the 
Gentiles.  Both  the  warnings  (Luke  19 :  42)  and  the 
invitations  (2  cor.  4 : 3)  of  the  Gospel  are  hid  from 
the  eyes  of  such  as  are  wise  in  their  own  conceit. 
Compare  1  Cor.  2  :  6-8.  From  the  wise  and 
prudent.  The  wise  ia  philosophy,  the  prudent 
in  worldly  affairs  (Acts  13 : 7).  Observe,  that  the 
contrast  is  not  with  the  unwise  and  imprudent, 
but  with  babes.  The  words  (aocpog  and  oweruc), 
here  rendered  "wise  and  prudent,"  are  never 
used  alone  in  the  N.  T.  in  a  bad  sense,  unless 
1  Cor.  3  :  19  be  an  exception.  The  word  wise  (Gr. 
a'xpog)  is  employed  to  designate  an  attribute  both 
of  God  and  good  men  (i  Cor.  3 :  lO;  Rom.  16 :  27),  and 
the  negative  foolish  (Gr.  uaocpo?,  Ephes.  5 :  15  only) 
and  loithout  understanding  {davvcroc,  Matt.  15 :  is ; 
Rom.  1 :  31,  etc.),  are  uscd  only  in  a  bad  sense.  The 
doctrine  conveyed,  then,  is  that  religious  truth 
is  not  acquired  by  any  mere  intellectual  process, 
however  good  in  itself ;  it  is  revealed  not  to  philo- 
sophical wisdom,  or  intellectual  culture,  or  prac- 
tical sagacity  in  affairs,  but  to  childlike  humility 
and  docility.  Compare  Job  11  :  7 ;  Luke  18  :  17 ; 
1  Cor.  1 :  12-21.  The  babes  here  are  the  disci- 
ples, contrasted  with  the  wise  and  prudent  (1  Cor. 
1 :  26),  unfamiliar  with  the  wisdom  of  the  Scribes 
(Acta  4 :  13),  and  disregarding  worldly  prudence 
In  leaving  all  to  follow  Christ.    The  language 


here  indicates  that  Luke  has  given  this  part  of 
the  discourse  in  the  right  connection,  viz.,  im- 
mediately after  the  return  of  the  Seventy  from 
their  mission.  "When  the  Seventy  came  telling 
him  about  the  devils,  then  he  rejoiced  and  spake 
these  things ;  which,  besides  increasing  their 
diligence,  would  also  dispose  them  to  be  mod- 
est."— (Chrysostoni.) 

27.  All  things  are  delivered  unto  me 
of  my  Father.  Not  revealed  to  me,  but  deiiv- 
ered  to  me ;  i.  e.,  the  whole  administration  of 
human  life  is  handed  over  to  me.  Compare  Col. 
1 :  16-19,  and  Hebrews  1 : 8.  But  observe  that 
the  power  of  Christ  is  represented  as  derived 
from  the  Father  (delivered  unto  me  by  my 
Father),  and  that  all  will  at  the  last  be  delivered 
to  the  Father  again  (1  cor.  15 :  23).  Compare,  as  to 
both  truths.  Matt,  28  :  18 ;  John  5  :  26,  36  ;  14  :  10. 
No  man  knoweth  the  Son.  The  designation 
of  Jesus  as  "</ie  Son''''  occurs  frequently  in  the 
Gospel  of  John,  but  only  here,  in  Luke  10 :  23, 
and  in  Mark  13  :  32,  ia  the  synoptic  Gospels. 
This  verse  finds,  both  in  the  spirit  and  the  truth 
enunciated,  a  parallel  in  many  passages  in  John ; 
e.  g.,  John  1 :  18 ;  6  :  46 ;  14  : 6,  9,  10.  The  com- 
mentators note  in  it  "a  connecting  link  between 
the  synoptists  and  John,  and  an  incidental 
testimony  by  Matthew  to  the  originality  and 
credibility  of  the  weighty  discourse  of  Christ 
concerning  his  relation  to  the  Father,  which 
are  only  recorded  in  the  fourth  Gospel." — 
{Schaff.) 

No  one  knoweth  the  Son  but  the  Fa- 
ther. Knows  perfectly,  fully  (Gr.  iniyuwn/.o}). 
Compare  Matt.  7  :  20,  and  note.  Obsejve  that  it 
is  not,  as  in  our  version,  no  man  knoweth,  but  no 
one  knoweth — man,  angel,  archangel.  That  is, 
Christ  claims  a  character  which  only  the  Infinite 
can  fathom,  because  only  the  Infinite  can  fully 
understand  the  Infinite.  Compare  1  Cor.  3  :  11. 
Observe,  too,  how  the  declaration  of  this  mys- 
tei-y  of  Christ's  nature  is  coupled  with  the  dec- 
laration that  the  mysteries  of  the  King  and  the 
kingdom  are  revealed  to  the  childlike  and  hid 
from  the  wise  and  prudent ;  and  that  any  system 
of  theology  is  unscriptural  which  undertakes 
fully  to  interpret  the  nature  of  either  the  Father 
or  the  Son.  Neither  knoweth  any  one  the 
Father  but  the  Son,  and  he  to  Avhom  the 
Son  Avills  to  reveal  him.  No  man  knows  the 
Father  except  he  add  to  the  knowledge  gained 
from  other  sources — history,  science,  nature,  and 
his  own  thoughts  —  that  special  knowledge  of 
God's  grace  and  love  which  the  Son  affords  ;  nor 
unless  his  study  of  nature,  etc.,  is  under  the  di- 
rection of  and  in  submission  to  the  Son.  Philos- 
ophy is  in  so  far  right  that  to  the  Christless  God 
is  the  Unknowable.  Compare,  for  the  way  in 
which  the  Son  reveals  the  Father,-  and  to  whom 
he  will  reveal  him,  John  14  :  15-34. 


160 


MATTHEW. 


[Oh.  XL 


and  no  man  knoweth  the  Son,  but  the  Father  ;  neither 
knoweth'  any  man  the  Father,  save  the  Son,  and  he  to 
whomsoever  the  Son  will  reveal  him. 

28  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labour"  and  are  heavy 
laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest. 


29  Take  my  yoke  upon  you,  and  learn''  of  me  ;  for 
I  am  meek  and  lowly<^  in  heart:  and  ye"  shall  ficd  rest 
unto  your  souls. 

30  For  my  yoke  is  easy,^  and  my  burden  is  light. 


t  John  1  ;  18  ;  1  John  6  :  20. 


Isa.  55  :  1-t b  PhU.  2:5-8:   1  Pet.  2  :  21 c  Zech.  9:9 d  Jer.  6  :  16 e  1  John  5  :  3. 


28.  Come  unto  me.  Observe  the  utter  in- 
congruity of  such  an  invitation  as  that  here 
given,  and  its  accompanying  promise,  in  the 
mouth  of  a  merely  inspired  prophet,  or  even  an 
angel  or  archangel.  Compare  with  it  John  1 :  29, 
and  Isaiah  53  :  4  ;  and  observe  that  Christ  car- 
ries not  only  our  sins,  but  also  our  griefs  and  our 
sorrows. 

All  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden. 
This  is  not  to  be  limited  or  qualified,  as  an  invi- 
tation to  the  Jews,  "who  groaned  under  the 
weight  of  their  ceremonial  laws  and  the  tradition 
of  their  elders  "  {Barnes),  or  to  "  those,  and  those 
only,  that  are  sensible  of  sin  as  a  burden,  and 
groan  under  it,  that  are  not  only  convinced  of 
the  evil  of  sin,  of  their  own  sin,  but  are  contrite 
in  soul  for  it." — {Matthew  Henry.)  Of  course, 
the  invitation  includes  those  burdened  by  a  con- 
sciousness of  sin,  and  the  laborer  serving  under 
the  law,  as  the  greater  includes  the  less.  Ob- 
serve, too,  that  the  burden  and  weariness  of 
labor  is  a  fruit  of  sin  (cen.  3 :  n-is),  and  is  thus  a 
symbol  of  the  bitterer  spiritual  labor  and  weari- 
ness of  the  soul  under  a  sense  of  sin.  But  this 
invitation  is  not  merely  to  the  penitent  and  the 
remorseful,  but  to  all  who,  for  any  reason  what- 
ever, fed  the  want  of  a  rest  which  the  world  cannot 

give  (compare  Pa.  46  :  1  and  Heb.  4  :  16").      ThuS,  the  travail 

of  life  echoes  ChrisVs  invitation  to  spiritual  rest 
(Rom.  8 :  22, 23).  The  burdcu  and  labor  of  the  leper 
was  his  leprosy ;  of  the  centurion,  was  his  sick 
child ;  of  the  palsied,  was  his  palsj' ;  of  the  wo- 
man that  was  a  sinner,  was  her  sin  and  shame  ; 
of  the  prodigal,  was  at  first  only  his  hunger  and 

his    degradation    (Matt.   8:2-4,   S,   6 ;    9:2;    Luke    7  :  38  ; 

15 :  16,  n).  The  coming  to  Christ  is  interpreted  by 
his  name,  Jesus,  Saviour  from  sin  (Matt,  i :  21),  and 
by  the  coming  of  the  apostles  (e.  g.,  Luke  5: 11),  of 
Paul  (Acts  9 : 5, 6),  and  of  the  rich  young  man  who 
did  not  truly  and  finally  come  (Matt.  19 :  16-22) ;  not 
less  so  by  the  coming  of  the  many  burdened  by 
disease  who  came  to  him  for  cure.  Whoever 
comes  must  take  up  his  cross  and  follow  Jesus 
(Luke  14 :  25-35).  Chrysostom's  interpretation  is  as 
broad  as  the  original  mvitation  itself.  "  Not  this 
or  that  person,  but  all  that  are  in  anxiety,  in  sor- 
rows, in  sins,  come — not  that  I  may  call  you  to 
account,  but  that  I  may  do  away  your  sins ; 
come — not  that  I  want  your  honor,  but  that  I 
want  your  salvation." 

I  will  give  you  rest.  Not  necessarily /rom 
your  burden  ;.if  not,  that  tfien  rest  in  your  bur- 
den.   The  rest  is  described  ia  the  next  verse. 


"re.s<  unto  your  souls.''^  Compare  John  14: 27; 
16  :  33 ;  and  observe  that  Christ's  promise  of 
peace  there  recorded  was  followed  immediately 
after  by  external  experiences  of  dire  tribulation 
both  to  him  and  to  his  disciples.  Compare,  for 
fulfillment  of  this  promise,  2  Cor.  13  : 9, 10 ;  and 
for  parallel  to  it,  Heb.  12  :  11-13. 

29.  Take  my  yoke  upon  you.  The  yoke 
is  used  symbolically  in  the  Bible  to  denote  a  con- 
dition of  servitude  (Lev.  26  :  13  ;  1  Kings  12  :  4,  9-11 ;  Isaiah 

9: 4, etc.);  and  hence,  in  the  N.  T.,  of  bondage 
under  the  law  as  opposed  to  the  freedom  of  the 

Gospel    (Acts  15:10;    Gal.  5  :  1 ;    1  Tim.  6  :  l).      Only    here 

is  it  used  in  the  N.  T.  of  allegiance  to  Christ. 
The  metaphor  was  well  understood  in  his  time. 
To  express  the  subjugation  of  the  conquered  na- 
tions, the  Romans  were  accustomed  to  make 
their  captives  pass  under  a  yoke,  made  by  placing 
two  spears  upright  a  short  distance  apart,  and  a 
third  across  the  top.  To  pass  under  it,  they 
were  compelled  to  stoop.  To  take  Christ's  yoke, 
then,  is  to  become  captive  to  him  in  love.  But 
the  yoJce  is  never  borne  by  one  alone.  And  Christ 
also  became  subject  to  a  yoke  for  love's  sake 
(see  Phil.  2 : 7,  s),  and  sends  us  into  the  world  as  he 
was  sent  into  the  world  (John  n  :  is).  Hence,  to 
take  Christ's  yoke  is  not  only  to  yield  ourselves 
servants  to  him  in  righteousness ;  it  is  also  to  be 
yoked  to  Christ,  i.  e.,  become  yokefellow  and  co- 
laborer  with  him  (see  1  Cor.  3 : 7).  All  burdeus  be- 
come easy  when  we  are  yoked  with  Christ,  and 
he  bears  them  with  us. 

And  learn  of  me.  By  my  teaching,  my  ex- 
ample, my  indwelling.  For  I  am  meek.  See 
note  on  Matt.  5  :  .5.  And  lowly  in  heart; 
i.  e.,  of  a  heart  to  condescend  to  men  of  low  es- 
tate. It  is  explained  by  Rom.  12  :  16,  and  Phil. 
2  :  5-8,  etc.  The  qualification,  even  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  to  be  our  divine  teacher  is  not  so 
much  his  infinite  wisdom  as  his  infinite  meekness 
and  condescension.  And  we  attain  his  peace  by 
becoming  like  him  in  character.  Ye  shall  find 
rest  unto  your  souls.  Compare  Jeremiah 
6  :  16.  Observe  that  there  the  condition  of  the 
promise  is,  "Ask  for  the  old  paths."  Christ 
himself  fulfilled  the  law  and  the  prophets,  so 
that  they  who  came  to  him  for  rest  came  unto 
old  paths,  those  through  which  the  patriarchs 
and  prophets  entered  into  their  rest. 

30.  For  my  yoke  is  easy.  Rather,  kindly 
serviceable.  This  is  the  proper  meaning  of  the 
original  {xQijardc).  That  a  yoke  is  easy  is  not  an 
argument  for  it,  for  none  at  all  is  stiU  eafiier. 


Ch.  XIL] 


MATTHEW. 


161 


CHAPTER    XII. 

AT   that   time'  Jesus  went   on   the   sabbath   day 
through    the  corn ;   and    his    disciples  were  an 
hungred,  and  began  to  plucks  the  ears  ot  corn,  and  to 


2  But  when  the  Pharisees  saw  it,  they  said  unto  him. 
Behold,  thy  disciples  do  that  which  is  not  lawful  to  do* 
upon  the  sabbath  day. 

3  But  he  said  unto  them,  Have  ye  not  read  what 
David  did'  when  he  was  an  hungred,  and  they  that 
were  w4th  him ; 


£  Mark  2  :  23,  etc. ;  Luke  6:1,  etc g  Deut.  23  :  25 h  Exod.  31  :  15 i  1  Sam.  21  :  6. 


But  Christ's  yoke  is  useful;  it  is  by  his  yoke  that 
we  ourselves  are  brought  into  the  image  of  God  ; 
by  sharing  his  death  we  are  made  participants 
in  his  life  here  (2  Cor.  4 :  10)  and  hereafter  (2  Tim.  2:11), 
and  are  also  enabled  to  do  service  to  him  as  repre- 
sented in  our  fellow-men.  "The  yoke  of  Christ 
is  like  the  plumage  of  a  bird,  which  adds  to  its 
weight,  but  enables  it  to  soar  to  the  sky." — 
{Wordsioorth,  quoting  from  the  Fathers.)  My 
burden  is  light.  Compare  Matt.  23  :  4.  For 
a  contrast  between  the  yoke  which  Christ  breaks 
and  the  rest  he  gives,  see  Komans  chaps.  7  and  8 ; 
7  :  21-24  interprets  the  burden;  8  :  1,  38,  39 
indicates  the  rest.  If,  as  is  thought  by  many  of 
the  harmonists,  the  incident  of  the  woman  who 
was  a  sinner,  recorded  in  Luke  7 :  oG-.50,  occurred 
immediately  after  this  discourse,  her  acceptance 
of  the  invitation  here  offered  affords  the  best 
possible  interpretation  of  its  true  spiritual  sig- 
nificance. Compare  with  Christ's  invitation  and 
his  absolute  promise  of  rest  to  all  who  come  to 
him,  the  dying  discourse  of  Socrates:  "Cebes 
answered  with  a  smile,  '  Then,  Socrates,  you 
must  argue  us  out  of  our  fears  ;  and  yet,  strictly 
speaking,  they  are  not  our  fears ;  but  there  is  a 
child  within  us  to  whom  death  is  a  sort  of  hob- 
goblin ;  him,  too,  we  must  persuade  not  to  be 
afraid  when  he  is  alone  with  him  in  the  dark.' 
Socrates  said,  '  Let  the  voice  of  the  charmer  be 
applied  daily  until  you  have  charmed  him  away.' 
'And  where  shall  we  find  a  good  charmer  of  our 
fears,  Socrates,  when  you  are  gone  ? '  '  Greece,' 
he  replied,  'is  a  large  place,  Cebes,  and  has 
many  good  men,  and  there  are  barbarous  races 
not  a  few ;  seek  for  him  among  them  all  far  and 
wide,  sparing  neither  pains  nor  money  ;  for  there 
is  no  better  way  of  using  your  money.  And  you 
must  not  forget  to  seek  for  him  among  your- 
selves too ;  for  he  is  nowhere  more  likely  to  be 
found.'  " — {Phcedo,  Jowett's  translation.) 

Ch.  12  :  1-14.  THE  LAW  OV  THR  CHRISTIAN  SAB- 
BATH ILLUSTRATED.  It  is  always  east  to  ckiticise 
Christians.— The  service  op  Christ  is  more  than 

THE  SERVICE  OP  THE  TEMPLE.— ThE  LIBERTY  OP  THE 
O.  T.  ILLUSTRATED  BY  DavID,  BY  THE  TEMPLE  SER- 
vice ;  how  much  greater  the  liberty  op  the  n.  t. 
—The  service  of  mercy,  more  than  the  service  op 
sacrifice  ;  the  service  of  christ,  more  than  that 

OP  THE  TEMPLE.— The   SabBATH  PERMANENT  :    CHRIST 

IS  ITS  Lord  ;  universal  :  made  for  man.— Two  fun- 
damental PRINCIPLES  OP  Sabbath  observance:  it 
is  made  For  man's  use,  so  its  best  use  is  always  its 


RIGHT  USE  ;   IT  IS  LAWFUL  TO  DO  GOOD  ON  THE  SaBBATH 

DAY.— The  Sabbath  of  earth  like  the  Sabbath  op 

HEAVEN,  A  REST  FROM  THE  HARASSMENT  OF  EVIL,  BUT 
NOT    FROM  WORKS    OF  LOVE.— WiTH   EVERY   COMMAND 

OF  Christ  comes  power  from  Christ. — The  effect 

OF  miracles  ON  UNCANDID  MINDS  IS  ONLY  TO  ANGER, 
NOT  TO  CONVINCE. 

The  incidents  here  recorded  are  found  also  in 
Mark  2  :  23-28  ;  3  : 1-6,  and  Luke  6  : 1-11.  The 
time  is  uncertain.  The  most  definite  indications 
are  the  references  in  Luke  6  : 1,  to  "the  second 
Sabbath  after  the  first "  (see  note  there),  and  the  fact 
that  the  grain  was  ripe  for  plucking.  The  bar- 
ley harvest  was  in  April,  the  wheat  harvest  was 
in  May,  sometimes  as  late  as  June.  Most  har- 
monists place  both  incidents  immediately  suc- 
ceeding that  recorded  in  John,  ch.  5.  They  pro- 
bably occurred  prior  to  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount,  certainly  prior  to  the  commission  of  the 
twelve.  The  place  is  also  uncertain.  The  con- 
nection in  all  three  of  the  Evangelists,  neither  of 
whom  gives  an  account  of  Christ's  early  Judean 
ministry  in  detail,  indicates  Galilee.  But  see 
note  below,  on  verse  9. 

1.  At  that  time.  See  note  on  chap.  11  :  25. 
On  the  Sabbath  day.  The  Jewish  Sabbath, 
the  seventh  day  of  the  week,  answering  to  our 
Saturday.  There  was  no  observance  of  the  first 
day  of  the  week  till  after  the  resurrection  of 
Christ.  Corn.  Rather  grain,  probably  barley 
or  wheat.  The  principal  grains  known  to  the 
Hebrews  were  wheat,  barley,  millet  and  spelt, 
the  latter  rendered  sometimes  rye  (Exod.  9 :  321 

Isaiah  28  :  25),  and  SOmCtimCS  fitches  (Ezek.  4  :  9).      Rc- 

cent  discoveries  indicate  that  maize  or  Indian 
corn  was  known  to  the  Egyptians,  but  whether 
it  was  cultivated  by  the  Hebrews  or  not  is  mat- 
ter only  of  conjecture.  Were  an  hungered. 
The  rabbinical  law  allowed  no  eating  on  the  Sab- 
bath, except  in  case  of  sickness,  prior  to  the 
morning  prayers  of  the  synagogue.  A  similar 
canon  in  the  ritualistic  churches  of  to-day  forbids 
breakmg  the  fast  before  partaking  of  the  com- 
munion. Began  to  pluck  the  ears  of  corn. 
Luke  adds,  "rubbing  them  in  their  hands,"  in 
order  to  separate  the  kernel  from  the  chaff. 

2.  That  which  is  not  lawful  to  do  upon 
the  Sabbath  day.  The  Jewish  law  expressly 
permitted  plucking  the  standing  grain  with  the 
hand  in  passing  through  a  field  (Dent.  23 :  25) ;  so 
that  the  objection  was  not  that  there  was  any  dis- 
honesty or  theft ;  and  the  spirit  of  the  law  allowed 


162 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XIL 


4  How  he  entered  into  the  house  of  God,  and  did 
eat  the  shovvbread,J  which  was  not  lawful  for  him  to 
eat,  neither  tor  them  which  were  with  him,  but  only'' 
lor  the  priests  ? 

5  Or  have  ye  not  read  in  the  law,'  how  that  on  the 
sabbath  days  the  priests  in  the  temple"  profane  the 
sabbath,  and  are  blameless  ? 


6  But  I  say  unto  you,  That  in  this  place  is  one 
greater"  than  the  temple. 

7  But  if  ye  had  known  what  this  meaneth,  I"  will 
have  mercy,  and  not  sacrifice,  ye  would  not  have  con- 
demned the  guiltless. 

8  For  the  Son  of  man  is  Lord  even  of  the  sabbath 
day. 


Ex.  26  :  30 k  Ex.  29  :  32,  33 1  Nu 


John  7  :  22,  23 n  ch.  23  :  17-21 ;  2  Chron.  6  :  18 ;  : 


.3:1 o  Hos.  6  :  6. 


doing  on  holy  da3'8  what  was  necessary  to  supply 
needful  food  (Exod.  12 :  le).  But  the  rabbinical  rules 
forbade  any  approximation  to  labor  on  the  Sab- 
bath. "  One  might  not  walk  upon  the  grass  be- 
cause it  would  be  bruised,  which  would  be  a  kind 
of  threshing  ;  nor  catch  a  flea,  which  would  be  a 
kind  of  hunting ;  nor  wear  nailed  shoes,  which 
would  be  a  sort  of  burden ;  nor,  if  he  fed  his 
chickens,  suffer  any  com  to  lie  upon  the  ground, 
lest  a  kernel  should  germinate,  which  would  be 
a  kind  of  sowing." — {AbboWs  Jesus  of  Nazareth.) 
And  a  special  rule  forbade  to  pluck  the  ears  of 
com,  because  that  would  be  a  kind  of  reaping. 
The  punishment  awarded  by  the  rabbis  for  a 
presumptuous  violation  of  this  law  was  stoning. 
(See  Lightfoot.) 

3.  Have  ye  not  read  ?  Compare  chapter 
9  :  13,  and  note  there.  Observe  the  delicate 
irony  of  the  question.  What  David  did.  The 
account  is  in  1  Sam.  21  : 1-9.  They  that  were 
with  him.  In  Samuel,  Ahimelech  is  repre- 
sented as  asking,  "  Why  art  thou  alone,  and  no 
man  with  thee?"  but  verse  4  of  1  Sam.  ch.  21, 
shows  clearly  that  he  was  not  absolutely  alone, 
only,  for  a  king's  son,  comparatively  unattended. 

4.  And  did  eat  the  showbread.  This  con- 
sisted of  twelve  loaves  placed  fresh  every  Sab- 
bath day  on  the  table  in  the  sanctuaiy  (Exod.  25 : 
23-30 ;  39 :  36).  It  could  be  caten  only  in  the  sanc- 
tuary and  by  the  priests  (Lev.  24 : 5-9).  To  get  this 
bread,  David  told  a  lie  ;  and  the  consequence  was 
disastrous  in  the  extreme  (see  1  Sam.  ch.  22 :  n-19). 
Christ  does  not  commend  his  course  in  this 
respect ;  the  only  question  before  him  relates  to 
Sabbath  observance,  and  the  right  of  man  to 
modify  or  set  aside  a  ceremonial  regulation  in 
case  of  necessity.  Observe,  that  fresh  bread  had 
just  been  put  upon  the  table  when  David  arrived 
(1  Sam.  21 : 6),  he  taking  that  which  was  carried 
away ;  the  day,  therefore,  was  the  Sabbath  (Lev. 

24  :  8). 

5.  The  priests  in  the  temple  profane 
the  Sabbath.  By  kindling  fires  for  the  burnt 
offerings  and  bearing  the  sacrifices  and  utensils 
through  the  temple.  The  Sabbath  was  the 
priests'  busiest  day  of  labor.  Work  was  required 
of  the  priests  (Numb.  28 : 9,  lo) ;  though  in  general 

forbidden    (Exod.  20  :  lO;    Neh.  13  :  19  ;    Jer.  17  :  21,  22,  27) 

Blameless.  Because  the  greater  duty  of  tem- 
ple service  set  aside  the  law  of  Sabbath  rest. 
Compare  John  7  :  22,  23. 

6.  A  greater  than  the  temple  is  here. 


Not  merely  mercy  is  greater  than  the  temple, 
but,  as  Dean  Alford  interprets  it,  "If  the  priest 
in  the  temple,  and  for  the  temple's  sake,  profane 
the  Sabbath,  as  ye  account  profanation,  and  are 
blameless,  how  much  more  these  disciples  who 
have  gone  hungry  in  their  appointed  following  of 
Him  who  is  greater  than  the  temple,  the  true 
Temple  of  God  on  earth,  the  Son  of  man." 

7.  I  will  have  mercy  and  not  sacrifice. 
Quoted  from  Hosea  6  :  6.  See  note  on  Matt. 
9  :  13.  If,  in  the  service  of  sacrifice,  the  Sabbath 
law  may  be  seemingly  set  aside,  how  much  more 
in  my  service,  which  is  the  service  of  mercy. 

8.  For  the  Son  of  man.  Mark  inserts  here 
before  this  verse  the  important  addition.  The 
Sabbath  was  made  for  man,  not  man  for  the  Sab- 
bath. Therefore  the  Son  of  man  is  Lord  also  of  the 
Sabbath.  The  Son  of  man  is  never,  in  N.  T.  usage, 
equivalent  to  man,  but  always  signifies  the  Mes- 
siah. Christ's  declaration  is  not,  as  Grotius,  Be- 
cause the  Sabbath  was  made  for  man,  man  is 
Lord  of  the  Sabbath,  which  would  be  a  singular 
non  sequltur ;  but.  Because  the  Sabbath  is  made 
for  humanity,  the  Lord  of  humanity  is  Lord  of 
the  Sabbath.  Observe,  is  Lord  of  the  Sabbath. 
He  does  not,  then,  abolish  it,  but  retains  and 
rules  over  it.  While  the  direct  bearing  of  this  in- 
cident and  teaching  respects  the  Sabbath  observ- 
ance, it  goes  deeper.  It  strikes  at  the  root  of  all 
ceremonialism.  The  Christian  must  be  willing 
to  die  for  a  principle  (Luke  i4 :  se) ;  he  is  not  re- 
quired even  to  suffer  a  pang  of  hunger  merely  to 
preserve  intact  a  ceremonial.  If  the  Sabbath, 
the  oldest  and  the  most  sacred  of  all  religious 
observances,  was  made  for  man,  much  more  all 
lesser  observances. 

9-13.  Healing  of  the  man  with  the  with- 
EKED  HAND.  Mark  3  : 1-6,  and  Luke  6  :  G-11, 
add  some  features  not  given  here.  Combining 
these  accounts,  it  appears  that  Christ  entered 
the  synagogue  on  the  Sabbath  to  teach  (Luke) ; 
that  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  obsemng  the 
man  with  the  withered  hand,  watched  to  see 
whether  Christ  would  heal,  that  they  might  find 
a  ground  of  accusation  against  him  (Luke) ;  that 
they  first  put  the  question  to  him,  Is  it  lawful  to 
heal  on  the  Sabbath  days  ?  (Matt.)  that  he,  knowing 
their  purpose,  replied  with  a  question  which  dis- 
closed their  hypocrisy.  Is  it  lawful  to  do  good  on 
the  Sabbath  day,  or  to  do  evil  ?  to  save  life,  or  to 
kill  ?  to  which  they  could  make  no  reply  (Mark, 
Luke);   that  he  looked  about  upon  them  with 


Ch.  XII.] 


MATTHEW. 


163 


9  AndP  when  he  was  departed  thence,  he  went  into 
their  synagogue : 

10  And,  betiold,  there  was  a  man  which  had  his  hand 
withered.  And  they  asked  him,  saying,  Isf  it  lawful 
to  heal  on  the  sabbath  days  ?  that  they  might  accuse 
him. 

11  And  he  said  unto  them.  What  man  shall  there  be 
among  you  that  shall  have  one  sheep,  and''  if  it  fall  into 
a  pit  on  the  sabbath  day,  will  he  not  lay  hold  on  it,  and 
lift  it  out  ? 


12  How  much  then  is  a  man  better  than  a  sheep  ? 
Wherefore  it  is  lawtul  to  do  well  on  tlie  sabbath  days. 

13  Then  saithheto  the  man,  Stretch  forth  thine  hand. 
And  he  stretched  it  forth  ;  and  it  was  restored  whole, 
like  as  the  other. 

14  Then  the  Pharisees  went  out,  and  held  a  council 
against  him,  how  they  might  destroy  him. 

15  But  when  Jesus  knew  zV,  he  withdrew  himself 
from  thence :  and  great  multitudes  followed  him,  and 
he  healed  them  all ; 


Luke  6  :  6,  etc q  Luke  14  :  3. 


anger,  being  grieved  at  the  hardness  of  their 
hearts,  then  answered  their  question  and  his  own 
by  the  illustration  of  the  sheep  (Matt.),  which  he 
seems  to  have  subsequently  repeated  in  a  slightly 
different  form  on  another  occasion  (Luke  w  :  s) ;  he 
then  performed  the  cure,  but  with  a  word,  doing 
nothing,  and  so  giving  no  ground  on  which  they 
could  base  an  accusation. 

9.  Departed  thence.  Nothing  more  is  ne- 
cessarily indicated  by  this  than  that  the  two  m- 
cidents  did  not  occur  in  the  same  place.  Luke 
says  the  healing  was  wrought  "on  another  Sab- 
bath." Their  syiiago§:ue.  That  is,  a  syna- 
gogue of  the  Pharisees,  one  in  which  their  influ- 
ence predominated. 

10.  Hatl  his  hand  withered;  i.  e.,  dried 
up  from  a  deficient  absorption  of  the  nutriment. 
Luke  says  his  "right  hand."  The  disease  here 
indicated  results  in  a  loss  both  in  size  and  in 
power  of  the  arm ;  for  it  there  is  no  remedy 
known  to  man.  They  asked  him,  sayinjf,  Is 
it  lawful  to  heal  on  the  Sabbath  day  ? 
Their  object  was  to  provoke  him  to  some  act  on 
which  they  could  base  an  accusation  of  Sabbath- 
breaking,  the  punishment  for  which  was  death. 
The  Mosaic  law  did  not  forbid  works  of  healing ; 
but  the  rabbinical  tradition  and  interpretations 
did.  "Let  not  those  that  are  in  health  use 
physic  on  the  Sabbath  day."  "  He  that  hath  the 
toothache,  let  him  not  swallow  vinegar  to  spit  it 
out  again ;  but  he  may  swallow  it,  so  he  swallow 
it  down."  Lightfoot  gives  a  number  of  these 
minute  and  absurd  Sabbath  regulations.  See 
Luke  13  :  14. 

11.  And  he  said  unto  them.  He  first 
asked  them  a  question  which  they  could  not  an- 
swer: "  Is  it  lawful  to  do  good  on  the  Sabbath 

days  ?   to  save   life  or  to  kill  ?  "    (Mark  3  :  4,  and  note)  ; 

i.  e.,  to  save  life,  as  I  am  seeking  to  do,  or  to  kill, 
as  you  are  seeking  to  do,  in  endeavoring  to  find  a 
ground  of  accusation  against  me. 

What  man  shall  there  be  among^  you, 
etc.  Later  rabbinical  law  forbade  the  owner 
of  a  beast  that  fell  into  a  pit  to  lift  it  out ;  he 
might,  however,  bring  food,  or  even  lay  planks 
for  the  beast  to  come  out  on.  That  this  regula- 
tion was  of  a  later  date  is  evident  from  Christ's 
language  here,  which  indicates  that  the  saving  of 
the  beast  in  such  ease  was  a  thing  allowed  (compare 


Luke  14 :  15).  It  is  uot  improbable  that  the  subse- 
quent regulation  was  added  by  some  of  the 
rabbis  to  meet  the  very  point  of  Christ's  argu- 
ment in  this  case. 

12.  How  much  better  then  is  a  man 
than  a  sheep.  Compare  Matt.  6  :  2(5,  and  note 
there.  It  is  lawful  to  do  well  on  the  Sab- 
bath days,  i.  e.,  to  do  good  to  others.  The 
language  {y.u^uic  Ttoieir)  is  the  same  as  that  em- 
ployed in  Matt.  5  :  44,  "Do  good  to  them  that 
hate  you."  Work,  the  sole  object  of  which  is  true 
benefit  to  others,  is  legitimate  Sabbath  labor. 

13.  Then  saith  he  to  the  man.  As  the 
cure  is  wrought  only  by  a  word,  the  Pharisees 
have  no  ground  of  accusation ;  there  has  been 
no  infraction  of  the  letter  of  even  their  own 
regulations.  Observe  that  with  the  word  of 
command  here,  as  in  others  of  Christ's  miracles 

(Matt.  9:6;  John  5  :  8,  etc.),    COmCS    pOWer    tO    Obcy    it. 

So  he  requires  what  are  impossibilities  of  with- 
ered souls,  but  with  the  command  imparts  power 

to  fulfill  (John  1  :  12). 

14.  Took  counsel.  Not  the  gathering  of  an 
oflScial  body,  but  an  informal  consultation  is  indi- 
cated. The  Herodians  joined  in  these  delibera- 
tions (Mark  3 : 6).  This  is  the  first  mention  of  any 
deliberate  plan  formed  to  put  our  Lord  to  death. 
The  attempt  at  his  destruction  in  Nazareth  (Luke 
4 :  29)  was  the  sudden  impulse  of  a  mob.  Observe, 
in  the  effect  of  this  miracle,  how  utterly  ineffi- 
cacious are  miracles  to  persuade  uncandid  souls. 
See  an  illustration  of  the  same  principle  in  Luke 
16  :  31.  Modern  miracles  would  not  convince 
modern  skepticism. 

The  lesson  of  these  ikcidents.  In  con- 
sidering the  general  significance  of  Christ's  ex- 
ample and  words  in  these  two  incidents,  it  is  to 
be  observed,  1st.  That  Christ  chose  the  Sabbath 
as  an  occasion  for  many  cures.  Seven  such  are 
recorded  in  the  Gospels  (Mark  i :  21, 29;  Luke  13 :  14 ; 
14 : 1 ;  John  5 : 9 ;  9 :  u).  2d.  That  in  thcsc  incidents 
there  is  nothing  to  indicate  that  the  Lord  in- 
tended to  do  away  with  the  Sabbath  day.  3d. 
That,  on  the  contrary,  his  assertions.  The  Sab- 
bath was  made  for  man,  and.  The  Son  of  man  is 
Lord  of  the  Sabbath  day,  indicate  its  perpetuity 
as  a  Christian  institution.  4th.  That  he  dops 
vigorously  sweep  away  the  traditions  and  inter- 
pretations of  the  rabbis,  who  had  converted  this 


164 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XII. 


i6  And  charged  them  that  they  should  not  make  him  I      17  That  it  might  be  fulfilled  which  was  spoken  by 
known ;  Esaias  tue  prophet,*  saying. 


day  of  rest  into  a  day  of  irksome  bondage. 
5th.  That  by  implication  he  repudiates  all  inllexi- 
ble  rules  which  trammel  the  Sabbath  day,  and  set- 
tles it  on  a  new  basis  of  principle,  enunciated  in 
the  two  declarations.  The  Sabbath  was  made  for 
man,  and  he  is,  therefore,  to  use  it  in  the  way  best 
calculated  for  his  highest  good,  and  It  is  lawful 
to  do  good  on  the  Sabbath  daysj  i.  e.,  work,  the 
sole  object  of  which  is  the  true  welfare  of  others, 
is  not  prohibited  by  the  requirements  of  a  true 
Sabbatical  rest. 

Ch.  12  :  15-21.    THE  GENTLENESS  OF  JESUS.    Jesus 

ILLUSTRATES  HIS  OWN  TEACHINGS:  DOES  NO  EIGUT- 
EOUSNESS  TO  BE  SEEN  OP  MEN  (Matt.  6  :  1).— Hl9 
HONOB  :  THE  BELOVED  OF  QOD  ;  HIS  POWER :  THE  SPIR- 
IT OP  God;  his  office:  the  Divine  Revealer  to 
ALL  nations  ;  his  methods  :  quiet,  gentle  ;  his  ten- 
derness :  HE  despises  not  the  poor  and  feeble  ; 

HIS  glory  :   THE  SAVIOUR  OP  ALL  NATIONS. 

Parallel  with  verses  15  and  16  is  Mark  3  :  7-13, 
which  is  fuller.  He  departed  to  the  sea,  and 
procured  a  small  boat  to  escape  from  the  multi- 
tude. The  rest  of  this  passage  (versos  17-21)  is  pecu- 
liar to  Matthew. 

15.  But  Jesus  knoAving  this.  The  impli- 
cation of  the  original,  unlike  that  of  our  transla- 
tion, is  that  he  knew  it  at  once.  Compare  Matt. 
9  :  4.  Withdrew  himse3f.  By  his  example 
he  enforces  his  directions  to  his  disciples  (jiatt. 
10:23).  Great  muStitudes  followed  him. 
His  enemies  were  the  ecclesiastical  leaders  ;  he 
was  still  popular  with  the  common  people. 
Healed  them  all,  i.  e.,  all  that  were  in  need 
of  healing.    Compare  chap.  8  :  It),  and  note  there. 

16.  And  charged  them,  etc.  See  note  on 
Matt.  8  :  4. 

17.  That  it  might  be  fulfilled.  The  origi- 
nal is  nearly  equivalent  to  so  was  fulfilled  (Gr.  hu 
rrXtinui, '>!]).  It,  however,  embodies  the  idea  that 
both  the  prophecy  and  the  fulfillment  were  in 
accordance  with  God's  purpose.  For  it  is  true 
that  it  was  the  purpose  of  Christ  in  life,  char- 
acter, and  death,  to  fulfil  God's  will  coueeming 
him. 

I  may  take  this  occasion  to  say  to  the  Greek 
student,  that  I  dissent  from  Alford's  conclusion 
that  "  it  is  impossible  to  translate  'iva  (Jiina)  in 
any  other  sense  than  'in  order  that.'  "  Sophocles 
( Greek  Lex.,  art.  'ha)  has  given  a  number  of  illus- 
trations, some  from  the  Septuagint,  showing 
that  it  is  used  in  the  later  Greek  otherwise  than 
in  a  telle  sense ;  and  there  are  passages  in  the 
N.  T.  where  it  cannot  be  rendered  "in  order 
that,"  without  forcing  an  unnatural  meaning 
upon  the  sacred  text.     John  13  :  34   affords  a 


striking  illustration :  "  A  new  commandment 
1  give  unto  you.  That  ((>«)  ye  love  one  another; 
as  i  have  loved  you,  that  (nu)  ye  also  love  one 
another."  It  is  certainly  unnatural  though  not 
impossible  to  render  the  first  iru  (Jdna)  "in  order 
that,"  i.  e.  to  suppose  Christ's  declaration  to  be, 
I  have  given  you  a  new  commandment  in  order 
thai  ye  love  one  another  ;  but  it  neither  accords 
with  common  sense  nor  with  other  teachings  of 
Scripture  to  give  that  meaning  to  the  second  i'la, 
so  as  to  read,  I  have  loved  you  in  order  that  ye  love 
one  another  ;  for  the  springs  of  Christ's  love  are 
in  himself.  So  here,  while  11  u  has  a  qualified  telle 
sense,  yet  "in  order  that  "  would  not  fairly  rep- 
resent its  true  significance,  for  it  is  impossible  to 
believe  that  the  reason  why  Christ  was  gentle, 
did  not  strive  nor  cry,  bore  patiently  and  long 
with  the  bruised  reed  and  smoking  flax,  was  that 
he  might  fulfill  a  prophecy.  This  would  make 
Christ  for  the  prophecy,  whereas  the  prophecy  is 
for  Christ.  The  mistake — for  in  spite  of  Dean 
Alford's  very  positive  assertion,  I  cannot  regard 
it  but  as  a  mistake — arises  from  forgetting  that 
the  language  of  the  N.  T.  is  popular,  not  ab- 
struse, and  conforms  in  many  respects  rather  to 
the  later  than  to  the  classical  Greek.  I  may  add 
that  while  Winer  (§  53,  t  10,  sec.  e)  in  the  main  appears 
to  sustain  Alford's  view,  though  he  is  less  positive 
and  seems  to  allow  of  some  exceptions,  the  other 
view  is  maintained  by  Olshansen,  Note  on  Matt. 
1  :  21 ;  Owen,  Note  on  same  ;  Ellicott,  Note  on 
Ephes.  1:17;  Sophocles,  Gr.  Lex.,  Art.  />■« ; 
Eobinson,  Gr.  Lex.  of  N.  T.,  Art.  Vi  u,  and  other 
scholars  quoted  in  those  authorities.  Olshausen's 
argument  appears  to  me  to  be  quite  conclusive 
on  this  subject.  "This  Evangelist  (John)  has 
used  (oart  once  only  (joUn  3 :  10)  in  all  his  writings ; 
and  in  that  instance  it  is  after  a  preceding  orrco? ; 
'(.Tdic,  too,  occurs  only  in  John  11  :  57.  But  it  is 
inconceivable  that  John  should  not  sometimes 
have  wished  to  express  the  notion  of  mere  conse- 
quence without  intention.  Such  passages  as 
John  4  :  34 ;  9:2;  15  :  13 ;  16  : 7  ;  17  :  3,  show 
that  he  employed  iva  for  this  purpose." 

17.  Which  was  spoken  by  Esaias,  i.  e. 
Isaiah.  The  quotation  is  from  Isaiah  42  : 1-4. 
It  is  apparently  a  quotation  from  memoiy,  for  it 
follows  neither  the  original  Hebrew  nor  the  Greek 
version  (the  Septuagint)  with  verbal  accuracy. 
The  N,  T.  quotations  from  the  O.  T.  afford  a 
striking  illustration  of  the  biblical  disregard  of 
the  letter,  and  a  conclusive  argument  against  the 
doctrine  of  verbal  inspiration,  i.  e.  the  doctrine  that 
the  Holy  Spirit  dictated  the  words,  and  that  the 
writers  were  mere  amanuenses.    That  the  English 


Ch.  XII.] 


MATTHEW. 


165 


i8  Behold  my  servant,  whom  I  have  chosen  ;  my 
beloved,  in  whom  my  soul  is  well  pleased  :  I  will  put 
my  spirit  upon  him,  and  he  shall  shew  judgment  to  the 
Gentiles. 

19  He  shall  not  strive,  nor  cry ;  neither  shall  any 
man  hear  his  voice  in  the  streets. 

20  A  bruised  reed  shall  he  not  break,  and  smoking 


fla.x  shall  he  not  quench,  till  he  send  forth  judgment 


22  Then'  was  brought  unto  him  one  possessed  with 
a  devil,  blind  and  dumb :  and  he  healed  him, 
insomucn  that  the  blind  and  dumb  both  spake  and 
saw. 


t  Mark  3:11;  Luke  U  :  14. 


reader  may  note  the  contrast  in  phraseology,  I 
transfer  Henderson's  translation  of  the  original 


"Behold  my  servant  whom  I  uphold  ; 
Mine  Elect  in  whom  my  soul  delighteth ; 
I  have  put  my  spirit  upon  him  ; 
He  shall  cause  judgment  to  go  forth  to  the  nations ; 
He  shall  not  cry  nor  raise  his  voice, 
Nor  cause  it  to  be  heard  in  the  streets. 
A  braised  reed  shall  he  not  crush ; 
And  a  glimmering  wick  shall  he  not  quench  ; 
For  permanence  he  shall  cause  judgment  to  go  forth. 
He  shall  not  glimmer  [be  dim],  neither  shall  he  be 

bruised, 
Till  he  have  established  judgment  on  the  earth, 
And  the  maritime  lands  have  waited  for  his  law." 

18.  My  servant.  The  same  word  (nai?)  is 
translated  child  in  Acts  4  :  27.  It  is  the  one  em- 
ployed in  Matt.  8  : 6  ;  see  note  there.  The  phrase 
is  used  by  Isaiah  in  various  senses.  It  is  applied 
to  himself  (isaiah  20 :  s),  to  Ellakim  (22 :  20),  to  the 
Jewish  people  (41 : 8, 9 ;  44 : 1, 2, 21 ;  45 : 4),  and  to  the 
Messiah  (42 :  i ;  so :  5-10 ;  62 :  is).  Its  application  to 
the  Messiah,  in  the  passage  from  which  this  quo- 
tation is  made,  is  recognized  by  most  Jewish 
rabbis,  and  in  the  Chaldee  paraphrase  the  inter- 
pretation is  incorporated  in  the  text,  which  reads, 
Behold  my  servant,  the  Messiah.  Whom  I 
have  chosen.  The  Greek  word  («(^)fr(;(u)  here 
rendered  chosen  occurs  no  where  else  in  the  N.  T. 
It  is  a  difEerent  word  from  that  employed  in  such 
passages  as  John  15 :  IG,  and  does  not  involve  the 
idea  of  selection  from  many,  but  of  preferment 
and  love.  In  whom  my  soul  is  well 
pleased.  Compare  Matt.  3  :  17 ;  17  :  5.  And 
for  the  reason  why  God  the  Father  is  well  pleased 
with  the  Son,  see  Phil.  3:9;  Hebrews  1:9.  I 
will  put  my  Spirit  upon  him.  Compare 
Matt.  3  :  16,  17  ;  John  1  :  3.2-34  ;  3  :  34 ;  10  :  38 ; 
14  :  10.  Observe  that  in  some  passages  the  Spirit 
of  God  is  represented  as  taking  on  human  nature 
(phii.  2 : 6, 7 ;  Hebnws  2:16);  and  clsewhcre,  as  here, 
the  man  Christ  Jesus  is  represented  as  clothed 
with  and  inspired  by  the  mdwelling  Spirit  of 
God.  Thus  the  Bible  uses  both  forms  of  ex- 
pressing the  incomprehensible  character  of  Jesus 
Christ  (see  vtr.  27)  which  in  the  church  have  been 
employed  separately  by  antagonistic  schools  of 
theologj'.  To  the  devout  Arian  Jesus  Christ  is 
a  man  in  whom  the  Spirit  of  God  peculiarly 
dwells ;    to  the  devout  Athanasian,  he  is  the 


Spirit  of  God  dwelling  in  and  with  a  perfect  man. 
And  he  shall  announce  judgment  to 
the  Gentiles  ;  rather  to  the  nations,  i.  e.  to  aU 
nations,  including  the  Jews,  but  also  including 
pagans.  Compare  Matt.  3  :  13,  and  note  ;  25  :  31, 
33  ;  John  5  :  33,  27. 

19.  He  shall  not  strive.  Compare  2  Tim. 
3  :  34.  Observe  that  though  error  was  common 
in  Christ's  day,  as  in  ours,  he  rarely  if  ever  en- 
tered into  a  theological  discussion.  His  preach- 
ing was  not  controversial,  though  sometimes 
doctrinal.  He  denounced  sin  (Matt.  ch.  23),  cor- 
rected error  by  instructing  in  the  truth  (chaps.  5 
and  s),  but  avoided  debate  (ch.  21 :  23-27).  Nor  vo- 
ciferate. Christ's  preaching  was  not  vocifer- 
ous ;  his  power  was  gentle.  Compare  Psalm 
18  :  35.  Neither  shall  any  man  hear  his 
voice  in  the  streets.  Of  course  to  be  under- 
stood as  an  elaboration  of  the  preceding  clause. 
Christ  was  characteristically  a  street  and  field 
preacher. 

20.  A  bruised  reed.  The  reed  was  itself 
an  emblem  of  weakness  (see  note  on  ch.  11 :  s).  A 
bruised  reed  is  one  broken,  but  not  entirely  in 
two.  The  flax  floating  in  oU  was  a  common  form 
of  lamp ;  the  smoking  flax  is  one  almost  extin- 
guished. The  half-formed  purpose  he  will  not 
discourage ;  the  disheartened  aspiration  he  will 
not  extinguish ;  the  least  glimmer  of  faith  and 
love  he  will  accept  as  a  beginning ;  he  will  not, 
by  coldness  or  rebuke,  destroy.  Read  this  meta- 
phor in  the  light  of  chap.  11  :  28.  "He  who 
holds  not  a  hand  to  the  sinner,  nor  carries  the 
burden  for  his  brother,  breaks  the  bruised  reed  ; 
he  who  despises  the  spark  of  faith  in  a  little  one 
extinguishes  the  smokmg  flax." — {Jerome.)  Si- 
mon would  have  broken  the  bruised  reed  in  the 
woman  that  was  a  sinner ;  Christ  forbade  and 
strengthened  the  faltering  purpose  (Luke  7 :  37-43). 
The  Pharisees  would  have  extinguished  the 
smoking  flax  in  Zaccheus  ;  Christ  fanned  it  into 
a  flame  of  true  penitence  (Luke  19 : 1-10).  Peter  was 
a  bruised  reed  whom  Christ  broke  not  (Luke  22: 
55-62).  Till  he  send  forth  judgment  unto 
victory,  i.  e.,  until  he  brings  long  conflict  with 
evil  to  an  end  by  taking  the  judgment-seat  and 
becoming  conqueror  as  judge  over  all  (1  Cor.  15 :  25; 
Rev.,  ch.  20).  The  implication  is,  that  the  work  of 
redemption  will  cease  with  the  final  judgment. 

21.  And  in  his  name  shall  the  Gentiles 
trust.    Tor  parallel  declarations  of  the  univer- 


166 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XII. 


23  And  all  the  people  were  amazed,  and  said,  Is  not 
this  the  son  of  David  ?  . 

24  But  when  the  Pharisees  heard  it,  they  said,  This 
fellow  doth  not  cast  out  devils,  but  by  Beelzebub  the 
prince  ot  the  devils. 

25  And  Jesus  knew  their  thoughts,"  and  said  unto 


them.  Every  kingdom  divided  j^ainst  itself  is  brought  to 
desolation  ;  and  every  city  or  house  divided  against  it- 
self shall  not  stand : 

26  And  if  Satan  cast  out  Satan,  he  is  divided  against 
himself ;  how  shall  then  his  kingdom  stand  ? 

27  And  if  I  by  Beelzebub'  cast  out  devils,  by  whom 


u  Pa.  139  :  2 ;  John  2  :  24,  25. 


sality  of  Christ's  kingdom  of  grace,  see  Isaiah 
49  :  6,  12  ;  51  :  4,  5  ;  Matt.  28  :  1^;  Mark  16  :  15. 

12  :  22-42.    HEALING  OF    DUMB  AND   BLIND,  AND 

DISCnUUSK  THEREON.    No  evidence  can  convincb  a 

DETERMINED  SKEPTIC. — ThE  ARGUMENT  PROM  MIRA- 
CLES, OP  HEALING  IN  THE  PAST,  OP  GRACE  IN  THE  PRES- 
ENT :  NONE  BUT  God  is  STRONGER  THAN  SaTAN.— In 
THE  CONPLICT  BETWEEN  GOOD  AND  EVIL  THERE  CAN  BE 
NO  NEUTRALITY.  EVERY  MAN  IS  A  SUBJECT  OP  GOD  OR 

OP  Satan.— With  Christ  is  always  for  Christ  ;  to 

BE  SEPARATE  PROM   CHRIST  IS  ALWAYS  TO  BE  AGAINST 

HIM. — All  work  that  is  not  with  Christ,  wastes. — 
There  are  bounds  to  God's  pardoning  grace.— The 
unpardonable  sin:  treason  against  the  holy 
Ghost.- The  tree  is  more  than  its  pruit;  the 
character  than  conduct. — words  are  the  incas- 

NATION    op    thoughts,    the     INTERPRETERS     OP     THE 

SOUL.— Our  words  are  written  in  the  record  op 
OUR  LIFE.- The  resurrection  op  Christ  the  evi- 
dence OP  Christianity. 

The  time  when  this  miracle  was  wrought,  and 
the  accompanying  charges  of  the  Pharisees  and 
Christ's  reply  were  uttered,  is  uncertain.  There 
is  no  reasonable  doubt  that  the  three  accounts 
given  by  Matthew  here,  by  Mark  (ch.  s :  i9-so),  and 
by  Luke  (ch.  9 :  14-20),  are  all  of  the  same  incident 
and  discourse,  though  some  scholars  have  sup- 
posed its  occurrence  twice.  Robinson  places  it 
almost  immediately  after  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount.  Townsend  does  the  same.  The  internal 
evidence — the  facts  that  so  serious  a  charge  was 
definitely  brought  against  Jesus  as  that  of  co- 
operation with  Beelzebul,  and  that  the  people 
designated  him  the  Son  of  David,  i.  e.,  the  Mes- 
siah, the  first  time  this  designation  was  given  to 
him  by  the  multitude — appears  to  me  to  point  to 
a  later  period.  It  was  probably  subsequent  to 
the  charges  made  of  eating  with  publicans  and 
sinners  (ch.  9 :  11)  of  blasphemy  (ch.  9 :  3),  and  of 
Sabbath  breaking  (ch.  12 : 2, 10,  etc).  The  place  ap- 
pears from  Mark  3  :  2:3  to  have  been  Galilee,  and 
from  same  chapter,  verses  20,  21,  to  have  been  in 
a  house 

22.  One  possessed  Avith  a  devil,  or  demon. 
See  note  on  Demoniacal  Possession,  ch.  8,  p.  85. 

23.  Son  of  David.  A  common  Jewish  ap- 
pellation of  the  Messiah.  See  references  in  note 
on  ch.  8  :  27. 

24.  But  when  the  Pharisees  heard  it. 
That  is,  when  they  heard  what  the  people  said. 
That  they  were  present  is  indicated  by  Luke's 
phraseology  "Some  of  them  said."  Mark  gives 
a  more  definite  description  of  these  critics  ;  they 


were  "  scribes  who  came  down  from  Jerusalem." 
There  is  nothing  inconsistent  in  these  different 
descriptions.  They  were,  in  office  scribes,  in 
sentiment  Pharisees,  at  the  time  present  with 
and  part  of  the  multitude.  They  said.  Not 
openly,  but  to  one  another.  This  is  evident  from 
the  language  of  the  next  verse.  But  by  Beel- 
zebul the  prince  of  devils.  All  the  authori- 
ties agree  that  the  reading  here  should  be  Beel- 
zebul. Beelzebub,  or  Baal-zebub  {lord  of  flesh), 
was  a  god  of  the  Ekronites  (2  Kings  1 : 2).  By  the 
change  of  a  single  letter  the  Jews  converted  it 
into  Baal  or  Beelzebul  (lord  of  filth),  and  applied 
it  to  the  prince  of  devils.  In  their  demonology, 
the  demons  were  divided  into  ranks  or  classes, 
Satan,  or  Beelzebul,  or  the  devil,  being  the  prince 
or  chief  of  aU.  See  on  his  character  note  on  ch. 
4:1. 

Observe  that  during  Christ's  life  it  was  never 
denied  by  his  bitterest  foes  that  he  wrought 
miracles.  Compare  John  11 :  47.  Even  the 
Pharisees  were  compelled  to  admit  the  miracles 
which  they  attributed  either,  as  here,  to  demo- 
niacal agency,  or,  as  in  their  later  books,  to 
magical  powers.  A  blasphemous  Life  of  Jesus, 
compiled  from  the  rabbinical  authorities,  asserts 
that  he  wrought  them  by  possessing  himself 
secretly  of  the  incommunicable  name  of  God 
kept  in  the  Holy  of  Holies,  and  carefully  guarded 
there ;  and  that  the  cause  of  his  death  was  his 
deprivation,  through  the  treachery  of  Judas, 
of  the  manuscript  on  which  he  had  written  this 
name  and  other  mysteries  there  acquired.  The 
first  open  denial  of  the  reality  of  the  miracles  ap- 
pears as  late  as  the  second  century  in  the  works 
of  Celsus. 

25.  And  Jesus  knew  their  thous^hts. 
Compare  ch.  9:4;  Heb.  4 :  13.  Every  king- 
dom divided  against  itself.  The  German 
version  expresses  the  idea  happily  :  Every  king- 
dom not  at  one  with  itself  (unein§).  History 
affords  abundant  illustration  of  this  principle  in 
human  affairs.  The  principle  itself  constitutes 
an  incidental  but  strong  argument  against  sec- 
tarianism. See  1  Cor.  1  :  13.  Observe  that 
Christ  recognized  and  set  the  seal  of  his  approval 
on  the  Jewish  conception  of  two  kingdoms,  of 
good  and  evil,  with  their  angels  and  archangels. 
The  kingdom  of  Satan  is  as  definitely  recognized 
byJesus  as  the  kingdom  of  God.  And  every  *  * 
house  (olxlu),  here  equivalent  to  household. 

2G.  If  Satan  cast  out  Satan.      Satan  is 


Ch.  XII.] 


MATTHEW. 


1G7 


do  your  children  cast  them  out  ?   therefore  they  shall 
be  your  judges. 

28  But  if  1  cast  out  devils  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  then 
the  kingdom"  of  God  is  come  unto  you. 

29  Or  else  how  can  one  enter  into  a  strong  man's 


house,  and  spoil^  his  goods,  except  he  first  bind  the 
strong  man  ?  and  then  ne  will  spoil  his  house. 

30  He  that  is  not  with  me,  is  against  me  -J  and  he 
that  gathereth  not  with  me,  scattereth  abroad. 

31  Wherefore  I  say  unto  you,  All^  manner  of  sm  and 


ch.  6  :  33 ;  Dan.  2  :  44  ;  Luke  11  : 


here  evidently  synonymous  on  the  one  hand  with 
Beelzebul,  on  the  other  with  the  demon  which 
Christ  has  cast  out,  who  is  treated  as  one  of 
Satan's  emissaries.  The  passage  shows  conclu- 
sively that  in  New  Testament  usage  demon  is 
nearly  equivalent  to  devil  with  us,  not  merely  to 
spirit,  as  in  classical  usage.  He  is  divided 
against  himself:  how  shall  then  his  king- 
dom stand  ?  It  is  true  that  the  kingdom  of 
Satan  is  in  perpetual  discord  and  anarchy,  for  to 
this  the  spirit  of  selfishness  iaevitably  leads ; 
but  in  relation  to  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  it  is  at 
one.  "Just  as  a  nation  or  kingdom  may  em- 
brace within  itself  infinite  parties,  divisions,  dis- 
cords, jealousies,  and  heart-burnings ;  yet  if  it  is 
to  subsist  as  a  nation  at  all,  it  must  not,  as  re- 
gards other  nations,  have  lost  its  sense  of  unity  ; 
when  it  does  so,  of  necessity  it  falls  to  pieces  and 
perishes." — {Trench.)  There  is,  however,  a  real 
as  well  as  seeming  unity  in  the  kingdom  of  evil ; 
every  evil  influence  co-operates  with  others,  and 
tends  to  render  the  soul  more  subject  to  sin  and 
Satan ;  and  in  all  conflicts  the  hosts  of  evil  natur- 
ally and  instinctively  ally  themselves  together; 
while  the  truth  tends  to  the  development  of  the^ 
individual  conscience  and  to  liberty  of  judgment 
and  action  in  the  individual,  and  so  leads  at  first 
to  divisions  which  only  time  and  a  riper  develop- 
ment can  cure.  Contrast,  for  example,  the  unity 
of  the  Papal  Church  with  the  divisions  among 
Protestants. 

2S^  By  whom  do  your  children  cast 
them  out?  There  are  two  interpretations  of 
this  verse.  Chrysostom  and  the  fathers  gene- 
rally understand  by  "your  children"  the  apos- 
tles. "He  saith  not  'my  disciples,'  nor  'the 
apostles,'  but  'your  sons,'  to  the  end  that  if,  in- 
deed, they  were  minded  to  return  to  the  same 
nobleness  with  them,  they  might  derive  hence  a 
powerful  sirring  that  way. ' ' — ( Chrysostom. )  And 
he  interprets  the  argument  thus  :  "  If  I  so  cast 
them  out,  much  more  those  who  have  received 
their  authority  from  me.  Nevertheless,  no  such 
thing  have  ye  said  to  them.  *  *  *  Therefore, 
also  he  added,  '  they  shall  be  your  judges.'  For 
when  persons  from  among  you,  and  having  been 
practised  in  those  things,  both  believe  me  and 
obey,  it  is  most  clear  that  they  will  also  condemn 
those  who  are  against  me  both  in  deed  and 
word."  But  this  mterpretation  is  unnatural, 
and  has  probably  been  invented  to  avoid  the 
difficulty  felt  in  supposing  that  Christ  imputes 
miraculous  powers  to  the  followers  of  the  Phar- 


isees. The  later  and  better  interpretation  un- 
derstands by  "your  children,"  the  disciples  of 
the  Pharisees  (see  2  Kings  2 : 3),  and  the  argument  to 
be.  Tour  own  disciples  assume  to  cast  out  devils ; 
how  do  they  accomplish  it?  If  in  them  it  is 
an  evidence  of  divine  authority,  what  is  it  in 
me?  They,  therefore,  shall  judge.  Did,  then, 
the  disciples  of  tJie  Pharisees  cast  out  devils  ?  That 
they  pretended  to  do  so  is  certain.  There  is  no 
other  evidence  in  Scripture  of  such  a  practice 
than  that  contained  here  ;  for  the  persons  men- 
tioned in  Luke  9  :  49,  and  in  Acts  19 :  13,  14,  as- 
sumed to  cast  out  devils  only  in  Christ's  name  ; 
the  latter  incident,  however,  implies  a  not  un- 
common practice  of  exorcism.  But  there  is 
abundant  evidence  of  this  practice  in  the  rab- 
binical books.  Josephus  refers  to  it:  "He  (i.  e. 
Solomon)  left  behind  him  the  manner  of  using 
exorcism,  by  which  they  drive  away  demons,  so 
that  they  never  return,  and  this  manner  of  cure 
is  of  great  force  unto  this  day  "  (Antiq.  viii.,  ch. 
3,  §  5).  And  he  proceeds  to  give  an  account  of 
the  method  pursued — a  species  of  incantation. 
In  one  passage  (Wars  of  Jews,  viii.,  ch.  6,  §2)  he 
gives  an  account  of  a  root  called  barras,  which 
can  only  be  plucked  in  a  particular  manner,  but 
which  "  quickly  drives  away  those  called  demons, 
which  are  no  other  than  the  spirits  of  the  wicked, 
that  enter  into  men  that  are  alive,  and  kUl  them, 
unless  they  can  obtam  some  help  agamst  them." 
That  the  Pharisees  claimed  power  to  cast  out 
devils  is  then  clear ;  but,  notwithstanding  Alford's 
argument,  there  appears  to  me  to  be  nothing  in 
the  words  of  Jesus  here  to  warrant  the  belief 
that  they  really  possessed  any  such  power.  The 
argument  is  simply  one  ad  hominem,  and  it  is 
equally  strong  whether  the  exorcism  of  evil 
spirits  was  real  or  pi-etended. 

28.  But  if  I  cast  out  devils  by  the  Spirit 
of  God.  Literally  in  the  Spirit  of  Ood,  i.  e.  in 
the  power  of  his  Spirit;  Luke  says  "with  the 
finger  of  God."  Then  the  kingdom  of  God 
is  come  unto  you ;  rather,  as  rendered  in  Luke, 
ujmn  you.  It  comes  upon  the  Pharisees  and  the 
devils,  unto  the  disciples  and  the  victims  pos- 
sessed of  devils. 

29.  Or  else,  i.  e.,  If  the  Idngdom  of  God  has 
not  come,  if  one  stronger  than  Satan  is  not  here. 
How  can  one.  Luke  says  "a  stronger  than 
he,''''  i.  e.,  than  Satan.  The  same  Greek  word 
{la/vQiiztQic),  here  translated  "stronger,"  ia 
used  by  John   the    Baptist  to  designate  Jesus 

(Matt.  3:11;  Luke  3 :  16,  there  tranelated  "  mightier  ").     Enter 


1G8 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XII. 


blasphemy  shall  be  forgiven  unto  men :   but  the  blas- 
phemy against  the  Holy  Ghost"  shall  not  be  forgiven 
unto  men. 
32  And  whosoever  speaketh  a  word  against  the  Son 


of  man,''  it  shall  be  forgiven  him :  but  whosoever 
speaketh  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  it  shall  not  be  for- 
given him,  ueituer  in  this  world,  neither  in  the  world 
to  come. 


Hcb.  10  :  29  ;  1  John  5  ;  IG b  Luke  7  :  34 ;  John  7:12;  1  Tim. 


into  a  stroniT man's  house,  except,  etc.  The 

strong  man  is  Satan,  his  house  is  the  whole  do- 
main of  evil.  It  is  only  by  binding  Satan  that  his 
power  over  the  souls  of  men  can  be  broken. 
Compare  for  interpretation  of  metaphor  Isaiah 
40 :  10  ;  49 :  24,  25  ;  53 :  12  ;  Col.  2 :  15,  and  note 
on  Luke  11 :  21,  23,  where  the  metaphor  is  given 
more  fully  than  here. 

30.  He  that  is  not  Avith  rae  is  against 
me,  etc.  The  converse  of  the  proposition  is  also 
true,  He  that  is  not  against  us  is  on  our  part 
(Mark  9 :  40 ;  Luke  9 :  5o).  This  is  the  consummation  of 
the  first  part  of  the  discourse,  and  leads  to  the 
second  part.  See  on  next  verse.  It  sets  forth 
the  division  of  all  moral  beings  into  two  king- 
doms of  good  and  evil,  God  and  Satan,  in  one 
or  other  of  ivhich  every  person  is  of  necessity  ;  for 
there  is  no  third  kingdom.  He  that  is  not 
gathering  with  me,— for  the  final  harvest,— is 
scatterinsr  abroad,  does  not  gather  for  any 
harvest,  but  scatters,  wastes.  This  is  not  a 
mere  repetition  of  the  first  clause  of  the  verse. 
The  first  asserts  that  he  who  is  not  Christ's  fol- 
lower is  his  foe,  and  it  classes  the  multitude,  who 
were  listening  but  not  obeying,  with  the  Phari- 
sees, and  both  with  Satan  and  the  devils ;  the 
second  asserts  that  every  act  and  influence  in  life, 
qf  the  disciple  as  well  as  of  Mm  who  is  not,  if  it 
gather  nothing  for  Christ  and  wi(7t  him,  scatters 
and  wastes  that  which  has  been  or  is  beiag 
gathered.  Every  act  as  well  as  every  individual 
is  with  and  for  Christ  or  against  him.  For 
meaning  of  the  word  "gathering"  see  Matthew 
S :  13 ;  13  :  30  ;  of  the  word  "  scattering  "  see  John 
10 :  13,  Observe  that  throughout  this  verse  the  con- 
trast is  not  between  him  who  is  for  Christ  or  who 
gathers  for  Christ  and  him  who  is  against  Christ 
or  scattereth,  but  between  him  who  is  with 
Christ  (Gr.  i^htu)  or  gathereth  with  Christ 
(avvuyu))  and  him  who  is  against  Christ  or  scat- 
tereth. One  can  be  for  Christ  only  as  he  is  with 
Christ.  We  are  against  him  when  we  are  not 
vdth  him,  i.  e.,m.  his  fellowship.  When  we  are 
in  his  fellowship  we  cannot  be  against  him.  Un- 
wisdom may  make  our  work  apparently  scatter- 
ing, wasteful,  useless;  but  he  gathers  it  if  we 
have  worked  with  him.  Mary  doing  no  work, 
only  sitting  at  Jesus'  feet,  was /or  him  ;  Martha, 
cumbered  about  much  serving,  though  for  him, 
scattered,  wasted  her  energies,  because  she  was 
not  with  him  in  sympathy  (Luke  lo :  ss-ts). 

30.  Wherefore.  This  conjunction  connects 
the  discourse  following  respecting  blasphemy 
against  the  Holy  Spirit  closely  with  what  pre- 


cedes concerning  the  kingdoms  of  good  and  evil, 
God  and  Satan.  Mark  (s :  zo)  gives  the  connection 
still  more  definitely :  "  Because  they  said,  He 
hath  an  unclean  spirit."  I  say  unto  you.  A 
common  introduction  of  a  solemn  assertion.  See 
note  on  Matt.  5 :  18.  Every  sin  and  blas> 
phemy  shiiil  be  forgiven.  Our  English  ver- 
sion doubtless  gives  the  sense  :  not  every  sin 
shall  be  forgiven,  but  every  kind  of  sin  ;  that  is, 
there  is  forgiveness  through  repentance  for  all 
sins  except  the  one  about  to  be  mentioned.  But 
the  blasphemy  of  the  Spirit.  The  word  Holy 
is  inserted  by  the  translators  in  this  verse  to  make 
it  conform  to  the  verse  following.  On  the  mean- 
ing of  word  blasphemy  see  below. 

32.  Against  the  Son  of  man,  i.  e.,  the 
Messiah.  See  note  on  Matt.  10  :  23.  It  is  not 
true,  as  some  commentators  have  supposed,  that 
the  contrast  is  between  speaking  against  the 
Messiah  in  his  veiled  condition  and  unfinished 
work,  and  slandering  the  same  Person  after  the 
change  of  glory  which  the  Holy  Ghost  was  soon 
to  throw  around  his  claims,  and  in  the  full  know- 
ledge of  that,  for  the  phrase  "Son  of  Man"  is 
used  by  Christ  in  describing  himself  both  as 
coming  in  spiritual  glory  and  power  on  the  day 
of  Pentecost  {mm.  lO:  23,  endnote),  and  subsequently 
to  judge  the  world  (Matt.  26:  64),  and  is  quoted 
from  Daniel  and  the  rabbinical  books,  where  it  is 
an  appellation  of  the  Messiah.  Neither  in  this 
world,  neither  in  the  world  to  come.  All 
such  attempts  as  that  of  Dr.  Adam  Clark  to 
break  the  force  of  this  language  by  such  inter- 
pretations as  "Neither in  this  dispensation,  viz., 
the  Jewish,  nor  in  that  which  is  to  come,  viz., 
the  Christian,"  or  that  of  Wordsworth,  follow- 
ing certain  of  the  fathers,  "Is  very  unlikely  to 
obtain  pardon,"  are  utterly  inadmissible.  The 
contrast  here  recognized  between  this  world 
and  the  world  to  come  is  a  common  one  among 
the  Jewish  rabbis,  and  no  phrases  could  have 
been  better  adapted  to  cover,  to  the  Jewish 
mind,  the  whole  period  of  the  soul's  existence. 
There  is  certainly  in  this  verse  no  necessary  im- 
plication that  there  is  forgiveness  of  any  sin  in 
the  life  to  come,  though  that  deduction  has  been 
drawn,  even  by  Augustine  ;  on  the  other  hand, 
there  is  positive  assertion  that  there  is  a  sin  for 
which  there  can  never  be  pardon.  It  would  be 
impossible  to  employ  language  more  definitely 
inconsistent  with  the  idea  that  all  men  will  be 
finally  pardoned  and  restored  to  divine  favor. 

Of  blasphemy  against  the  Holt  Ghost. 
Volumes  have  been  written  respecting  this  utter- 


Ch.  XIL] 


MATTHEW. 


169 


33  Either  make  the  tree  good,  and  his  fruit  good  ;  34  O  generation''  of  vipers !  how  can  ye,  being  evil, 
or  else  aiake  the  tree  corrupt,  and  his  fruit  corrupt :  speak  good  things  ?  for  out"  of  the  abundance  of  the 
for'  the  tree  is  known  by  his  fruit.  heart  the  mouth  speaketh. 


;  ch.  7  :  16,  n d  ch.  3  :  7 e  Luke  6  :  45. 


ance  of  Christ.  In  the  early  church  conflicting 
sects  charged  each  other  with  this  sin.  The 
fathers  attributed  it  to  the  Arians  because  they 
denied  the  divinity  of  Christ,  to  the  Macedonians 
because  they  denied  the  Godhead  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and,  in  brief,  to  all  heretics  because  they 
spoke  evil  of  the  Holy  Spirit's  work.  In  later 
times  multitudes  have  yielded  themselves  to 
despair,  supposmg  themselves  guilty  of  it.  It 
has  been  variously  defined  as,  Persistent  resist- 
ance to  the  influence  of  the  Third  Person  of  the 
Trinity ;  Impious  speaking  against  the  Holy 
Ghost ;  Attributmg  the  works  of  God  to  Satan  ; 
A  wanton  and  blasphemous  attack  on  the  divine 
nature  and  power  of  Christ ;  A  contemptuous 
treatment  of  Christ,  not  as  he  then  appeared  m 
his  humiliation,  but  as  he  was  ere  long  to  appear, 
when  his  mission  and  character  should  be  at- 
tested by  the  Holy  Ghost ;  Not  a  particular  act 
of  sin  but  a  state  of  sin,  a  wilful,  determined  op- 
position to  the  blessed  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit ; 
Not  a  sinful  state  of  mind,  but  one  great  and 
deadly  sin,  which,  when  committed,  renders  for- 
giveness absolutely  impossible.  It  has  been  sup- 
posed that  the  Pharisees  had  committed  it,  and 
Christ  denounced  this  woe  upon  them  ;  that  they 
had  not  committed  it,  but  approached  its  com- 
mission, and  Christ  warned  them  of  their  danger. 
To  a  certain  extent  the  sin  appears  to  be  left 
purposely  undefined,  the  note  of  warning  to  be 
indefinite,  that  it  may  caution  all  against  trans- 
gressing the  bounds  beyond  which  forgiveness 
never  reclaims.  In  seeking  to  understand 
Christ's  meaning,  and  governing  ourselves  by 
the  canon,  we  are  to  understand  him  as  he  would 
expect  to  be  understood  by  his  auditors,  the  fol- 
lowing facts  are  to  be  considered,  (a)  There  is 
an  unpardonable  sin  ;  a  sin,  be  it  act  or  state,  for 
which  there  is  no  space  for  forgiveness.  It  is 
possible  to  go  beyond  the  reach  of  God's  mercy. 
(6)  There  are  hints  of  such  a  sin  elsewhere  in 
the  N.  T.  In  the  study  of  this  subject  these 
should  be  carefully  examined.  The  principal 
passages  are  the  following  ;  Heb.  6  :  4-<3 ;  10  : 
26-31 ;  1:3  :  15-17 ;  1  John  5  :  16.  (f)  The  connec- 
tion in  this  discourse  is  close  between  Christ's 
previous  reference  to  the  oppugnance  of  the  two 
kingdoms  of  good  and  evil,  and  his  allusion  here 
to  blasphemy  against  the  Holy  Ghost.  "  Where- 
fore," i.  e.,  because  he  that  is  not  with  me  is  of 
necessity  against  me,  "  I  say  unto  you,  All  man- 
ner of  sin  and  blasphemy  shall  be  forgiven  except 
the  blasphemy  against  the  Holy  Ghost."  (cZ)  It 
la  also  closely  connected  with   the  accusation 


brought  against  Christ  by  the  Pharisees,  This 
fellow  doth  not  cast  out  devils  but  by  Beelzebul 
the  prince  of  devUs.  (see  Mark  3  :  30.)  If  they 
were  not  guilty  of  this  sin  they  were  approach- 
ing it.  (e)  The  language  used  by  Christ  in  de- 
scribing the  sin  had  a  more  definite  meaning  with 
the  Jews  than  it  has  with  us.  The  Spirit  of  God 
was  not  first  revealed  at  Pentecost.  The  phrase 
is  of  constant  occurrence  in  the  O.  T.   (Exod.  31 : 3 ; 

Numb.  11:26;  1  Sam.  10  :  10  ;  19  :  20 ;  Psalm  137  :  7;  143:10; 
Isaiah  48  :  16 ;  Ezek.  11  :  24,  etc.).     As  USCd  here  by  JeSUS, 

it  would  be  understood  by  his  auditors  in  the 
O.  T.  sense,  viz.,  neither  as  the  Third  Person  of 
the  Trinity,  for  the  doctrine  of  three  Persons  in 
one  God  was  unknown  to  the  Jews,  nor  as  the 
divine  power  in  Jesus  Christ,  for  his  divinity  was 
not  recognized  fully,  even  by  the  disciples,  till 
a  later  period,  .but  as  God  manifest  in  penonai 
presence  and  jjoiver  in  and  upon  tJie  hearta  ofinen. 
(/)  The  word  blasphemy  had  a  well  defined 
meaning  to  the  Jews.  It  was  the  designation  of 
a  crime  defined  by  statutes,  and  punishable  by 
death.  Under  the  theocracy  Jehovah  was  kmg 
of  the  Jews.  He  at  first  appointed  directly  all 
subordinate  officers,  and  held,  in  his  own  name, 
all  the  land ;  later  the  kings  were  his  own 
anointed,  and  ruled  in  his  name.  To  do  aught  to 
diminish  reverence  and  allegiance  to  him  was 
the  blasphemy  of  the  O.  T.,  a  crime  answering 
to  treason  in  our  own  times,  and  was  carefully 
defined  and  rigorously  punished  by  the  Mosaic 

laws.  (For  laws,  see  Exod.  20 :  1-7  ;  22  :  20  ;  Deut.  13  :  1-5  ;  18 : 
19,  20 ;  Numb.  ch.  IG  ;  20  :  7-12  ;  1  Kings  18.  See  also  Abbott's  Jesus  of 

Nazareth,  ch.  xxxv.)  It  was  of  this  Crime  that  Jesus 
was  accused,  and  for  it  condemned  by  the  San- 
hedrim, because  he  assumed  a  divine  character, 
and  claimed  divine  honors  {mm.  20 :  gs-gg).  (g)  The 
warning  here  was  uttered  by  Christ,  not  to  infi- 
dels and  open  opposers  of  the  kingdom  of  God, 
nor  to  hardened,  flagrant,  and  undisguised  sin- 
ners ;  but  to  the  Pharisees,  who  claimed  to  be 
leaders  in  the  Jewish  theocracy,  citizens  in  the 
kingdom  which  the  Messiah  was  to  inaugurate. 

I  conclude,  then,  that  by  blasphemy  against 
the  Holy  Ghost  Christ's  auditors  would  under- 
stand, not  a  hardness  of  heart,  a  state  of  wilful, 
determined,  obdurate  sin,  though  only  out  of  this 
could  it  spring,  nor  every  kind  of  evil  speaking 
against  either  the  Third  Person  in  the  Trinity  or 
the  divine  nature  and  office  of  Christ,  but  treason 
by  professed  members  of  the  kingdom  of  Ood  against 
the  Spirit  of  God,  manifested  in  this  instance  by 
wilfully  confounding  the  two  kingdoms  of  good 
and  evil,  God  and  Satan,  and  attributing  to  the 


170 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XIL 


35  A  good  man  out  of  the  good  treasure  of  the  heart 
bringeth  forth  good  things  ;  and  an  evil  man,  out  of 
the  evil  treasure,  bringeth  forth  evil  things. 

36  But  I  say  unto  you.  That  every  idle  word  that 
men  shall  speak,  they  shall  give  account'  thereof  in  the 
day  of  judgmDnt : 

37  F>)r  by  thy  words?  thou  shalt  be  justified,  and  by 
thy  words  thou  shalt  be  condemned. 


38  Then  certain  of  the  scribes  and  of  the  Pharisees 
answered,  saying,  Master,  we  would  see  a  sign'"  Irom 
thee. 

39  But  he  answered  and  said  unto  them.  An  evil 
and  adulterous'  generation  seeketh  alter  a  sign  ;  and 
there  shall  no  sign  be  given  to  it,  but  the  sign  of  the 
prophet  Jonas: 

40  ForJ  as  Jonas  was  three  days  and  three  nights  in 


f  Ecc.  12  :  14  ;  Eph.  6  :  4,  6 ;  Jude  15 g  Prov.  13  :  3 h  ch.  16  :  1 ;  1  Cor.  1  :  22 i  Isa.  67  :  3. . .  .j  Jo 


diabolical  agency  of  the  latter  the  blessed  oper- 
ations in  merciful  healing  wrought  by  the 
former.  But  all  wilful,  wanton,  determined  op- 
position to  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  either  in 
others'  hearts  or  our  own,  especially  when  en- 
gaged in  by  those  who  profess  allegiance  to  the 
Holy  Ghost,  approximates  this  sin. 

33.  Either  make  the  tsee  good  and  his 
fruit  good,  or  else  make  the  tree  corrupt 
and  his  fruit  corrupt.  The  direct  connec- 
tion with  the  preceding  verses  appears  to  be 
this  :  Be  consistent ;  either  represent  the  casting 
out  of  the  devil  from  the  possessed  as  bad,  or  else 
acknowledge  the  power  that  has  done  it  to  be 
good.  But  the  lesson  is  of  wider  application ; 
for  it  is  not  without  significance  that  Christ  uses 
the  word  make  (Gr.  Troitcu),  which  never  appears 
to  be  used  in  the  N.  T.  as  merely  equivalent  to 
represent.  The  parable  has  a  bearing  on  all 
work  of  reformation,  public  or  individual,  as  well 
as  on  all  judgments  of  real  or pseudo  reformation. 
We  must  always  work  at  the  tree  if  we  Mish  to 
affect  the  fruit  (see  John  3 :  6).  For  the  tree  is 
kuown  by  his  fruit.  Nevertheless,  the  tree 
is  more  than  the  fruit,  just  as  the  treasure  of  the 
heart  (verse  35)  is  more  than  the  speaking.  Com- 
pare with  this  verse  Matt.  7  :  15-20,  and  note. 

34.  O  offspring  of  vipers.  See  Matt.  3  :  7, 
and  note.  How  can  ye,  being  evil,  speak 
good  things.  Observe  how  even  here,  where 
Christ  gives  prominence  to  conduct  (of  the 
tongue),  he  still  recognizes  character  (the  being 
evil)  as  the  source  and  root  of  conduct,  and  as 
that  which  must  be  changed.  It  is  not  merely 
the  speaking  against  the  Holy  Ghost  which  is  the 
unpardonable  sin,  but  that  kind  of  being  evil 
which  leads  to  such  speaking.  For  out  of  the 
abundance.  LitevaWy  overplus  (Gr.  neolnaev^iu, 
■what  is  over  and  above).  The  speaking  not  only  in- 
dicates the  state  of  the  heart,  but  indicates  much 
more  than  appears  in  the  words.  And  observe 
the  implication,  that  the  words  are  evil  because 
they  are  indicators  of  the  evil  state  within. 

35.  The  good  man  out  of  the  good  trea- 
sure, i.  e.,  out  of  the  character,  which  is  a  treasure 
or  accumulation  of  aU  previous  education,  train- 
ing, and  habits.  The  words  ''of  the  heart "  are  not 
in  the  best  manuscript ;  they  were  probably  in- 
serted there  from  the  preceding  verse.  Luke 
(6 :  46)  gives  almost  the  same  aphorism  in  his  re- 
port of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount. 


36.  Every  idle  word.  This  is  not  merely 
equivalent  to  evil  word,  though  it  includes  such. 
The  original  (a'^yjc )  is  used  in  the  N.  T.  to  desig- 
nate unemployed  persons  (Matt,  so :  3, 6,  etc  ;  i  xim. 
6 ;  13,  etc.),  and  in  the  classics,  money  lying  without 
interest,  and  land  untilled,  and  a  fallacious  argu- 
ment, i.  e.,  one  that  comes  to  no  true  result. 
Here  the  meaning  is  every  non-productive  word  ; 
every  word  that  adds  nothing,  either  to  the  pre- 
sent happiness  or  the  permanent  usefulness  of 
others,  all  talking  for  the  mere  sake  of  talking, 
and  of  course  all  words  of  falsehood,  malice,  and 
injury.  "That  is  idle  which  is  not  according  to 
the  fact,  which  hath  in  it  unjust  accusation  ;  and 
some  say  that  which  is  vain  also,  for  instance, 
provoking  inordinate  laughter,  or  what  is  filthj', 
and  immodest,  and  coarse." — {Cltrysodom.)  Com- 
pare Ephes.  4:  39;  5:  3,  4, 

37.  For  by  thy  words,  etc.  Literally  out 
of  thy  words.  Compare  Rev.  ~0 : 1:3,  where  the 
same  Greek  preposition  (ix)  is  rendered  out  of. 
The  dead  were  judged  out  of  those  things  which 
were  written  in  the  books.  Here  the  declaration 
is  that  words  form  a  basis  for  the  last  judgment. 
But  the  reason  must  not  be  forgotten  ;  because 
the  words  are  indicators  of  the  heart  which  is  to 
be  judged.  By  our  words  we  are  writing  the 
history  of  our  lives  and  preparing  the  record  for 
the  judgment  day.  Compare  with  this  jDortion 
of  Christ's  discourse,  James,  ch.  3. 

38.  Then  certain  *  *  •^-  answered,  saying, 
Master.  Observe  the  language  of  respect.  A 
portion  had  tried  open  reproach ;  others  tried 
flattery.  Compare  Matt.  22  :  10-24  ;  Luke  20 : 
21-28 ;  and  observe  how  Christ  receives  the  hypo- 
critical advances  of  pretended  respect.  We 
would  see  a  sign  from  thee.  The  same  Greek 
word  (o);i(£(oi)  is  often  rendered  miracle.  A 
miracle  had  just  been  wrought  in  the  casting  out 
of  the  evil  spirit.  Luke  explains  the  demand 
more  definitely :  "A  sign  from  heaven"  (compare 
Matt.  16:  i),  i.  6.,  a  sigu  in  which  the  interference 
from  above  should  be  more  evident  and  palpable, 
a  miracle  not  wrought  by  him  but  from  above. 
The  same  demand  is  made  by  modern  scepticism, 
which  calls  for  a  repetition  now  of  the  N.  T. 
miracles.  See,  for  example,  Kenan's  Life  of 
Jesus,  p.  44,  intro.  Am.  Ed. 

39.  An  evil  and  adulterous  generation. 
It  was  literally  an  adulterous  generation.  See 
Matt.  19 :  3-9,  and  notes.    But  the  0.  T.  symbol- 


Ch.  XIL] 


MATTHEW. 


171 


the  whale's  belly  ;  so  shall  the  Son  of  man  be  three 
days  and  three  nights  in  the  heart  of  the  earth. 

^i  The  men  of  Nineveh  shall  rise  in  judgment  with 
this  generation,  and  shall  condemn"  it ;  because  they 
repented  at'  the  preaching  of  Jonas ;  and,  behold,  a 
greater  than  Jonas  is  here. 


42  The"  queen  of  the  south  shall  rise  up  in  the  judg- 
ment with  this  generation,  and  shall  condemn  it :  for 
she"  came  from  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  to  hear 
the  wisdom  of  Solomon ;  and,  behold,  a  greater  than 
Solomon  is  here. 

43  When"  the  unclean  spirit  is  gone  out  of  a  man,  hei* 


k  Rom.  2  :  27. 


Jonas  3:5 m  Luke  11  :  81, 


Luke  11  :  24 p  Job  1  ;  7  ;  1  Pet.  5  :  8. 


ism  gives  to  the  phrase  here  a  spiritual  signifi- 
cance. Israel  was  married  to  God  (isaiah  54 :  s ;  Jcr. 
8 :  14),  and  because  faithless  to  him  was  compared 

to  an  adulteress  (Jer.  3  :  8-13  ;  Ezck.  IG  :  33  ;  ch.  23,  etc.).      It 

is  the  godless  that  demand  a  sensuous  manifesta- 
tion of  the  Deity  ;  the  true  children  of  God  know 
him  by  his  spiritual  presence  (johu  14 :  n.  Compare 
1  Cor.  1 :  22, 23).  But  the  sigii  of  the  prophet 
Jonas,  i.  e.,  of  Jonah.  This  declaration  is  in- 
terpreted by  the  following  verse. 

40.  For  as  Jonah  *  -  *  was  in  the  belly 
of  the  great  fish.  The  account  is  given  in 
Jonah,  chaps.  1  and  2.  The  word  whale  is  a  mis- 
translation. There  is  nothing  in  the  original 
Greek  here  to  indicate  the  species  of  fish,  and 
nothing  in  the  O.  T.  account.  Observe  that  Christ 
gives  his  personal  sanction  to  the  account  of  this 
miracle,  which,  more  than  any  other  in  the  0  T., 
has  been  subjected  to  criticism  and  even  ridicule. 
We  must  either  accept  the  O.  T.  history  of  this 
miracle  or  believe  that  Jesus  was  a  deceiver  or 
was  himself  deceived.  So  shall  the  Son  of 
man  be  three  days  and  three  nights  in  the 
heart  of  the  earth.  lie,  in  fact,  died  Friday 
afternoon  at  three  o'clock,  and  rose  again  on 
Sabbath  morning,  so  that  he  was  in  the  heart  of 
the  earth  only  two  nights  and  one  day  and  a  part 
of  two  others.  But  Jewish  reckoning  accounted 
part  of  a  year  as  a  whole  one  in  estimating  royal 
reigns,  and  a  part  of  a  day  as  a  whole  one  in 
statements  of  time  ;  so  that  Christ's  statement 
accords  exactly  with  the  facts  as  the  Jews  would 
have  stated  them.  See  for  illustration  Gen.  40  : 
13,  20  ;  1  Sam.  30  ;  13,  13 ;  2  Chron.  10  :  5,  12. 
The  birth  of  Christ  is  typified  by  the  birth  of 
Isaac  and  Mahershalalhashbaz,  his  death  by  that 
of  Abel  and  the  substitute  for  Isaac  and  the  ap- 
pointed sacrifices  in  the  Temple,  his  resurrec- 
tion by  the  deliverance  of  Isaac  from  death, 
Daniel's  deUverance,  and  most  of  all  by  Jonah's. 
Observe  that  Jonah  (2: 2)  speaks  of  his  prayer  as 
being  heard  "  out  of  the  belly  of  hell,"  i.  e.,  Hades 
(see  note  on  Matt.  5 :  22).  Christ  Unmistakably  recog- 
nizes in  the  miraculous  deliverance  of  Jonah  a 
parable  of  his  own  resurrection.  Luke  gives  it, 
if  possible,  even  more  clearly  (chap,  n  :  so) :  As 
Jonah,  not  his  preaching,  but  Jonah  himself  by 
his  deliverance,  was  a  sign  unto  the  Ninevites,  so 
shall  also  th£  Son  of  man  be,  by  his  resurrection 
from  the  dead,  to  this  generation.  Observe  that 
the  first  preaching  of  the  apostles,  on  and  after 
Pentecost,  consisted  largely  of  a  personal  testi- 


mony to  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ  (Acts  2 : 

24-36;  3:  15;  5  :  31  ;  7  :  62,  66 ;   10:  39,  40;  1  Cor.  15  :  3-8,  etc.). 

41.  The  men  of  Nineveh  shall  rise  in 
judgment.  Observe  the  incidental  confirma- 
tion of  the  doctrine  of  a  general  resurrection  of 
both  good  and  evil,  and  of  a  general  judgment. 
A  greater  than  Jonah  is  here,  i.  c,  there  is 
more  in  the  presence  and  power  of  Christ  and 
his  word  to  i^roduce  repentance  than  in  the 
preaching  of  Jonah.  The  practical  appUcation 
is  that  at  the  present  day  the  argument  for  the 
truth  of  Christianity  is  stronger,  and  the  influ- 
ence to  produce  repentance  for  sin  and  faith  in 
a  Saviour  are  greater,  than  they  ever  were  be- 
fore ;  wherefore,  the  condemnation  of  those  that 
resist  is  heavier.  Compare  with  this  and  the 
succeeding  verse.  Matt.  10  :  15,  and  note. 

42.  The  queen  of  the  south.  The  inci- 
dent referred  to  is  related  in  1  Kings  10  :  1-13, 
where  she  is  called  the  Queen  of  Sheba,  i.  e., 
probably  the  Sabeans,  descendants  of  Seba. 
There  were  two,  a  son  of  Cush,  whose  descend- 
ants settled  in  Ethiopia,  and  a  son  of  Joktan, 
whose  descendants  settled  in  Arabia.  Both 
these  countries  have  traditions  respectuig  the 
visit  of  a  queen  to  Solomon.  Josephus  and  the 
rabbinical  writers  place  the  kingdom  of  Sheba  in 
Ethiopia ;  but  it  appears  to  be  the  better  opinion 
that  the  queen  referred  to  came  from  Arabia. 
This  accords  best  with  her  gifts  (i  Kings  lo :  2),  and 
is  maintained  by  Alford,  Rawlinson,  Poole,  and 
others.  From  the  uttermost  parts  of  the 
earth.  It  is  estimated  that  she  must  have  taken 
a  journey  of  no  little  hazard,  and  of  over  1,000 
miles.  To  the  ancient  Jews  her  kingdom  was  on 
the  extreme  borders  of  the  known  world.  To 
hear  the  wisdom  of  So:omon.  Observe,  not 
attracted  by  the  fame  of  his  external  grandeur, 
but  by  that  of  his  wisdom.  Compare  1  Kings 
10  : 1 :  "  she  came  to  prove  him  with  hard  ques- 
tions." A  greater  than  Solomon  is  here. 
Not  merely  because  moral  greatness  is  greater 
than  temporal,  but  because  spiritual  wisdom  is 
greater  than  political.  Observe,  too,  that  Jesus 
assumes  pre-eminence  above  Jonah  the  prophet, 
Solomon  the  kmg,  and  Abraham  the  patriarch 

(coBcp.  John  8  :  58). 

Ch.  12  !  43-45.  PARABLE  OF  THE  TTNCLEAN  SPIRIT. 
Tbue  and  false  bepobmation.  The  true:  God 
casts  the  evil  spibit  out  ;  the  false  :  the  evtl 
spirit  goes  out  :  the  tbue  :  god  occupies  the  soul  ; 


172 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XII. 


walketh  through  dry  places,  seeking  rest,  and  findeth 
none. 

44  Then  he  saith,  I  will  return  into  my  house  from 
whence  I  came  out ;  and  when  he  is  come,  he  findeth 
it  empty,  swept,  and  garnished. 

45  Then  goetli  he,  and  taketh  with  himself  seven 
other  spirits  more  wicked  than  himself,  and  they  enter 
in  and  dwell  there  :  and  the  last  state  of  that  man  is 
worsei  than  the  first.  Even  so  shall  it  be  also  unto  this 
wicked  generation. 

46  While  he  yet  talked  to  the  people,  behold,  hi^ 


mother  and  his  brethren'  stood  without,  desiring  to 
speak  to  him. 

47  Then  one  said  unto  him.  Behold,  thy  mother  and 
thy  brethren  stand  without,  desiring  to  speak  with  thee. 

48  But  he  answered  and  said  unto  him  that  told  him. 
Who  is  my  mother  ?  and  who  are  my  brethren  ? 

49  And  he  stretched  forth  his  hand  toward  his  dis- 
ciples, and  said,  Behold  my  mother,  and  my  brethren  ! 

50  For  whosoever  shall  do  the  will'  of  my  Father 
which  is  in  heaven,  the  same  is  my  brother,  and  sister, 


q  Heb.  6:4;  10:26;  2  Pet.  2:  20,  22....r      rk  3  :  31, 


\  ch.  13  :  56. . .  .t  ch.  7  :  20 ;  John  15:14;  Gal.  5:6; 


THE  FALSE  :    IT  REMAINS  EMPTY.— MeRELT  NIIGATIVE 
BEFORMATION  IS  NEVER  PERMANENT. 

43-45.  This  is  a  parable  ;  nothing,  therefore, 
is  to  be  deduced  from  it  concerning  demoniacal 
possessions,  except  perhaps  the  reality  of  such 
possessions.  Unclean  spirit.  See  note  on 
Demoniacal  Possession  at  close  of  chapter  8,  p.  85. 
Dry  places.  Rather  desert  places,  which  the 
Jews  believed  to  be  the  abode  of  evil  spirits. 
See  Isaiah  13 :  21,  and  34 :  14,  where  satyr  prob- 
ably represents  an  imaginary  demon,  half  man 
half  goat.  My  house.  Still  his,  for  he  has 
gone^  not  heen  cast  out  by  divine  power.  Empty. 
Literally  at  leisure,  idle,  and  so  vacant.  The 
eame  Greek  word  {n/uXdtuiv)  appears  in  the  Sep- 
tuagint  in  Exod.  5 :  8,  17.  Idleness  is  always  a 
preparation  for  the  devU.  Generation.  (Gr. 
yeif  i.)  This  word  here,  as  often  in  the  N.  T., 
would  be  better  rendered  nation. 

The  lesson  of  this  parable  is  twofold.  Every 
reformation  is  transient  unless :  (a)  The  evil  is 
cast  out  by  the  power  of  God  (compare  joim  3:5); 
(6)  is  supplanted  by  the  indwelling  of  God 
(compare  John  15 : 4).  The  direct  application  is  to 
the  Jewish  nation.  The  evil  spirit  of  idolatry 
had  gone  out,  but  no  spirit  of  true  allegiance  to 
God  had  taken  its  place ;  and  the  nation,  with- 
out any  true  religious  life,  was  prepared  for  the 
worse  spirit  which  showed  itself  in  the  rejection 
of  our  Lord,  the  fearful  excesses  which  accom- 
panied the  death  of  Jesus,  and  their  subsequent 
history.  The  indirect  application  is  to  all  re- 
formation, which  is  permanent  only  when  we 
overcome  evil  with  good  (Rom.  12:21),  in  church, 
state,  or  individuals.  It  is  illustrated  histori- 
cally by  France,  out  of  which  went  the  spirit  of 
Jesuitism,  only  to  make  room  for  that  of  athe- 
ism and  socialism,  and  individually  by  thousands 
who  cast  out  an  evil  habit,  but  receive  not  the 
Spirit  of  God.  Compare  Heb.  6  :  4-6  ;  3  Pet.  3  : 
20-33. 

Oh.  12  :  46-50.  ATTEMl'T  BY  CHRIST'S  MOTHER  TO 
INTEPJiUPT  HIS  PREACHINO.  Christ  obeys  his  law  ; 
forsakes  mother  and  brethren  to  preach  the 
Gospel. — The  true  disciples  of  Christ  are  the 

NEAREST  TO  HIM  IN  LOVE.— CHRIST'S  LOVE  FOR  HIS  HIS- 
CIPLES  IS  PERSONAL,  THE  LOVB    OF  A  BEOTHER.— ThE 


condition  op  nearness  to  Christ  :  doing  the  wru. 
OF  HIS  Father. 

This  incident  is  recorded  also  in  Mark  3  :  31- 
35,  and  Luke  8  :  19-31.  Luke  places  it  after  the 
parable  of  the  sower  ;  Mark  agrees  in  order  with 
Matthew.  The  circumstances — the  crowd,  the 
discourse  delivered  in  the  house,  the  enmity  of 
the  Pharisees,  confirm  Matthew's  chronology. 

46.  His  brethren.  Presumptively  his  real 
brethren  as  his  real  mother.  See  note  on  chap- 
ter 13  :  55.  Stood  without,  i.  c,  without  the 
house  in  M-hich  he  was  teaching  (Mark  3 :  19, 20). 
Desiring  to  speak  Avith  him.  Mark  explains 
why  :  "  They  went  out  to  lay  hold  on  him  ;  for 
they  said,  He  is  beside  himself  "  (Mark  3 :  21).  Their 
endeavor  was  to  interrupt  his  preaching,  and  so 
to  rescue  him  from  the  danger  of  a  conflict  with 
the  Pharisees,  which  he  was  provoking.  To  the 
worldly-wise,  spiritual  enthusiasm  always  seems 
craziness.     Compare  Acts  30  :  34  ;  3  Cor.  5  :  13. 

47.  And  one  said  to  him,  Behold,  etc. 
Mark  says  that  his  mother  and  brethren  sent 
unto  him. 

48.  Toward  his  disciples,  i.  e.,  toward  the 
twelve. 

43.  For  whosoever  shall  do  the  will  of 
my  Father.  Compare  Matt.  7 :  21  and  note,  and 
Johnl4:C3.  The  same  is  my  brother,  and 
sister,  and  mother.  The  personality  of  our 
relationship  to  Christ  is  elsewhere    illustrated 

(John  10  :  3,  14  ;  15  :  15  ;  Epbes.  5  :  25,  Zl),  but  nOWhcrc  mOrC 

clearly.  "To  be  the  brother  of  Christ  and  the 
Son  of  God— have  we  ever  measured  the  full 
meaning  of  those  words  ?  "  Observe  that  Christ 
places  every  true  disciple  on  an  equality  with  his 
mother.  For  the  bearing  of  this  passage  on 
Mariolatry,  see  Chrysostom,  whose  comments 
show  what  the  early  fathers  would  have  thought 
of  that  practice  and  the  doctrines  with  which  it 
is  connected.  "That  which  she  wanted  to  do 
was  of  superfluous  vanity ;  in  that  she  wanted 
to  show  the  people  that  she  hath  power  and 
authority  over  her  son."  "How  many  women 
have  prayed  that  they  might  become  such  mo- 
thers? What,  then,  is  there  to  hinder?  It  is 
granted  not  to  women  only,  but  to  men  also,  to 
be  of  this  rank,  or  rather  of  one  yet  far  higher." 


Ch.  XIIL] 


MATTHEW. 


173 


His  practical  deduction  is  also  worth  noting : 
"There  is  only  one  nobleness,  to  do  the  will  of 
God.  This  kind  of  noble  birth  is  better  than  the 
other,  and  more  real."  Compare  with  Christ's 
example  here  his  teachmg  to  his  disciples  in  such 
passages  as  Matt.  10  :  35-37 ;  Luke  9  :  59-62  ;  and 

14 :  26.  

Ch.  13  :  1-53.  PARABLES  BY  THE  SEA-SHORE. 
Cheist  a  poptiLAR  PEBACHBB.— His  authoeitt  sanc- 
tions FIELD  PREACHING  (V.  2). — Hl8  USB  OF  ELLUSTEA- 
TIONS :  NOT  TO  ENTEETAIN,  NOT  MEEELT  TO  INSTRUCT, 
BUT  TO  GIVE  TEUTH  ENTRANCE  TO   EELUCTANT  HEARTS 

(v.  13).— His  magazine  of  illustrations  :  nature  and 

COMMON   life.— The  seven   symbols  of  the  KrNGDOM 

OP  God.— It  grows  gradually  (Mark  4  :  26-29).— Its 
obstacles  in  the  human  heart;  indifference, 
irresolution,  worldliness  (vs.  18-23). —Their  se- 
cret  CAUSE  :  EVIL  SEED  SOWN  BY  SaTAN  (V8.  37-43).— 

Its  progress  :  from  the  least  seed  to  the  largest 
HERB  (vs.  31,32).— The  method  of  its  growth:  by 
permeation,  by  agitation,secretly,  silently,  sure- 
ly (v.  33). — Its  value  and  its  cost  :  all  that  a  man 
HATH  (vs.  44-46).— Its  final  perfection:  complete 
purification,  after  death,  in  the  day  op  judgment 
(vs.  47-50).-See,  further,  thougpts  on  each  parable. 

PRELrMiNAET  NoTE. — Of  thcsc  parablcs  we 
have  three  reports.  See  Mark  4  : 1-34  and  Luke 
8  : 4-15.  Matthew's  report  is  the  fullest ;  seve- 
ral of  the  parables  are  given  only  by  him,  but 
Mark  gives  one  omitted  by  the  others  (Mark  4 :  26-29). 
Luke  gives  only  the  parable  of  the  Sower. 

1.  Were  these  seven  parables  uttered  at  one  time  ? 
It  is  tolerably  evident  that  they  did  not  consti- 
tute one  discourse,  for  it  is  incredible  that  Christ 
should  have  interrupted  such  a  discourse  to  in- 
terpret the  parables  to  the  twelve,  and  then  re- 
sumed it  again  (ver.  10,  so).  It  is  clear  that  they 
were  delivered  at  one  period  in  his  ministry,  prob- 
ably on  the  same  day  (vcr.  s.^).  They  arc  all  upon 
the  same  theme — the  kingdom  ofGod  ;  they  are 
therefore  to  be  studied  together,  however  they 
may  have  been  uttered. 

2.  What  is  a  parable  ?  The  original  Greek  word 
(nana^Ql>\)  signifies,  literally,  placing  side  by  side — 
hence  a  comparison.  The  parable  always  teaches 
by  comparing  a  spiritual  truth  with  some  type  or 
symbol,  in  nature  or  human  experience.  It  dif- 
fers from  a  fable,  which  teaches  only  maxims  of 
a  prudential  morality,  and  which,  in  its  teaching, 
violates  the  truth  of  nature — representing  the 
brute  and  inanimate  world  as  reasoning,  reflect- 
ing, speaking.  This  the  parable  never  does,  for 
it  always  compares  truth  with  truth  or  with  re- 
alistic fiction — never  with  an  impossible  and  un- 
natural narrative.  Judges  9  :  7-18  is,  I  believe, 
the  only  instance  of  a  fable  in  the  Scriptures. 
It  differs  from  a  myth,  which  represents  fiction 
as  fact,  and  in  such  guise  that  it  is  assumed  to  be 
a  fact  by  the  auditor,  who  often  sees  no  moral 
meaning  underneath  it.  Thus  the  myth  of  Wil- 
liam Tell  shooting  the  apple  from  his  son's  head 


was  long  received  as  history,  and  its  original  sig- 
nification is  now  entirely  lost.  This  can  never  be 
true  of  a  parable.  It  differs  from  an  allegory, 
which  upon  its  face  declares  itself  to  be  a  symbol 
of  spiritual  truth,  and  conveys  the  truth  in  the 
story,  not  by  an  application  or  interpretation  of 
it ;  whereas  the  office  of  a  parable  is  to  veil  the 
truth  until  it  has  been  admitted  into  the  mind 
reluctant  to  receive  it.  John  15  : 1-8,  "I  am  the 
Vine,"  is  an  allegory  ;  Luke  13:6-9,  "A  certain 
man  had  a  fig-tree,"  is  a  parable.  It  differs  from 
a  proverb  in  that  it  elaborates  dramatically  what 
proverbs,  or  rather  certain  kinds  of  proverbs, 
state  concisely.  Thus,  "If  the  blind  lead  the 
blind,  both  shall  fall  into  the  ditch,"  could  be 
readily  converted  into  a  proverb.  So,  again, 
Psalm  103  :  13,  "  Like  as  a  father  pitieth  his  chil- 
dren, so  the  Lord  pitieth  them  that  fear  him,"  is 
a  proverbial  utterance  which  the  Parable  of  the 
Pi'cdlgal  Son  embodies  in  a  dramatic  form.  A 
parable,  then,  is  a  fictitious  narrative,  true  to  na- 
ture, yet  undeceptive,  veiling  a  spiritual  truth,  un- 
der a  symbol,  for  the  purpose  of  conveying  it  to 
minds  reluctant  or  indifferent.  It  differs  from  the 
proverb  in  being  a  narrative,  from  the  fable  in 
beuig  triie  to  nature,  from  the  myth  in  being  un- 
deceptive, from  the  allegory  In  that  it  veils  tJie  spirit- 
ual truth, 

3.  Why  did  Christ  speak  in  parables?  He  an- 
swers the  question  in  this  chapter  (ver.  n-is) ;  and 
his  language  in  Mark  is  still  more  definite  :  "  That 
(Greek  iru)  seeing  they  may  see  and  not  perceive ; 
and  hearing  they  may  hear  and  not  understand" 
(Mark  4:12).  TWs  auswcr  is  interpreted  by  the 
nature  of  the  parable  and  its  general  object,  viz., 
to  veil  the  truth  for  the  purpose  of  inculcating 
it.  Christ  did  not  use  the  parable  because  (a) 
he  would  have  hazarded  his  life  if  he  had  openly 
taught  the  truth  {Barnes)  ;  for  when  did  he  re- 
fuse to  hazard  his  life  for  the  sake  of  teaching 
the  truth  ?  and  was  it  not  the  plainness  of  his 
final  teaching  which  led  to  his  crucifixion? 
Nor  (&)  to  compel  his  auditors  to  give  closer 
attention  if  they  would  get  the  benefit  of  hia 
teaching  {Kuinoel,  Bloomfield,  Andrews) ;  for  God'a 
avowed  and  unmistakable  design  is  to  afford  in 
Christ  a  revelation  of  truth  for  the  plain  and  the 

simple   (isa.  35  : 8  ;  compare  Psalm  19:7;  119  :  ICO).      Nor  (c) 

did  he  veil  the  truth  as  a  punishment  for  the 
sins  of  the  people  in  rejecting  him  {Scott,  Dodd- 
ridge) ;  for  as  yet  they  had  not  rejected  him,  but 
had  received  him  with  enthusiasm,  even  now 
crowded  him  into  a  boat  for  his  pulpit,  later 
sought  by  force  to  make  him  liing  (Jotn  6 :  is). 
Nor  is  it  rational  to  suppose  that  he  would  teach 
the  truth  blindly  as  a  punishment  for  their  re- 
jection of  him  ;  rather  he  would  cease  to  teach ; 
and  after  their  rejection  of  him  at  Capernaum 

this  was  in  fact  his  course  (compare  John  C  :  CG  with  Matt. 

15: 21).    Nor  {d)  to  make  his  meaning  clear  to 


174 


MATTHEW. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 


THE  same  day  went  Jesus  out  of  the  house,  and  sat 
by  the  sea-side. 
2  And  great  multitudes  were  gathered  together  unto 
him,  so  that  he  went  into  a  ship,"  and  sat ;    and  the 
whole  multitude  stood  on  the  shore. 


[Oh.  XIII. 


3  And  he  spake  many  things  unto  them  in  parables, 
saying,  Behold,*  a  sower  went  forth  to  sow  : 

4  And  when  he  sowed,  some  seeds  fell  by  the  way- 
side, and  the  fowls  came  and  devoured  them  up : 

5  Some  fell  upon  stony  places,  where  they  had  not 
much  earth  ;  and  forthwith  they  sprung  up,  because 
they  had  no  deepness  of  earth  : 


Luke  5  :  3. . .  .T  Mark  4:2;  Luke  8  :  6,  etc. 


common  understandings,  as  an  orator  commonly 
uses  tropes  and  figures,  for  this  is  directly  incon- 
sistent with  Christ's  own  declaration,  "That  see- 
ing they  may  see  and  not  perceive,"  and  equally 
so  with  the  fact  that  even  his  own  disciples  had 
to  come  to  him  for  an  interpretation  of  his  par- 
ables (ver.  10, 36).  His  objcct  was  so  to  veil  the  truth 
that  it  might  be  received  by  those  who,  if  they 
saw,  would  not  perceive,  and,  (/  theij  heard,  would 
not  understand,  lest  they  should  be  converted  ; 
i.  e.,  who  were  determined  not  to  receive  the  truth, 
since  its  acceptance  would  have  required  repen- 
tance and  a  change  of  life.  His  object  is  illus- 
trated strikingly  in  other  passages  where  by  veil- 
ing he  compelled  the  Pharisees  to  condemn  them- 
selves. See  Matt.  21 :  28-45  ;  Luke  10 :  29-C7.  It 
is  further  illustrated  by  a  consideration  of — 

4.  The  object  of  the  parables  in  this  chapter.  Up 
to  this  time  Christ's  preaching  had  been  chiefly 
confined  to  a  simple  proclamation,  The  kingdom 
of  heaven  is  at  hand  (Matt. 4:17;  lo:  7).  The  Ser- 
mon on  the  Mount  afforded  some  interpretation 
of  the  principles  of  that  kingdom,  but  primarily 
to  his  own  disciples,  and  chiefly  in  contrast  with 
the  Mosaic  law  and  the  Pharisaic  system.  See 
Preliminary  Note  and  Analysis  there,  pp.  45,  46. 
In  these  parables  Christ  discloses  those  features 
respecting  his  kingdom  which  were  surest  to 
encounter  prejudice  and  opposition  ;  its  growth 
depends  on  its  acceptance  by  its  subjects  (verses 
19-23) ;  it  grows  up  with  the  kingdom  of  evil,  not 
separated  from  it  by  natural  or  geographical 
boundaries  (verses  37^3) ;  it  is  a  gradual  growth, 
does  not  immediately  appear  (Aiark  4 :  26-29) ;  it  is 
obtained  only  through  a  process  of  conflict  (verse 
33),  and  by  self-sacrifice  (ver.  44-46).  These  truths 
were  in  this  exposition  received  without  opposi- 
tion because  but  half  understood ;  later,  when 
distinctly  declared,  they  were  vehemently  re- 
jected. Compare  for  illustration  the  declaration 
here  (verse  ss),  "The  field  is  the  world"  (Gr. 
<5  -/.oaring)  with  the  reception  of  the  same  truth 
•when  more  plainly  declared  by  Christ  (Matt.  21 : 
43-46),  and  by  Paul  (Acts  22 :  21, 22). 

5.  Time,  place,  and  circumstances  of  the  utter- 
ance of  these  parables.  The  time  is  uncertain.  It 
was  toward  the  latter  part  of  Christ's  Galilean 
ministry.  This  is  evident  from  the  order  of  the 
three  evangelists,  and  from  the  facts  that  the 
throng  had  now  so  increased  that  Christ  sought 
refuge  from  it  in  a  boat,  and  that  now  first  he 


began  to  interpret  the  nature  of  his  kingdom, 
and  to  do  so  in  parables.  It  was  certainly  sub- 
sequent to  the  developed  hostility  of  the  Phar- 
isees (chap.  12),  and  prior  to  the  feeding  of  the  5,000 
(chap.  14),  which  Avas  followed  by  the  sermon  in  the 
synagogue  at  Capernaum  (john,  ch.  e),  and  Christ's 
withdrawal  from  GaUlee  (Matt.  15 :  21),  and  the  close 
of  his  ministry  there.  The  place  is  also  uncertain. 
It  was  by  the  sea  (ver.  1),  i.  e.,  of  Galilee,  on  the 
western  shore  (see  Mark  4 :  35,  and  note).  The  common 
life  of  the  place  affords  the  imagery  of  these 
parables.  The  fertile  plain  of  Gennesaret  (see  note 
on  M.-itt.  14 :  34),  with  its  thom  bushes  and  its  under- 
lying and  occasionally  out-cropping  basaltic  rocks 
in  the  midst  of  the  fields  of  grain,  suggests  the 
stories  of  the  Sower  and  the  Tares.  The -com- 
merce from  the  East  to  the  Mediterranean,  the 
remains  of  which  in  an  occasional  caravan  are 
still  seen  in  the  vicinity  of  the  lake,  the  parable 
of  the  Merchantman ;  the  fishermen  at  work 
along  the  sea-shore,  as  on  the  day  when  Christ 
called  four  of  his  disciples  here  (Luke  5:  i-ii),  the 
parable  of  the  Drag  net.  It  is  worthy  of  note 
that  the  location  of  many  of  Christ's  parables 
can  be  measurably  determined  by  their  adapta- 
tion to  special  localities  or  local  customs.  Thus 
the  parable  of  the  Good  Samaritan  (Luke  lo:  29-37) ; 
of  the  Vineyard  (Luke  13 : 7-9),  of  the  Good  Shep- 
herd (John  10:1-18),  and  probably  of  the  Pharisee 
and  the  Publican  (Luke  is :  9-14),  all  belong  to  Judea, 
as  that  of  the  Sheep  lost  in  the  Wilderness  (Luke 
15 : 4-7)  to  Perea,  that  of  the  Ten  pounds  (Luke 
19 :  12)  to  Jericho,  where  Archelaus,  whose  history 
suggested  it,  had  a  palace,  and  those  here  given 
to  the  region  about  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  See  notes 
on  above  parables,  and  on  John  7  :  37  and  8  :  13, 
1.  The  same  day.  The  Greek  word  {)]uiQa), 
here  translated  day,  is  sometimes  used  loosely  as 
equal  to  time  or  nearly  so,  and  is  so  translated  in 

Acts   8    :   1    (compare   John  8  :  66  ;   Acts  2  :  29).        Here    it 

may  indicate  nothing  more  than.  At  this  period 
in  Christ's  ministry.  Nearly  all  tBe  chrono- 
logical notes  in  the  Evangelists  are  indefinite. 
The  house,  apparently  where  the  previous  dis- 
course had  been  delivered  (ch.  12 :  4$,  and  note).  The 
house  could  no  longer  hold  his  audience.  Sea- 
side. The  Sea  of  Galilee.  See  notes  on  Matt. 
4:18. 

3.  Ship,  i.  c,  fisherman's  boat;  perhaps  his 
own.  See  Mark  3  :  9.  Sat.  The  usual  attitude 
of  the  Jewish  doctors  in  teaching.  Compare  Matt. 


Ch.  XIIL] 


MATTHEW. 


175 


6  And  when  the  sun  was  up,  they  were  scorched ; 
and  because  they  had  no  root,  they  withered  away : 

7  And   some   fell  among    thorns  ;    and    the    thorns 
sprung  up,  and  choked  them: 

'8  But  other  fell  into  good  ground,  and  brought  forth 
fruit,  some  an  hundredtold,  some  sixtyfold,  some  thirty- 
fold. 
9  Who"  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear. 


10  And  the  disciples  came,  and  said  unto  him,  Why 
speakest  thou  unto  them  in  parables  ? 

11  He  answered  and  said  unto  them,  Because  it  is 
given  unto  you  to^  know  the  mysteries  of  the  kingdom 
of  heaven,  but  to  them  it  is  not  given. 

12  Fory  whosoever  hath,  to  him  shall  be  given,  and 
he  shall  have  more  abundance  ;  but  whosoever  hath 
not,  from  him  shall  be  taken  away,  even  that  he  hath. 


w  ch.  11  :  15 I  ch.  11 :  25  :  Mark  4:11:1  Cor.  2  :  10,  14  ;  ] 


26,  27 ;  1  John  2  :  27 y  ch.  25  :  29  ;  Luke  19  :  2G. 


5  : 1,  and  Luke  4  :  20.  Observe  that  we  have  the 
highest  authority  for  street  and  field  preaching. 
Observe,  too,  how  utterly  incongruous  such  an 
Informal  service  with  the  idea  that  any  kind  of 
ritualism  is  an  essential  accompaniment  of  reli- 
gious instruction. 

3,  Many  things.  At  least  one  parable  not 
recorded  by  Matthew.  See  Mark  4  :  26-29.  In 
parables.    See  above,  Preliminary  Note,  §  3. 

3-9.  Pakable  of  the  Sower.  See  interpre- 
tation below.  (Mark  4:2-9;  Luke  8:4-8.)  The 
seed-time  in  Palestine  is  from  1st  October  to  1st 
November.  But  Thomson's  Land  and  Book,  i., 
115,  implies  that  sowing  is  done  in  spring.  It  is 
always  done  by  hand ;  the  ground  is  first  scratched 
with  a  plough,  which  runs  about  four  inches  deep  ; 
the  seed  is  sometimes  covered  with  a  harrow, 
sometimes  trodden  in  by  the  feet  of  animals ;  the 
fields  are  not  fenced  or  hedged ;  the  pathways 
run  directly  through  them  ;  clumps  of  thorns  are 
interspersed  with  the  grain ;  the  farmers,  who  live 
in  villages  to  guard  agamst  roHbers,  go  forth  to 
do  their  60\ving.  Stanley  {Sinai  and  Palestine, 
ch.  xiii.,  p.  418)  gives  a  graphic  description  of 
Gennesaret  as  he  saw  it,  the  probable  scene  of 
this  parable.  "There  was  the  undulating  corn- 
field descending  to  the  water's  edge.  There  was 
the  trodden  pathway  running  through  the  midst 
of  it,  with  no  fence  or  hedge  to  prevent  the  seed 
from  falling  here  and  there  on  either  side  of  it, 
or  upon  it ;  itself  hard  with  constant  tramp  of 
horse,  mule,  and  human  feet.  There  was  the 
'good'  rich  soil,  which  distinguishes  the  whole 
of  that  plain  and  its  neighborhood  from  the  bare 
hills,  elsewhere  descending  into  the  lake,  and 
which,  where  there  is  no  interruption,  produces 
one  vast  mass  of  corn.  There  was  the  rocky 
ground  of  the  hillside  protruding  here  and  there 
through  the  corn-fields,  as  elsewhere  through  the 
grassy  slopes.  There  were  the  large  bushes  of 
thorn — the  '  Nabk,'  that  kind  of  which  tradition 
says  that  the  Crown  of  Thorns  was  woven — 
springing  up,  like  the  fruit-trees  of  the  more  in- 
land parts,  in  the  veiy  midst  of  the  waving 
wheat." 

Way-side.  Road  or  pathway.  Stony  places 
(Gr.  rciTpoidric).  Rather,  rock-like,  i.  e.  places  where 
the  underlymg  rock  came  close  to  the  surface, 
having  only  a  thin  covering  of  soU.  Thorns. 
There  are  a  variety  of  thorny  weeds  common  to 
Palestine.     Smith's  Biblical  Dictionary  describes 


five  varieties.  There  is  nothing  in  the  original 
word  here  {uy.ardu)  to  determine  whether  any 
particular  species  was  intended.  A  hundred- 
fold *  *  *  thirtyfold.  Dr.  Thomson  {Land 
and  Book,  i.,  117)  says  that  thirty-three  per  cent, 
is  now  regarded  a  good  crop  ;  but  both  land  and 
laborers  have  deteriorated. 

10-17.  Chkist's  Reason  for  Teaching  in 
Pakables. 

For  general  interpretation  of  this  and  the  par- 
allel passage  in  Mark  4  :  10-12  and  Luke  8  :  9, 10, 
see  Preliminary  Note  above,  §  3. 

10.  And  the  disciples.  Not  merely  the 
twelve,  but  others  with  them  (Mark  4 :  lo).  Came 
unto  him.  "When  he  was  alone"  (Mark),  and 
therefore  not,  as  Alford,  during  a  pause  in  the  dis- 
course, but  subsequent  to  it.  Perhaps  Matthew 
has  interpolated  the  account  of  the  interview 
here  in  order  to  combine  the  interpretation  with 
the  parable.  Unto  them.  "  To  them  that  are 
without "  (Mark),  i.  €.,  to  the  multitude.  In  par- 
ables. Parables  were  a  common  method  of  in- 
struction in  vogue  among  the  scribes.  The  rab- 
binical books  abound  with  them.  There  is  no 
sufficient  reason  for  supposing  that  the  rabbis 
borrowed  this  method  from  Christ ;  it  is  more 
probable  that  he  adopted  the  popular  mode  of 
his  day,  but  gave  new  character  to  it.  Trench  on 
the  Parables  (Introd.,  §  4)  gives  some  illustration 
of  these  Jewish  parables.  What  surprised  the 
disciples  was  not  parabolic  teaching,  but  its  adop- 
tion, now  for  the  first  time,  by  our  Lord. 

11.  Because  it  is  given.  Observe  that  the 
language  here  and  in  the  following  verse  is  of 
grace  as  a  gift.  Compare  Rom.  6  :  23  ;  Ephes. 
3  :  8.  Unto  you.  To  whom  ?  To  those  that 
were  "about  him  with  the  twelve,"  who  came 
to  him  "and  asked  him  of  the  parable"  (Mark 
4 :  lo),  i.  e.,  to  those  who  sought  to  know  the  truth. 
There  is  no  selection  by  Christ  of  a  few  for  spe- 
cial instruction.  He  gives  it  to  all  those  that  seek 
it.  Compare  Isa.  55  : 1 ;  Rev.  22  :  17.  To  know 
the  mysteries.  Scripture  truth  is  always  a 
mystery  to  the  unspiritual  (i  Cor.  2 : 7-14).  It  can 
only  be  hinted  at  by  parallels  drawn  from  nature 
or  common  experience,  e.  g.,  the  Saviour's  care 
by  the  Shepherd's  care,  God's  love  by  the  love 
of  an  earthly  father. 

12.  For  whosoever  hath,  etc.  See  same 
aphorism  with  a  different  application  in  ch.  25 :  29. 
Here  it  is  :  If  one  possess  some  spiritual  knowl- 


176 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XIII. 


13  Therefore  speak  I  to  them  in  parables:  because 
they  seeing,  see  not ;  and  hearing,  they  hear  not,  nei- 
ther do  they  understand. 

14  And  in  tuein  is  fulfilled  the  prophecy  of  Esaias,' 
which  saith,  Hy  hearing  ye  shall  hear,  and  shall  not 
understand  ;  and  seeing  ye  shall  see,  and  shall  not  per- 
ceive : 

15  For  this  people's  heart  is  waxed  gross,  and  their 
ears  are  dull''  ot  hearing,  and  their  eyes  they  have 
closed  ;  lest  at  any  time  they  should  see  with  their 
eyes,  and  hear  with  their  ears,  and  should  understand 


with  their  heart,  and   should    be  converted,  and  I 
should  heal  them. 

16  But^  blessed  are  your  eyes,  for  they  see :  and 
your  ears,  for  they  hear. 

17  For  verily  I  say  unto  you,  Thaf  many  prophets 
and  righteous  inen  have  desired  to  see  those  things 
which  ye  see,  and  have  not  seen  them;  i.nd  to  liear 
those  things  which  ye  hear,  and  have  not  heard  thevi. 

18  Hear'=  ye  therefore  the  parable  of  the  sower. 

19  When  any  one  heareth  the  word^  of  the  kingdom, 
and  understandeth  it  not,  thencometh  the  wickede  c;«f, 


;  Isn.  6  : 
John 


edge  and  desire,  these  lead  to  more  ;  if  he  has  no 
appreciation  of  such  spiritual  truths  as  he  can 
discern,  he  will  lose  even  that  power  of  spiritual 
discernment.  The  first  part  of  this  declaration 
is  illustrated  by  Prov.  4  :  18  ;  the  second  part  by 
Rom.  1 :  28. 

13.  Therefore  speak  I  unto  them  in  par- 
ables.   See  above  Preliminary  Note,  §  3. 

14.  £saias.  Isaiah  6  :  9,  10.  Compare  Isa. 
44  :  18.  Observe  that  in  the  former  passage  the 
command  is,  Make  the  heart  of  this  people  fat, 
etc. ;  here  they  are  represented  as  making  them- 
selves stupid.  When  God  leaves  man  to  himself 
he  makes  himself  gross,  dull,  spiritually  dead. 
Hearing  -  *  *  shall  not  understand,  i.  e., 
with  the  heart  (ver.  15).  Seeing  *  *  *  shall  not 
perceive,  i.  c,  though  they  see  the  truth  intel- 
lectually they  shall  not  appreciate  it  spiritually  ; 
they  see  it  as  the  horse  sees  the  same  prospect 
with  his  rider,  without  appreciation. 

15.  Waxed  gross;  literally,  fat.  The  growth 
of  a  fatty  tissue  about  the  heart  is  a  common  re- 
sult of  self-indulgence  and  luxurious  living,  and 
dulls  and  deadens  the  whole  system.  Here  the 
physical  disease  is  a  type  of  the  spiritual.  Their 
ears  are  dull  of  hearing.  Literally,  loith  their 
ears  they  hear  heavily,  i.  e. ,  they  are  not  sensitive 
to  the  truth.  Their  eyes  they  have  closed. 
The  spiritual  ignorance  and  obtuseness  which 
Christ  condemns  is  willful,  deliberate,  resolute. 
Compare  Rom.  1 : 3'3-33,  and  the  account  in  Matt. 
13  :  24  of  the  Pharisees,  who,  seeing  the  miracle, 
would  not  perceive  in  Christ  the  power  of  God. 
Compare  Matt.  11 :  16-19.  This  is  made  yet  clearer 
by  the  clause  which  follows  :  Lest  at  any  time 
they  should  perceive— not  see;  the  Greek  word 
here  is  {('>(>uw)  the  same  translated /lo'cme  in  ver. 
14.  It  differs  from  (liXinu))  see;  that  conveys  the 
idea  of  a  mere  external  sight,  but  this  of  an  inte- 
rior perception,  here  a  spiritual  perception.  For 
its  signification  see  John  1 :  18,  "No  man  hath 
seen  God  at  any  time,"  i.  e.,  understood  his  na- 
ture;  John  8:38,  "I  speak  that  which  I  have 
seen  with  my  Father,  and  ye  do  that  which  ye 
have  seen  of  your  father,"  i.  e.,  we  each  speak 
out  of  the  treasure  of  our  own  personal  expe- 
rience ;  Acts  8 : 23,  "I  perceive  that  thou  art  in 
the  gall  of  bitterness,"  i.  e.,  I  see  through  the 


fair  seeming,  and  recognize  your  spiritual  death. 
And  should  be  converted,  and  I  should 
heal  them.  Mark  (4:12)  indicates  the  kind  of 
healing:  "Lest  their  sins  should  be  forgiven 
them ' '  (Mark  4 ;  is).  Thc  rcasou  why  men  shut 
their  eyes  to  the  truth  is  lest  they  should  be  led 
to  repentance  and  reformation.  Compare  3  Cor. 
4  :  3,  4.  Observe,  too,  that  the  fault  of  remain- 
ing unforgiven  is  never  because  forgiveness  is 
wanting,  but  always  because  repentance  and  ref- 
ormation are  refused.  Even  the  Pharisees  might 
have  been  converted  by  receiving  the  truth 
which  Christ  inculcated  and  following  it. 

16,  17.  Observe  the  connection  between  the 
O.  T.  and  N.  T.,  that  the  latter  is  not  the  abroga- 
tion, but  the  fulfillment  of  the  former  (Matt.  5 :  n, 
and  note),  and  that  the  0.  T.  saints  lived  in  faith  of 
Christ,  represented  more  or  less  distinctly  in  the 
promises  and  types  of  the  old  dispensation. 
Compare  Heb.  11  :  39,  and  see  for  illustration  of 
the  longing  here  referred  to,  3  Sam.  23  : 5  ;  Job 
19  :  23,  27  ;  Luke  3  :  39,  33.  For  the  reason  why 
the  eyes  of  the  true  disciples  see  and  their  hearts 
understand,  see  Psalm  119  :  110 ;  Prov  24 :  35. 

18-23.  Interpretation  of  the  Parable  of 
the  sowek. 

18.  Hear  ye,  i.  e.,  with  spiritual  discern- 
ment (compare  verses  15  and  16  above).      Luke  COmmcnCCS 

the  explanation  by  the  statement.  The  seed  is  the 
word  of  God  (LukeSiii).  The  "word  of  God" 
sometimes  stands  for  the  written  or  spoken 
word    (Mark  7 :  13 ;  Luke  6 :  i),    and  somctimes  for 

Christ   himself   (John  l  :  l,  and  notes  there).      But   thCSe 

are  not  incongruous  representations ;  the  written 
word  has  life  only  because  Christ  is  in  it ;  Christ 
makes  it  a  seed.  "  Christ  is  the  live  seed,  and 
the  Bible  the  husk  that  holds  it." — (Arnot.) 
Christ  is  also  the  Sower  in  this  parable  as  in  the 
following  one  (verse  37),  and  the  only  sower ;  aU 
good  seed  is  sown  by  him  ;  apostles,  prophets, 
ministers,  teachers,  and  parents  sow  only  as 
Christ  is  in  them  sowing  the  seed,  as  the  Father 

was  in  Him  (John  U  :  lO  ;  2  Cor.  6  :  20 ;  compare  Matt.  10  :  40). 

There  is  nothing  inconsistent  in  the  double  char- 
acter thus  attributed  to  hun,  for  he  sows  himself 

(Luke  4  :  16-22). 

19.  Every  one  hearing  the  word  of  the 
kingdom^  i.  e.,  the  word  or  message  concern- 


Ch.  XIII] 


MATTHEW. 


177 


and  catcheth  away  that  which  was  sown  in  his  heart. 
This  is  he  which  received  seed  by  the  way  side. 

20  But  he  that  received  the  seed  into  stony  places, 
the  same  is  he  that  heareth  the  word,  and  anon  with 
joy""  receiveth  it : 

21  Yet  hath  he  not  root  in  himself,  but  dureth  for  a 


while  ;  for  when  tribulation  or  persecution  ariseth  be- 
cause of  the  word,  by  and  by  he  is  offended.' 

22  He  also  that  received  seed  among  the  thorns,  is  he 
that  heareth  the  word  ;  and  the  careJ  ot  this  world  and 
the  deceitfulness  of  riches"  cholie  the  word,  and  he  be- 
cometh  unfruitful. 


h  Isa.  58  :  2 :  Eze.  i 


1,  32  ;  Jolin  5  :  35 ;  Gal.  4  :  15 i  John  6  :  66. . .  j  Luko  14  :  16-24 k  Mark  10  :  23  ;  1  Tim.  6  :  9  j  2  Tim.  4 :  10. 


ing  the  kingdom  of  God,  whether  spoken,  as  by 
Christ  and  his  apostles,  or  written,  as  in  the 
N.  T.  and  in  books  of  interpretation  and  of  spiri- 
tual application.  And  understanding  it  not. 
The  original  {ovrhjftt)  signifies  literally  to  put 
together,  and  so  affords  the  true  idea  of  spiritual 
understanding,  which  consists  in  putting  the 
truth  with  the  life,  i.  e.,  applying  it  to  the  life. 
This  the  teacher  cannot  do  ;  every  hearer  must 
do  it  for  himself.  Christ  signifies  not  a  failure 
to  comprehend  the  truth  intellectually,  but  to 
receive  and  apply  it  spiritually.  For  illustration 
of  non-understanding  of  the  truth  see  James  1 : 
23,  31.  Compare  1  Cor.  2  :  G-8,  14 ;  2  Cor.  3 : 
14,  15 ;  how  to  come  to  an  understanding  is  told 
in  verse  16  of  same  chapter.  The  reason  why  it 
is  not  understood  is  indicated  here  in  verse  4. 
The  heart  is  a  road  made  hard  by  the  traffic  of 
the  world.  The  seed  cannot  penetrate.  Then 
cometh  the  wicked  one.  Luke  says  (s :  12) 
the  devil.  Observe  that  in  the  parable  it  is  the 
fowls  of  the  air  which  carry  away  the  seed,  and 
that  in  the  application  Christ  imputes  those  wan- 
dering thoughts,  which  do  the  work  of  truth-rob- 
bers, to  the  evil  one  whose  agents  and  instruments 
they  are.  And  catcheth  away.  The  same 
verb  {un7tu:;w)  is  rendered  in  John  10  :  12  catcheth, 
in  same  chapter,  ver.  38,  29,  pluck,  in  Acts  33  :  10, 
take  by  force.  The  devil  is  a  robber,  and  is  to  be 
resisted  as  a  robber.  That  sown  in  his 
heart.  A  transient  impression  on  the  affec- 
tions appears  to  be  recognized  even  in  this  class 
of  hearers.  This  is  he  sown  by  the  w^ay- 
side.  Not,  as  in  our  English  version.  He  that 
received  seed  by  the  way-aide.  It  is  implied  here 
that  the  seed  and  the  product  are  identical,  and 
this  is  more  clearly  stated  in  Luke  (s :  14),  That 
which  fell  among  thorns  are  they  who  *  *  *  are 
choked  with  cares,  etc.  The  "word"  is  not  a 
mere  intellectual  proposition ;  it  includes  faith 
and  love  in  the  teacher,  who  thus  becomes  the 
germ  of  faith  and  love  in  the  taught.  As  the 
seed  reproduces  itself  in  the  grain,  so  the  living 
truth,  the  truth  that  springs  from  the  heart,  re- 
produces itself  in  the  heart ;  and  thus  as  Christ 
is  the  Word  of  God,  so  every  Christian  is  to  be  a 
word  of  God,  an  embodiment  of  the  truth  which 
he  has  received  (see  2  Cor.  3 : 3). 

20.  But  that  which  is  sown  upon  the 
rock  ;  not  upon  stony  places,  but  in  a  soil  which 
forms  a  thin  covering  of  a  ledge.  The  hardness 
of  the  second  hearer  is  greater  but  less  apparent 


thau  that  of  the  first.  Is  he  that  heareth  the 
word,  and  straitway  with  joy  receiveth 

it.  The  joy  that  is  one  of  the  fruits  of  the 
spirit  (Gal.  5 :  22)  rejoices  alway  (phii.  4 : 4).  The 
transient  glow  of  quick  emotion  is  often  the  sign 
of  a  shallow  nature,  not  of  deep  feeling. 

21.  Yet  he  hath  no  root  in  himself.  The 
root  gives  the  plant  both  life  and  stability.  The 
hearer  now  described  depends  for  both  on  others, 
not  on  sources  within  himself.  Compare  for 
analogous  use  of  this  metaphor  Jer.  17 :  8  ;  Hosea 
9  :  16 ;  Eph.  3  :  17 ;  Col.  2  :  7.  But  is  for 
the  time  {nQoaxaii^oe  ianv).  Not  merely 
'■'■  dureth  for  a  while,^^  but  is,  by  the  nature  of 
his  hold  upon  the  truth,  only  for  the  occasion 
which  begot  his  interest.  When  tribulation  or 
persecution  ariseth  through  the  word. 
This  answers  to  the  whe7i  the  sun  was  up  of  the 
parable  (verse  a).  Observe  that,  as  the  sun  which 
sustains  tlie  healthy  plant  withers  the  weak  and 
ill-rooted,  so  tribulation  strengthens  real  grace, 
and  destroys  the  counterfeit.  Observe,  too,  that 
the  withering  is  not  because  of  the  sun,  but 
^'■because  they  had  no  root.''''  The  professed  dis- 
ciple never  fails  because  of  his  circumstances, 
but  always  because  the  root  is  not  in  him.  Strait- 
way  he  is  offended,  i.  c,  caused  to  fall  into 
sin.  See  note  on  Matt.  5  :  39.  Luke  says  "fall 
away."  Compare  1  Tim.  4  : 1,  and  Heb.  3  :  13. 
where  the  Greek  verb  {d(plotiiui)  rendered  depart, 
is  the  same  as  that  in  Luke  8  :  13  rendered  '■'■fall 
away.''''  In  Pilgrim'' s  Progress,  Obstinate  received 
the  seed  by  the  way-side.  Pliable  on  stony 
ground. 

22.  He  that  received  *  *  *  *  is  he  that 
heareth,  etc.  See  above  on  verse  19.  The 
care  of  the  world  and  the  deceitfulness  of 
riches.  Observe  the  double  aspect  in  which  life 
presents  its  temptations— cares,  anxieties,  pres- 
sures to  the  poor,  the  deceitfulness  of  riches  to 
the  rich.  It  alternately  threatens  and  cajoles. 
Compare  Prov.  30  :  8,  9.  Mark  affords  a  hint  of 
the  secret  cause  of  the  temptation  in  both  :  The 
lusts  of  other  things.  Observe,  too,  Luke's  lan- 
guage :  Are  choked  'with  cares  and  riches  and 
pleasures  of  this  life.  "Marvel  not  at  his  call- 
ing luxury  thorns.  For  it  pricks  sharper  than 
any  thorn,  and  wastes  the  soul  worse  than  care, 
and  causes  more  grievous  pain  both  to  body 
and  &o\iV'—{Chrysostom.)  Choke  the  word. 
Doubly — both  by  drawing  from  the  root  its 
moisture,  the  thoughts  and  attention  from  spin- 


178 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XIII. 


23  But  he  that  received  seed  into  the  good  ground,  I  which  also  beareth  fruit,'  and  bringeth  forth,  some  an 
is  lie  that  heareth  the  word,  and  understandeth  it:     hundredfold,  some  sixty,  some  thirty. 


tual  things  to  worldly  cares,  and  by  excluding 
from  the  stalk  the  sun— shutting  out  from  the 
soul  the  rays  of  divme  grace.  The  church  at 
Laodicea  was  thus  choked  with  thorns  (Rev.  3 :  17). 
Becometh  unfruitful.  Luke  says,  Bring  no 
fruit  to  perfection.  In  the  care-filled  heart,  as  in 
the  weedy  soil,  there  may  be  some  fruit,  but  it 
is  both  small  m.  quantity  and  immature.  Observe, 
the  difficulty  here  is  not  merely  with  the  soil,  but 
with  subsequent  lack  of  cultivation.  In  spiritual 
as  m  earthly  husbandry  the  reception  of  the  seed 
must  be  followed  by  persistent  and  careful  labor 
to  make  it  fruitful.  In  both  Nicodemus  and 
Judas  Iscai-iot  there  were  weeds ;  one  rooted 
them  out,  the  other  suffered  them  to  grow. 
Observe,  too,  that  the  cares  which  choke,  like 
the  seeds  of  thorns,  are  unrecognized,  till  they 
have  grown;  and  note  Dr.  Arnot's  remark: 
"  The  thorns  are  at  home,  the  wheat  is  an  ex- 
otic ;  the  thorns  are  robust  and  can  hold  their 
own,  the  wheat  is  delicate  and  needs  a  protec- 
tor." 

33.  But  that  which  is  sown  upon  good 
ground  is  he  that  heareth  the  word  and 
understandeth  it.  Rather,  Personally  applies 
it  (Gr.  ovvliiat).  See  above  on  verse  19.  The  in- 
terpretation is  fuller  in  Luke  :  which  in  an  honest 
and  good  heart  having  heard  tlw  word.  Observe 
that  Christ  recognizes  a  measure  of  goodness  in 
the  heart  before  the  word  is  received  ;  and  ob- 
serve, also,  that  the  goodness  recognized  consists 
not  in  any  moral  and  spiritual  flfe,  but  in  a  readi- 
ness to  receive  moral  and  spiritual  life.  "No 
heart  can  be  said  to  be  absolutely  a  good  soil ; 
yet  comparatively  it  may  be  afllirmed  of  some 
that  their  hearts  are  a  soil  fitter  for  receiving  the 
seed  of  everlasting  life  than  those  of  others." — 
{Trench.)  For  illustration  of  good  heart-soil, 
see  Acts  17  :  11.  Which  also  beareth  fruit. 
The  three  conditions  of  useful  hearing  are  indi- 
cated in  this  verse  ;  he  that  heareth  the  word,  with 
attention  ;  and  understa7ideth  it,  by  personal  ap- 
plication ;  who  also  beareth  fruit,  by  actual  obe- 
dience. Compare  Matt.  7  :  17  ;  James  1  :  23,  24. 
Some  an  hundredfold,  some  sixty,  some 
thirty.  The  usefulness  of  all  Christians  is  not 
aUke  ;  but  all  are  alike  dependent  on  the  Sower 
for  the  seed  of  truth  and  life,  which  can  alone 
bear  fruit. 

Lessons  of  the  Pakable  of  the  Sower. 
Luke  indicates  Christ's  object  in  this  par- 
able in  the  conclusion,  Take  heed,  therefore, 
how  ye  hear  (Luke  s :  is).  Its  general  lessons 
are  as  follows :  All  spiritual  life  depends  on 
a  divine   seed   sown   in  the  heart  by  the  Di- 


vine Sower  (1  Pet.  1 :  23).  He  sows  on  all  hearts 
alike ;  the  life  of  the  seed  depends  on,  first, 
receiving  it ;  second,  rooting  it ;  third,  culti- 
vating it.  The  unfruitful  hearers  described  are 
of  three  classes  :  The  first  hear,  but  heed  noth- 
ing ;  the  second  heed,  but  resolve  nothing  ;  the 
third  resolve,  but  persist  not.  The  first  hear, 
but  without  really  apprehending  the  truth  ;  the 
second  apprehend,  but  only  for  a  transient  emo- 
tional enjoyment— the  truth  gets  no  hold,  and 
produces  no  real  moral  convictions  or  changed 
life  ;  the  third  hear,  apprehend,  and  begin  a  new 
life,  but  suffer  it  to  be  choked  by  the  world. 
The  first  receive  a  hindrance  at  the  outset ;  the 
second  after  the  seed  has  germinated  ;  the  third 
after  it  is  well  grown.  In  the  first  case  the  seed 
does  not  spring  at  all ;  in  the  second  it  springs, 
but  dies  before  it  grows  up  ;  in  the  third  it  grows 
up,  but  does  not  ripen.  The  first  have  no  life  ; 
the  second  have  life,  but  only  on  the  surface ; 
the  third  have  life,  but  it  is  hindered  and  made 
unfruitful  by  the  world.  The  first  hearers  are 
illustrated  by  the  Pharisees,  who  refused  to  re- 
ceive the  word ;  the  second  by  the  Galileans, 
who  heard  with  joy,  but  departed  from  Christ 
when  he  told  them  of  his  cross  (John  6 :  ee) ;  the 
third  by  the  heathen,  who  suffered  Christianity  to 
be  corrupted  and  choked  by  their  heathen  habits 
and  lives.  Gallio  (Acts  is :  n)  exemplifies  the  first, 
the  rich  young  ruler  (Matt.  19 :  22)  the  second,  Judas 
Iscariot  the  third.  The  first  danger  described  is 
that  of  careless  hearing  ;  its  cause  is  a  heart  made 
hard  by  worldliness,  and  inattentive  by  wander- 
ing thoughts  ;  to  guard  against  it,  keep  the  heart 
tender  and  the  attention  fixed.  The  second  dan- 
ger is  that  of  mistaking  emotion  for  principle — 
glad  reception  of  the  truth  for  resolute  practice 
of  it ;  its  cause  is  an  underlying  selfishness  of 
life  ;  to  guard  against  it,  count  the  cost  of  fol- 
lowing Christ  (Luke  14  :  25-33  ;  2  Tim.  2  :  3,  4).      The  third 

danger  is  worldliness,  whether  cares  and  anxie- 
ties, or  pleasures  and  luxuries ;  its  cause  is  a 
divided  heart  and  a  divided  service  (Matt,  g  :  24) ; 
to  guard  against  it,  seek  first  the  kingdom  of 
God  and  his  righteousness,  and  watch  and  pray 
agamst  the  first  appearance  of  worldly-minded- 
ness.  The  first  danger  is  passed  when  the  truth 
is  really  received  in  the  heart ;  the  second,  when 
the  good  resolution  has  been  tried  by  actual  trib- 
ulation ;  the  third,  never  this  side  heaven.  The 
first  belongs  peculiarly  to  childhood,  the  second 
to  youth,  the  third  to  maturity.  Most  Christians 
in  their  experience  illustrate  each  class.  They 
are  all  at  first  utterly  unreceptive  of  the  word  of 
God,  because  the  heai-t  is  hardened  by  the  world ; 


Ch.  XIll.] 


MATTHEW. 


179 


24  Another™  parable  put  ne  forth  unto  them,  saying, 
The  kingdom  ot  heaven  is  likened  unto  a  man  which 
sowed  good"  seed  in  his  held  : 

25  But  while  men  slept,  his  enemy  came  and  sowed 
tares  among  the  wheat,  and  went  his  way. 

26  But  when  the  blade  was  sprung  up,  and  brought 
forth  fruit,  then  appeared  the  tares  also. 

27  So  the  servants  of  the  householder  came  and  said 
unto  him.  Sir,  didst  not  thou  sow  good  seed  in  thy 
field  ?  tirom  whence  then  hath  it  tares  ? 

28  He  said  unto  them,  An  enemy  hath  done  this. 
The  servants  said  unto  him.  Wilt  thou  then  that  we  go 
and  gather  them  up  ? 


29  But  he  said.  Nay ;  lest  while  ye  gather  up  the 
tares,  ye  root  up  also  the  wheat  with  them. 

30  Let  both  grow  together  until  the  harvest :  and  in 
the  time  of  harvest"  1  will  say  to  the  reapers,  Gather 
ye  together  first  the  tares,  and  bind  them  in  bundles  tof 
burn  them  :  but  gather  the  vvheati  into  my  barn. 

31  Another  parable  put  he  forth  unto  them,  saying. 
The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  to  sJ  grain  of  mustard 
seed,  which  a  man  took,  and  sowed  in  his  field  : 

32  Which  indeed  is  the  least  of  all  seeds,  but  when  it 
is  grown,  it  is  the  greatest  among  herbs,  and  becom- 
eth  a  tree,"  so  that  the  birds  of  the  air  come  and  lodge 
in  the  branches  thereof. 


m  Isa.  28  :  10,  13 n  1  Pet.  1  :  23 0  1  Tim.  5  :  24 p  Mai.  4:1., 


e  3  :  17 I  Mark  4  : : 


next  they  are  awakened  and  rejoice  in  the  truth, 
but  do  not  take  hold  of  it  with  practical  resolu- 
tion to  realize  it  in  their  life  ;  then  they  begin 
the  work  of  canying  it  into  Life,  and  find  it  con- 
tinually choked  with  cares  and  ambitions,  which 
must  be  weeded  out ;  finally  it  brings  forth  fruit. 
Thus  the  progress  of  the  truth  is  from  the  first 
to  the  second,  from  the  second  to  the  third,  from 
the  third  to  the  last ;  there  is  more  hope  for  the 
second  than  for  the  first,  more  hope  for  the  third 
than  the  second  ;  but  if  the  second  gets  no  root, 
the  condemnation  is  greater  than  if  he  had  never 
received  the  seed,  and  if  the  third  goes  at  last  to 
thorns,  his  condemnation  is  greater  than  if  the 
seed  had  never  taken  root. 

24-30.  Parable  of  the  Tares. — Peculiar  to 
Matthew.  For  interpretation  see  verses  37-43, 
and  notes. 

24.  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  likened 
unto  a  man  which  soAved.  Not  merely  to 
the  man,  which  represents  Christ  (verse  37),  nor 
merely  to  the  sowing ;  but  the  progress  of  the 
kingdom  and  the  obstacles  which  it  encounters 
are  illustrated  by  the  experience  of  a  farmer 
beset  by  an  enemy  who  sows  tares  in  his  field. 
Neither  one  of  these  parables  illustrate  Christ's 
kingdom  in  its  entirety  ;  each  illustrates  a  cer- 
taiQ  phase  or  aspect  of  it. 

25.  While  men  slept.  Not  while  the  man 
slept,  there  is  no  intimation  of  any  withdrawal 
of  Christ,  or  any  cessation  of  his  personal  activ- 
ity ;  nor  while  the  men  slept,  there  is  no  intima- 
tiou  of  negligence  on  the  part  of  his  servants ; 
but  simply  while  men  slept,  i.  e.,  at  night.  For 
similar  use  of  this  phraseology  see  Mark  4  :  27. 
It  is  nevertheless  true  that,  in  the  moral  realm, 
the  devil  sows  evil  seed  while  good  men  are 
spiritually  asleep,  and  at  night,  i.  e.,  secretly, 
and  under  cover  ;  for  all  his  works  are  works  of 
darkness. 

Tares.  A  weed  probably  identical  with  the 
English  darnel,  and  in  character  resembling  the 
American  chess  or  cheat.  It  grows  frequently 
with  the  wheat,  so  nearly  resembles  it  as  to  be 
practically  indistinguishable  untU  the  grain  is 
headed  out,  is  hence  called  bastard  wheat,  is  be- 
lieved by  the  Eastern  farmers  to  be  merely  a  de- 


generate wheat  or  barley,  produced  from  the  seed 
of  wheat  or  barley  by  an  inauspicious  season,  espe- 
cially by  rain,  and  this  opinion  is  sanctioned  by 
some  ancient  writers  and  even  by  some  bibUcal 
scholars.  It  is  a  mistake,  but  one  not  unnatural. 
For  sometimes  the  wheat  will  be  drowned  out 
with  the  rain,  and  the  field  wUl  grow  up  to  tares ; 
its  seeds  are  light,  they  are  carried  by  insects 
and  birds  and  on  the  Avinds  ;  and  the  rain  which 
destroys  the  wheat,  is  favorable  to  the  tares. 
So  the  very  air  is  full  of  the  seeds  of  evil,  always 
ready  to  spring  up  in  hearts  whose  culture  has 
seemingly  all  been  Christian.  The  taste  of  the 
tares  is  bitter,  its  effect  to  nauseate  ;  when  mixed 
with  wheat  in  bread  it  produces  sickness,  and 
sometimes,  if  eaten  in  considerable  quantities, 
death.  It  is  said  to  be  the  only  poisonous  grass, 
a  fitting  symbol  of  the  fruit  of  the  devil's  sowing. 
When  intermixed  with  wheat  the  farmer  makes 
no  attempt  to  weed  it  out,  both  from  the  diffi- 
culty of  distinguishing  it,  and  from-the  practical 
impossibility  of  separating  it  from  the  wheat 
with  which  its  roots  are  often  intermixed. 
They  are  therefore  left  to  grow  together  till  the 
harvest.  Cases  of  malicious  sowing  of  the  tares 
or  darnel  by  an  enemy  are  not  infrequent. 
Eoberts  {Oriental  Illiistrations)  describes  this  as 
common  in  India ;  Trench  narrates  a  similar 
injury  practised  on  an  incoming  tenant  by  an 
outgoing  tenant  in  Ireland ;  and  Dean  Alford 
narrates  in  his  commentary  an  instance  of  the 
same  act  of  malice  practised  on  himself  by  the 
sowing  of  charlock  on  a  field  belonging  to  him  in 
England. 

Went  his  way.  It  was  enough  to  sow  the 
evil  seed.  He  did  not  need  to  remaia  and  culti- 
vate it.  "He  knew  the  soU ;  he  knew  how  the 
seed  would  take  root  and  grow.  He  had  only  to 
sow  the  seed  and  let  it  alone.  So  Satan  knows 
the  soil  in  which  he  sows  his  doctrine.  He 
knows  that  in  the  human  heart  it  wUl  take  deep 
and  rapid  root.  It  needs  but  little  culture."— 
{Barnes.) 

31,  32.  Parable  of  the  Mustard  Seed. 
Mark  4  :  30-33 ;  Luke  13  :  18-21.  Dr.  Robinson 
supposes  that  Christ  uttered  this  and  the  next 
parable  twice— once  at  this  time,  once  at  the  time 


180 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XIII. 


33  Another  parable  spake  he  unto  them :  The  king-     took,  and  hid  in  three  measures  of  meal,  till  the  whole 
dom  ot    heaven   is  like  unto  leaven,  which  a  woman     was  leavened. 


seemingly  indicated  by  Luke.  The  mustard  seed, 
of  which  four  to  six  come  in  the  pod,  was  used  by 
the  rabbis  as  a  symbol  to  express  the  most  dimin- 
utive quantity,  and  in  one  other  instance  was 
80  used  by  our  Lord  (Luke  n  :  e) ;  it  was,  in  fact, 
the  smallest  of  the  various  kinds  of  seed  in 
common  use  in  Jewish  husbandry.  The  pro- 
duct is  a  bush  which  grows  sometimes  as  tall 
as  a  horse  and  his  rider,  though  its  common 
height  is  less.  The  birds,  attracted  by  its  seeds, 
often  settle  on  it  in  great  numbers.  I  cannot 
find  that  they  ever  built  their  nests  in  it,  though 
this  is  indicated  by  the  phrase  here  employed, 
"lodge  in  the  branches  thereof"  (Gr.  y.utaay.^ruw^ 
literally  pitch  tent).  It  is,  however,  a  bush 
rather  than  a  tree,  and  the  phraseology  in  Luke, 
where  it  is  called  "a  great  tree,"  must  be  re- 
garded as  qualified  by  the  expression  here, 
"greatest  among  herbs,"  i.  e.,  garden  plantft. 
Some  writers  have  indeed  supposed  that  our 
Lord  here  refers  to  a  tree  which  is  found  in 
Palestine  {Salvadora  persica),  the  seeds  of  which 
are  said  to  be  used  in  Syria  as  a  substitute  for 
mustard,  but  the  identification  of  the  plant  of 
the  parable  with  garden  plants  renders  that 
opinion  improbable.  See  this  question  fully  dis- 
cussed in  Smith's  Bible  Dictionary,  art.  Mustard. 
Interpretation. — In  the  preceding  parables 
Christ  has  presented  certain  obstacles  to  the 
growth  of  his  kingdom  ;  in  this  and  the  follow- 
ing parable  of  the  leaven  he  reassures  his  hearers 
of  the  certainty  of  its  growth,  despite  small  and 
secret  beginnings,  and  great  obstacles.  O.  T. 
symbols  throw  light  on  this  parable.  Daniel 
uses  the  growth  of  the  tree  to  typify  that  of  an 
earthly  kingdom  (oan.  4: 10-12),  Ezekiel  to  sym- 
bolize that  of  the  kingdom  of  God  (Ezek.  17 :  ss-m; 
compare  Psalm  80  : 8-11).  The  parable  is  illustrated 
and  fulfilled  historically  by  (a)  the  external 
growth  of  the  church  from  the  smallest  bsgin- 
nings — the  despised  Nazarene,  the  unlearned 
Galilean  fishermen,  the  church  to  which  not 
many  wise,  mighty,  or  noble  were  called  (i  cor. 
1 :  26) — to  a  great  tree  overspreading  the  whole 
earth  ;  (6)  the  internal  growth  of  the  Church,  as 
a  system  of  truth  and  ethics,  from  the  seed  of 
the  four  Gospels,  out  of  which  all  that  is  true 
Christianity,  in  doctrine  or  life,  has  grown ;  (c) 
the  spiritual  life  of  the  individual,  which  is 
always  a  gradual  growth  from  a  small  seed,  the 
repentance  bred  of  hunger  in  the  prodigal  be- 
coming the  tree  whose  fruits  are  the  robe,  the 
ring,  the  shoes,  the  fatted  calf,  the  father's 
home  and  love.  The  law  of  Christian  growth 
here  set  forth  is  exemplified  in  the  Lutheran  re- 
formation, the  Wesleyan  reformation,  in  the  rise 
of  Puritanism,  in  every  revival  of  religion.    It 


gives  hope  to  every  Christian  worker  who  plants 
but  small  seeds,  and  must  leave  time  to  develop 
the  tree  ;  to  every  Christian  soul,  who  must  ex- 
pect his  religious  life  to  be  in  its  beginning  an 
instantaneous  planting  of  the  seed  of  grace,  but 
in  its  developmetit  a  gradual  growth.  Incidentally 
it  is  worthy  of  notice  that  the  mustard  seed  is 
pungent,  penetrating,  searching,  and  must  be 
bruised  before  it  will  give  out  its  virtues,  and 
when  it  is  grown  gives  shelter  and  house-room  to 
the  birds.  So  the"seed  of  truth  must  be  pungent, 
penetrating,  searching;  so  Christ,  who  is  the 
seed,  because  he  is  the  living  and  life-giving 
truth,  must  needs  be  bruised  before  he  could 
save ;  so  the  church  of  Christ,  as  an  organiza- 
tion, and  the  Christian,  in  his  individual  life, 
gives  shade  and  shelter  to  the  oppressed  and  the 

tempted  (compare  Ezek.  31  :  6). 

33.  Parable  of  the  Leaven.  Found  also 
in  Luke  13  :  20,  21.  Leaven  among  the  Jews 
generally  consisted  of  a  lump  of  old  dough,  in  a 
high  state  of  fermentation,  inserted  In  the  bread 
preparatory  to  baking.  Like  our  yeast,  its  ob- 
ject was  to  ferment  the  bread,  and  the  process 
and  the  result  was  analogous  to  that  of  yeast. 
The  three  measures  of  meal,  equal  to  one 
ephah,  was  equivalent  to  a  little  over  a  bushel, 
more  nearly  four  pecks  and  a  half.  Some  of  the 
commentators  have  seen  a  spiritual  significance 
in  the  three  measures  ;  e.  g.,  Olshausen,  who  sup- 
poses it  to  refer  to  the  body,  soul,  and  spirit,  and 
Stier  to  the  three  sons  of  Noah  by  whom  the 
whole  earth  was  overspread.  But  neither  ap- 
pears to  me  to  be  natural.  Three  measures  or 
an  ephah  was  a  usual  quantity  for  baking  (Gen. 

18:6;  Judges  6  :  10 ;   1  Sam.  1  :  24). 

Interpretation.  Leaven,  being  itself  corrupt, 
and  leavening  by  a  process  of  corruption,  is  usually 
in  the  Bible  a  symbol  of  evil  (Matt.  i6:6;  icor.  s: 
c-8 ;  Gal.  5 :  o),  and,  perhaps  for  this  reason,  was 
generally  excluded  from  the  offerings  under  the 

0.  T.  (Eiod.  13  :  3  ;  Lev.  2:11;  Amos  4 :  s).      Woman,  tOO,  iS 

often  employed  as  a  symbol  of  an  apostate  church 

and    its  ministry  (Prov.  O  :  13  ;   Zach.  5  :  7-11 ;    Rev.  17  :  3, 

etc).  Hence,  some  commentators  have  regarded 
leaven  here  as  a  symbol  of  corruption,  and  the 
parable  as  illustrative  rather  of  the  opposition 
which  the  kingdom  of  God  must  encounter  than 
of  its  process  and  progress.  But  this  view  is  im- 
necessary,  because  (a)  the  Scripture  uses  the 
same  thing  to  symbolize  sometimes  good,  some- 
times evil,  e.  g.,  the  lion  as  an  emblem  both  of 
the  devil  and  of  Christ  (i  Pet.  5:8;  Rev.  5 :  b),  the 
tree  as  an  emblem  of  both  pious  and  wicked  men 
(Psaim  1 : 3 ;  37 :  36),  the  dovc  as  an  emblem  of  both 
an  evil  and  a  right  simplicity  (nosca  7 :  ii ;  Matt.  10 :  ir.) ; 
(&)  leaven  itself  was  in  one  instance  required  in  a 


Oh.  XIII.] 


MATTHEW. 


181 


34  All  these  things  spake  Jesus  unto  the  multitude  in 
parables ;'  and  without  a  parable  spake  he  not  unto 
them  ■ 

35  That  it  might  be  fulfilled  which  was  spoken  by  the 

Frophet,"  saying,  I  will  open  my  mouth  in  parables ; 
will  utter  things  which  have  been  kept'  secret  from 
the  foundation  of  the  world. 


36  Then  Jesus  sent  the  multitude  away,  and  went 
into  the  house  :  and  his  disciples  came  unto  Jiim,  say- 
ing, Declare  unto  us  the  parable  of  the  tares  of  the 
field. 

37  He  answered  and  said  unto  them,  He  that  soweth 
the  good  seed  is  the  Son  of  man : 

38  The  field  is  the  world :"   the  good  seed  are  the 


Ps.  78  :  2 V  Luke  10  :  24 ;  Rom.  16  :  25,  26 ;  Col.  1  :  26 w  Rom.  10  : 


sacred  offering  (Lev.  23 :  n),  and  could  not,  there- 
fore, have  been  always  regarded  as  an  emblem 
of  evil ;  (c)  it  is  a  natural  emblem  of  a  good, 
warming,  pervasive  influence,  imparting  its  own 
eavor  and  virtue  to  the  lifeless  lump.  This 
view  is  also  indefensible,  because  (a)  Christ 
directly  compares  the  kingdom  of  heaven  to  the 
operation  of  leaven,  and  it  flatly  contradicts  his 
language  to  regard  the  parable  as  a  symbol  of 
the  operation  of  the  kingdom  of  Satan ;  (&)  he 
distinctly  asserts  that  the  leaven  abides  in  the 
meal  till  all  is  leavened,  which,  if  leaven  be  a  sym- 
bol of  corruption,  would  involve  the  idea  that 
the  Gospel  is  to  be  conquered  and  the  influence 
of  Satan  become  victorious ;  («)  its  connection 
with  the  preceding  parables  point  to  a  further 
and  fuller  illustration  of  the  progress  of  the 
kingdom  of  God.  I  conclude,  then,  that  the 
natural  and  plain  meaning  of  the  parable  is  the 
true  one,  and  that  Christ  means  exactly  what 
his  words  mean,  viz.,  that  the  operations  of  the 
influence  of  God  in  the  community  and  in  the 
individual  heart  are  analogous  to  those  of  leaven 
in  the  dough.  Why?  Because  the  latter  is  a 
foreign  power,  not  merely  an  awakening  of  life 
dormant  in  the  dough  ;  it  brings  new  life  with 
it ;  it  is  hidden  in  the  dough  ;  it  does  its  work 
secretly,  silently,  by  a  process  of  fermentation 
and  agitation ;  it  is  itself  that  which  the  dough 
is  to  become.  The  parable  is  historically  illus- 
trated by  the  progress  of  Christianity  in  the 
world,  which  proceeds  from  the  Bread  which 
came  down  from  heaven  and  was  mingled  with 
our  common  humanity  ;  came  not  with  observa- 
tion, being  unrecognized  as  a  divine  life-giving 
force  by  Jew  or  Gentile  ;  it  permeates  all  so- 
ciety ;  has  won  its  way  by  a  process  of  agita- 
tion, bringmg  first  the  sword,  then  peace  (Matt. 
10 :  34) ;  and  has  proceeded  from  the  interior  out- 
ward ;  and,  by  a  process  of  infection  or  conta- 
gion of  beneficent  influence,  is  leavening  all 
society— governments,  commerce,  social  cus- 
toms, as  well  as  church  organizations  and  the 
professed  disciples  of  Christ.  It  is  illustrated  in 
the  history  of  every  Christian  soul ;  for  Christ  is 
hidden  in  the  soul,  and  becomes  the  secret  source 
of  its  Ufe ;  to  him  it  gradually  becomes  con- 
formed ;  he  is  unrecognized  by  the  world,  though 
the  sweetness  and  life  produced  by  his  presence  is 
perceived ;  and  he  gradually  and  silently  pei-vades 
the  whole  being,  until  the  whole  is  leavened. 


Observe,  too,  that  as  each  part  of  the  dough 
becoming  leavened  acts  as  leaven,  stimulating 
life  in  that  which  adjoins,  so  each  true  Chris- 
tian, leavened  by  Christianity,  operates  as  leaven 
upon  his  neighbor. 

34,  35.  Use  of  Parables.  Without  a 
parable  spake  he  not  to  them,  i.  e.,  in  this 
discourse  his  entire  explanation  to  the  multi- 
tude of  the  kingdom  of  God  was  by  parables 
only ;  the  interpretation  was  reserved  for  his 
own  disciples. 

35.  That  it  might  be  fulfilled.  The 
Greek  participle  here  is  ottuj?,  not  n«  (hopos  not 
Mna) ;  but  what  I  have  said  concerning  the  latter 
in  note  on  Matt.  12  :  17  is  substantially  appli- 
cable to  the  former.  The  reference  here  is  to 
Psalm  78 : 2.  That  Psalm  was  written,  according 
to  the  Hebrew  insci'iption,  by  Asaph ;  it  contains 
no  reference  directly  or  indirectly  to  Christ,  and 
it  consists  of  an  account,  in  poetical  form,  of  the 
history  of  God's  dealings  with  Israel,  which  are, 
however,  a  parable  in  this  sense,  that  they  are 
an  ensample  of  his  spiritual  dealings  with  his 
people  in  all  times  (1  Cor.  10 :  e,  n).  Only  in  this  very 
general  sense,  in  which  the  whole  of  the  O.  T.  is 
prophetic  of  the  New,  can  these  words,  and  Asaph 
in  uttering  them,  be  regarded  as  prophetic  of 
Christ  and  his  method  of  instruction.  Things 
kept  secret.  In  these  parables  Christ  was  in- 
terpreting the  spiritual  nature  of  his  kingdom, 
which  was  an  enigma  to  the  Jewish  nation. 

36-43.  Interpretation  of  the  Parable 
OF  Tares. 

37.  Then  Jesus  sent  the  multitude  awa,Y 
and  went  into  the  house.  The  parable  of 
the  leaven  appears  to  have  ended  the  public  dis- 
course concerning  the  kingdom  of  God  ;  the  sub- 
sequent parables  appear  to  have  been  uttered  to 
the  disciples  alone.  His  disciples.  Not  neces- 
sarily the  twelve  alone,  but  those  who  accepted 
him  as  their  teacher,  and  wished  to  learn  of  hun. 
Compare  the  language  of  Mark  4  :  10,  which  in- 
terprets that  of  Matt.  13  :  10,  the  same  as  that 
employed  here.  Declare  unto  us,  i.  e.,  inter- 
pret to  us. 

37.  He  that  soAveth  the  good  seed  is  the 
Son  of  man,  i.  e.,  Jesus  Christ.  See  note  on 
Matt.  10  :  23.  Observe  that  all  sowing,  whether 
done  by  prophet,  apostle,  preacher,  teacher,  or 
parent,  is  done  by  Christ  in  him.  See  note  on 
verse  18,  above. 


183 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XIII. 


children  of  the  kingdom  ;»  but  the  tares  are  the  chil- 
dren of  the  wickedJ  one  :  .,,•,.,_. 

39  The  enemy  that  sowed  them  is  the  devil :  the  har- 
vest is  the  end  of  the  world  -f  and  the  reapers  are  the 
angels.* 


40  As  therefore  the  tares  are  gathered  and  burned  in 
the  fire  ;"  so  shall  it  be  in  the  end  of  this  world. 

41  The  Son  of  man  shall  send  forth  his  angels,  and 
they  shall  gather  out  of  his  kingdom  all  things  that  of- 
fend, and'  them  which  do  iniquity  ; 


;  1  Pet.  1  :  23 y  John  8  :  44  ;  Acts  13  : 


-19. . .  .b  verse  30. . . 


38.   The    field    is    the   world.     Not   the 

church;  the  word  world  {xua/^oi)  never  repre- 
sents the  church  in  the  N.  T.,  but  the  whole 
world  of  humanity.  See  1  John  2  :  2,  where  the 
contrast  between  the  church  and  the  world  is 
drawn.  Observe  that  the  world  is  his  field  (verse 
S4,  above) ;  the  whole  world  of  humanity  is  the 
kingdom  of  Christ,  though  only  a  part  recog- 
nizes its  duty  of  allegiance  to  him  ;  much  of  it  is 
a  kingdom  in  rebellion.  Observe,  too,  that  it  is 
for  the  whole  world  Christ  has  died  (john3:i6; 
1  John  2 : 2),  and  that  throughout  the  whole  world 
the  seed  is  to  be  sown  (Matt.  28 :  i9, 20).  In  the 
Donatist  controversy,  famous  in  ecclesiastical 
history,  the  Catholic  commentators  read,  The 
field  is  the  church,  an  interpretation  which  they 
endeavor  to  sustain  by  ingenious  arguments,  and 
which  is,  singularly,  sustained  by  the  great  body 
of  commentators  since.  It  is,  however,  only  an 
instance  of  the  power  of  dogmatic  prejudice  to 
modify  Scripture.  The  object  was  to  prove  from 
Scripture  that  the  church  was  not  to  purge  out 
by  discipline  all  its  evil,  heretical,  and  hypocri- 
tical members.  This  may  be  indirectly  implied  ; 
it  is  not  directly  asserted.  At  all  events,  the 
direct  and  unambiguous  words  of  Christ,  The 
field  is  the  world,  are  not  to  be  departed  from 
either  (a)  by  confounding  the  world  and  the 
church,  for  (see  above)  the  word  world  (xo'ff,uoc) 
never  stands  in  the  N.  T.  for  the  church  ;  nor  (b) 
by  supposing  that  it  is  used  parabolicaUy  for  the 
church,  for  Christ  is  explaining  the  parable,  not 
giving  another,  still  less  interpreting  it  by  one 
more  diflBcult  to  be  understood ;  nor  (c)  by  sup- 
posing that  the  church  is  commensurate  with 
the  world,  for  it  is  not,  the  greater  part  of  it 
still  lying  in  heathenism,  like  portions  of  a  field 
given  over  to  tares.  The  application  of  the 
parable  is  not,  except  indirectly,  to  discipline  in 
the  church.  See  this  matter  well  discussed  in 
Arnot  on  the  Parables.  And  see,  for  general  teach- 
ing of  parable,  note  below.  The  good  seed 
are  the  children  of  the  kingdom.  In  the 
parable  of  the  sower  the  seed  is  the  word  of  God  ; 
but  the  two  interpretations  are  not  incongruous ; 
one  includes  the  other.  See  note  on  verse  19, 
above.  The  tares  are  the  children  of  the 
wicked  one.  Observe  here,  as  throughout  the 
Scriptures,  the  broad  line  is  drawn  between  the 
two  classes  of  men ;  they  do  not,  in  fact  as  in  ap- 
pearance, resemble  one  another.  One  is  pro- 
duced from  good  seed,  the  other  from  evil  seed  ; 
one  class  are  the  children  of  God,  the  other  are 


the  children  of  the  devil ;  one  belong  to  the 
kingdom  of  light,  the  other  to  the  kingdom  of 
darkness.  Compare  Matt.  12  :  30,  and  note ; 
John  8  :  4i ;  1  Thess.  5  :  5.  But  the  difEerence  is 
not  ineradicable  here  ;  the  great  gulf  which  be- 
gins on  earth  becomes  impassable  only  at  death 
(Luke  16 :  26).  "  We  are  not  to  suppose  that  the 
wheat  can  never  become  tares,  or  the  tares  wheat ; 
this  would  be  to  contradict  the  purpose  of  Uim 
who  willeth  not  the  death  of  a  sinner,  but  rather 
that  he  should  be  converted  and  live ;  and  this 
gracious  purpose  shines  through  the  command, 
Let  both  grow  together  till  the  harvest." — 
{Alford.) 

39.  The  enemy ;  who  sowed  the  tares.  Is 
the  devil.  See  note  on  Matt.  4  : 1.  Observe 
that  here,  as  elsewhere,  the  personality  of  the 
devil  is  recognized  by  our  Lord  in  unmistakable 
terms.  This  is  no  parable,  but  the  interpreta- 
tion of  a  parable  ;  it  is  no  concession  to  popular 
prejudice,  for  it  is  uttered  to  his  own  disciples 
alone  ;  the  devil  cannot  stand  for  the  evil  in  the 
human  heart,  for  it  is  contrasted  therewith,  the 
natural  evil  of  the  heart  being  symbolized  in  the 
parable  of  the  sower,  the  direct  agency  of  Satan 
in  this  parable  of  the  tares.  Evil  and  false  teach- 
mg  is  attributed  directly  to  his  influence  ;  of  him 
are  wicked  and  evil-producing  men,  who  are  the 
children  of  the  wicked  one,  as  good  men  are  the 
children  of  the  kingdom  of  God  and  seed  sown  by 
God.  Observe,  too,  the  nature  of  his  work,  fair 
in  seeming,  deadly  in  reality.  "He  at  once 
mimics  and  counter-works  the  work  of  Christ." 
—{Trench.)  The  harvest  is  the  end  of  time. 
The  Greek  word  rendered  here  world  {uioh)  sig- 
nifies not  the  physical  world,  but  rather  the 
present  era  or  cycle  ;  the  reference  is  not  to  the 
destruction  of  the  world,  though  elsewhere  it  is 
implied  that  such  a  destruction  takes  place  at 
the  judgment,  but  to  the  completion  of  the 
present  cycle.  Observe  the  implication  that  the 
judgment  takes  place  at  the  end  of  the  world,  not 
as  Swedenborg  teaches,  simultaneously  with  the 
world's  existence,  and  for  each  man  at  the  end  of 
his  life.  The  reapers  are  the  angels.  These 
are  frequently  represented  as  accompanying  the 
Lord  in  his  coming  at  the  day  of  judgment  (Matt. 

16  :  27  ;  24  :  31  ;    2  Thess.  1:7;   Rev.  19  :  u). 

41.  Gather  out  of  his  kingdom.  Observe 
that  as  the  tares  are  represented  as  sown  in 
Christ's  field,  so  here  the  whole  world  of  good 
and  evil  is  represented  as  his  kingdom,  from 
which  the  evil  is  to  be  gathered  out.    See  note 


Ch.  XIIL] 


MATTHEW. 


183 


42  And'i  shall  cast  them  into  a  furnace  of  fire :  there« 
shall  be  wailing  and  gnashing  of  teeth. 

43  Then  shall  the  righteous  shine*  forth  as  the  sun  in 


the  kingdom  of  their  Father.    Who  hath  ears  to  hear, 
let  him  hear. 
44  Again,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  treas- 


.  ch.  3  :  12  ;  Rev.  19  :  20 ;  20  :  10 e 


!  60  ;  ch.  8  :  12 f  Dan.  12:3;  1  Cor.  16  :  49. 


on  verse  88,  above.     All  things  that  offend, 

i.  e.,  tempt  to  sin.  Compare  note  on  Matt. 
5  :  29.  And  them  which  do  iniquity.  Com- 
pare Matt.  7  :  23,  and  Rev.  21  :  8  ;  32  :  15.  Ob- 
serve that  not  merely  those  who  deliberately  do 
iniquity,  but  also  those  who  so  carry  themselves 
as  to  lead  others  into  sin,  are  outcast. 

40-42.  Fire  was  employed  as  a  punishment 
by  the  Chaldeans  (Jer.  29  :  22 ;  Dan.  3 :  e),  and  has 
been  similarly  used  in  later  times  by  the  Persians. 
By  fire  Antiochus  persecuted  the  Jews  (Dan.  11 :  33 ; 
1  Cor.  13  : 3),  as  In  medieval  times  the  Romanists 
persecuted  the  Reformers.  Herod  the  Great 
burned  to  death  certain  who  had  opposed  his 
authority  in  his  last  days  (  Wars  of  Jews,  i.,  33,  §  4). 
Weeds  also  were  used  among  the  Jews  as  a  fuel, 
especially  for  heating  their  ovens ;  a  fire  was 
kindled  inside,  and  subsequently  removed  to 
make  room  for  the  bread  (Matt.  6 :  so).  From  this 
double  use  comes  the  employment  of  fire  in  the 
Bible  as  a  metaphor  of  the  punishment  of  the 
-ngodly.    It  is  thus  employed  frequently  in  the 

O.    T.    (2  Sam.  23  :  6,  7  :    Isaiah  5  :  24;    10  :  16,  17  ;    Mai.  4  :  l). 

Here  and  elsewhere  it  is  adopted  by  Christ  for 
the  same  purpose,  and  assuredly  with  a  full 
sense  of  the  terrible  significance  which  the 
Jewish  mind  would  attach  to  the  metaphor  (Matt. 
7 :  19 :  John  15 : 6),  And  it  is  uscd  clscwhere  in  the 
N.  T.  in  a  similar  manner  (Matt.  3 :  lo,  12,  and  note :  Heh. 
6:8;  10 :  27).  Thls  fii'c  is  represented  not  as  some- 
thing external  to  the  sinner,  but  as  consisting  of 
his  sins,  and  as  proceeding  from  himself  (isaiah 
9 :  18,  19 ;  33 :  11,  li).  An  examination  of  these  pas- 
sages will  make  it  clear  that  (a)  fire  is  used  in 
them  as  a  symbol  not  of  purification  but  of  pun- 
ishment ;  (b)  that  it  represents  a  punishment 
which  is  a  finality,  and  from  which  thei"e  is  and 
can  be  no  deliverance  or  restoration  ;  (c)  that 
being  borrowed  from  the  most  painful  form  of 
death  in  use  among  men,  it  stands  for  a  terrible 
penalty,  such  as  could  be  interpreted  only  by  a 
physical  symbol ;  {d)  that  it  is  symbolical  merely, 
and  to  give  it  a  literal  interpretation,  and  found 
on  it  a  doctrine  of  physical  torture,  is  wholly  to 
miss  the  meaning  and  ignore  the  usage  of  Bib- 
lical symbolism  ;  (e)  that  it  does  not  necessarily 
imply  the  literal  destruction  of  the  sinner, 
though  the  chafl,  stubble,  tares  are  utterly  con- 
sumed, for  in  no  other  way  could  a  physical 
symbol  interpret  spiritual  penalty.  The  fire  is 
represented  as  everlasting  and  unquenchable 
(haiah  66:24;  Malt.  25 :  4i),  and  it  is  represented  as 
an  instrument,  not  merely  or  mainly  of  destruc- 
tion, but  as  one  of  true  penalty,  involving  suffer- 


ing, as  here  in  the  words.  There  shall  be  weeping 
and  gnashing  of  teeth.  The  question  whether 
immortality  is  denied  to  the  impenitent,  or 
whether  they  possess  an  immortal  but  suffering 
life,  must  be  determined  by  a  consideration  of 
other  passages  of  Scripture.  The  symboUsm  of 
fire  throws  little  or  no  light  upon  that  problem. 

Wailing  and  gnashing  of  teeth,  A  sym- 
bol not  only  of  suffering,  but  even  more,  of  rage 
(Acts  7 :  64).     Compare  Matt.  8  :  12,  and  note. 

43.  Then.  When  the  tares  are  removed,  the 
obstructions  to  growth  in  holiness  and  godliness 
are  removed.  Shall  the  righteous  shine 
forth.  Light  is  a  symbol  of  joy,  of  clear  appre- 
hension of  truth,  of  a  light  and  joy-giving  ex- 
ample. Now,  hindered  and  darkened  by  admix- 
ture with  evil  men,  the  light  is  not  clear  ;  then 
it  will  shine  out  with  unobstructed  glory,  both 

in  and  from  the  saints  (Rom.  8  :  18  ;  Col.  3  :  3,  4.  Compare 
Dan.  12  :  3). 

Lessons  of  thk  Parable  of  the  Tares. 
The  key-note  of  this  parable  is  afforded  by  verse 
30,  "Let  both  grow  together  till  the  harvest." 
Its  direct  lesson  is  that  man  may  not  use  force  to 
purify  the  kingdom  of  God  of  evil  elements  that 
mingle  in  it ;  the  reason  assigned  is.  Lest  ye  root 
up  also  the  wheat  with  the  tares,  both  («)  by 
mistaking  wheat  for  tares,  as  in  the  middle-ages 
the  honest  but  perverted  zeal  of  the  hierarchy 
mistook  truth  and  piety  for  heresy  and  sin,  and 
(&)  by  uprooting  tares  which  patience  and  in- 
struction might  turn  into  wheat.  Its  direct  ap- 
plication is  to  civil  governments,  which  never 
have  the  right  to  punish  sin  for  the  purpose  of 
avenging  it,  or  of  representing  and  carrying  into 
effect  divine  justice,  or  of  perfecting  the  purifi- 
cation of  society,  but  only  so  far  as  is  needful  for 
the  protection  of  society  and  the  offender's 
reformation;  its  indirect  application  is  to  the 
church,  which  is  not  to  use  discipline  for  th^ 
purpose  of  excluding  all  from  its  communion 
whom  it  deems  unworthy,  nor  even  all  who 
offend  and  do  iniquity,  but  only  such  as,  by  their 
presence  and  influence,  are  destructive  of  the 
vitality  of  the  church.  It  incidentally  applies  to 
all  Christian  work  and  Christian  organizations, 
the  duty  of  the  Christian,  in  church.  Sabbath 
school,  and  social  life,  being  a  duty  of  patience 
and  long-suffering  with  the  children  of  the 
wicked  one,  not  of  Pharisaic  withdrawal  from 
them,  or  indignant  excision  of  them  from  social 
and  Christian  fellowship.  It  interprets  the 
ground  of  God's  being  long-suffering,  who  bears 
with  the  tares  that  he  may  change  them  to  wheat 


184 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XIII. 


ures  hid  in  a  field  ;  the  which  when  a  man  hath  found, 
he  hideth,  and  for  joy  thereof  goeth  and  selleth''  all  that 
he  hath,  and  buyeth'  that  field. 

45  Again,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  mer- 
chant man,  seeking  goodly  pearls ; 


46  Who,  when  he  had  found  one-  pearl  of  great 
price,  went  and  sold  all  that  he  had,  and  bought  it. 

47  Again,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  net, 
that  was  cast  into  the  sea,  and  gathered''  of  every  kind  : 

48  Which,  when  it  was  full,  they  drew  to  shore,  and 


g  Prov.  2  :  4,  5 h  Phil.  3  :  7,  8 i  Isa.  55  :  1  j  Rev.  3  :  18. . .  .j  Prov.  3  :  14,  16  ;  8:11 k  ch.  22  :  10. 


(Luke  13 :  6-9;  Rom.  2 :  4),  and  is  an  inspiration  of 
patience  to  us  in  our  intermixture  with  iniqui- 
tous and  ensnaring  men.  Incidentally  it  teaches 
the  following  lessons  :  All  good  influences  come 
from  Christ ;  all  evil  influences  come  from  Satan. 
The  world  is  Christ's  kingdom,  the  ungodly  are 
in  revolt  against  their  king.  The  difEerence  be- 
tween the  children  of  God  and  of  the  wicked 
one  is,  in  appearance,  nothing,  the  tares  are  un- 
distinguishable  from  the  wheat ;  it  is  in  reality 
radical,  they  spring  from  different  seeds  and 
different  sowers ;  it  is  manifested  in  the  fruit, 
the  one  is  health-giving,  the  other  poisonous ; 
and  in  the  end,  one  is  for  the  granary,  the 
other  for  the  furnace.  The  intermixture  of  good 
and  evil  men  in  life  is  a  part  of  God's  plan ;  all 
attempts,  whether  by  religious  persecution  or 
monastic  seclusion,  to  interfere  with  it,  are  dis- 
astrous failures.  Evil  influence  is  propagated 
secretly  at  night ;  grows  rankly  without  cultiva- 
tion. Every  good  sowing  in  church,  in  Sabbath 
school,  in  the  home  circle,  is  followed  by  evil 
sowing,  wherefore  we  must  watch  alway  for  tares. 
The  certainty  of  a  coming  divine  judgment ;  the 
terribleness  and  the  finality  of  the  divine  punish- 
ment of  sin.  Finally,  the  parable  is  historically 
illustrated  in  (a)  the  history  of  the  Fall ;  God 
sowed  good  seed,  the  devil  dropped  the  seed  of 
an  evil  ambition,  the  fruit  was  poison ;  (&)  the 
history  of  the  Jewish  nation,  in  which  God  sowed 
good  seed  by  the  hand  of  Moses  and  the  prophets, 
the  devU  tares  by  the  influence  of  apostate  kings 
and  false  prophets  and  idolatrous  nations,  the 
end  was  national  death ;  (c)  the  history  of  the 
early  church,  in  which  the  devil  was  still  busy 

sowing  tares  (Acta  13  :  lO  ;  1  Cor.  1  :  11,  12  j  Gal.  5  :  7,  8  ;  1  Tim. 

4  :  1-3) ;  (fZ)  in  the  history  of  the  post-apostolic 
church,  into  which  the  devil  introduced  false 
doctrines,  ecclesiastical  ambitions,  heathen  idol- 
atries ;  (e)  in  the  history  of  the  Keformation,  in 
which  with  much  good  seed  was  sown  also  the 
seed  of  Socinianism,  Antinomianism,  and  modern 
Rationalism.  The  evil  of  attempting  to  uproot 
the  tares  is  illustrated  by  the  history  of  all  reli- 
gious persecution  ;  whether  of  the  Reformers  by 
the  hierarchy,  or  of  the  Puritans  by  the  Church 
of  England,  or  of  the  Baptists  and  Quakers  by 
the  Puritans.  The  practical  lesson  to  every  in- 
dividual disciple  is,  Be  patient  towards  all  men. 
44-46.  Parables  of  Hid  Treasure  and 
THE  Pearl.  These  two  parables,  uttered  to  the 
disciples,  not  to  the  multitude  (vtrse  se),  go  to- 


gether. They  represent  different  phases  of  the 
same  truth ;  each  helps  to  interpret  the  other. 
Combined,  they  teach  the  general  lesson  that  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  must  be  seized  and  appropri- 
ated by  each  individual  for  himself.  "It  is  not 
merely  a  tree  overshadowing  the  earth,  or  leaven 
leavening  the  world,  but  each  man  must  have  it 
for  himself,  and  make  it  his  own,  by  a  distinct  act 
of  his  own  will." — ( Trench. )  Neither  does  God  re- 
deem the  whole  world  of  humanitj'  by  one  gen- 
eral act  of  grace,  but  finds  and  purchases  each  soul 
unto  himself  by  a  special  act  of  love.  The  fea- 
tures of  the  story  in  each  case  are  taken  from 
the  common  life  in  the  East.  Owing  to  war, 
robbers,  and  the  absence  of  modern  methods  of 
investing  property,  such  as  banks,  stock,  bonds, 
etc.,  it  was  customary  in  the  East  for  men  to 
bury  a  part  of  their  wealth  in  the  ground,  keep- 
ing the  secret  sacredly.  In  case  of  war,  such 
burials  were  very  frequent.  A  forced  flight, 
sudden  death,  or  other  accident,  would  often 
prevent  its  removal.  Hence  the  discovery  of 
hid  treasure  in  the  East  is,  even  at  the  present 
day,  an  occurrence  not  extraordinary.  That 
such  hiding  was  common  in  O.  T.  times  is  illus- 
trated by  Job  3  :  31 ;  Prov.  3:4;  Jer.  41  :  8. 
The  pearl,  too,  was  held  in  higher  estimation  in 
ancient  times  than  at  present.  The  merchant- 
man and  caravan  were  frequently  seen  by  the  sea 
of  Galilee,  which  was  on  the  highway  of  com- 
merce between  the  far  East  and  the  Mediter- 


Interpretation.  Both  parables  bear  a  double 
meaning :  (1.)  In  the  human  race  was  hid  a  trea- 
sure, viz.,  the  faithful  and  elect  to  be  gathered 
out  of  all  nations.  Christ  discovered  it ;  for  the 
joy  that  was  set  before  him,  endured  the  cross, 
despising  the  shame,  and,  though  he  "was  rich, 
for  our  sakes  became  poor,  that  he  might  pur- 
chase the  field — the  world— and  so  procure  the 
treasure— his  church  hidden  in  it.  Through  the 
world  he  still  goes,  seeking  in  human  souls 
pearls,  which,  by  his  own  grace,  he  makes 
goodly,  and  ransoming  each  one,  which,  by  the 
price  he  pays,  and  by  its  own  inestimable  value 
in  the  eyes  of  divine  love,  is  a  "pearl  of  great 
price."  Thus  Christ's  estimate  of  the  value  of 
the  kingdom  of  God,  and  his  sacrifice  of  all  for 
it,  is  an  inspiration  to  us.  For  (3)  that  kingdom 
is  a  treasure  hidden  from  the  eyes  of  those  whom 
the  god  of  this  world  hath  blinded,  but  which, 
being  suddenly  revealed,  inspires  the  finder  with 


Ch.  XIII.] 


MATTHEW. 


185 


sat  down,  and  gathered  the  good  into  vessels,  but  cast  I      50  And"  shall  cast  them  into  the  furnace  of  fire  :  there 
tae  baJ  away.  shall  be  wailing  and  gnashing  of  teeth. 

49  So  sliall  It  be  at  the  end  of  the  world:  the  angels  shall         51  Jesus  saitu  unto  them,  Have  ye  understood  all 
come  forth,  and'  sever  the  wicked  from  among  the  just ;     these  things  ?    They  say  unto  him,  Yea,  Lord. 


ch.  25  :  32. . . . 


joy ;  it  is  a  pearl  of  great  price,  whether  mea- 
sured by  what  its  cost  is  to  Christ,  or  by  its 
value  to  the  possessor ;  and  this  treasure,  this 
pearl,  is  worth  all  else,  is  possessed  only  by  him 
who  forsaketh  all  to  become  Christ's  disciple 
(Luke  14 :  33).  (3.)  The  points  of  contrast  in  the 
parables  are  not  accidental.  The  two  represent 
different  types  of  experience ;  the  first,  a  man 
who,  without  earnest  seeking,  finds,  as  it  were 
by  accident,  the  truth  and  life  that  is  in  Christ ; 
the  second,  the  seeker  after  truth  in  various 
quarters  (goodly  pearls  in  many  markets),  Avho 
finds  in  Christ  the  one  thing  needful  (the  one 
pearl  of  great  price),  which  costs  all  that  he 
hath.  Nathaniel  and  the  Samaritan  woman 
illustrate  the  first,  Paul  and  the  Ethopian  eunuch 
(Acts  8 :  L';)  the  second.  (1.)  Other  points  in  the 
parable  have  been  noted,  e.  g.,  The  treasure  hid 
in  the  field  is  compared  to  the  truth  hid  in  the 
external  church  (Trench,  Alford),  or  in  the  Holy 
Scriptures  (Jerome,  Augustine) ;  the  joy  that  in- 
spires the  finder  is  the  inspiration  which  enables 
him  to  sell  all  that  he  hath,  and  is  a  hint  that 
Christian  self-sacrifice  is  gainful  and  should  be 
joyful ;  his  hiding  the  treasure  is  thought  to 
typify  the  young  Christian's  tremulous  anxiety 
lest  he  lose  the  new-found  life,  or  possibly  his 
first  inclination  at  concealment  till  he  has  mea- 
sured the  reality  and  value  of  his  experience. 
Unnecessary  difficulty  has  been  occasioned  by 
doubts  concerning  the  morality  of  the  course  of 
the  finder  iu  the  first  parable.  But  Christ  no 
more  commends  his  course  by  using  it,  as  an 
illustration,  than  he  commends  the  merchant 
who  devotes  his  life  to  getting  goodly  pearls, 
or  the  unjust  judge  (Luke  13 :  1-7),  to  v/hom  he 
compares  God.  No  difficulty  need  be  experi- 
enced by  the  fact  that  the  obtaining  of  the  king- 
dom of  God  is  compared  to  a  purchase.  This  is  a 
common  symbol  in  the  Scripture  (Prov.  23 :  23 ;  Matt.  25 : 
9, 10 ;  Rev.  3 :  is),  and  is  interpreted  by  such  decla- 
rations as  the  exhortation  of  Isaiah  to  "  buy  with- 
out money  and  without  price"  (isdah  ts : :, 2),  and 
such  experiences  as  those  of  Paul,  who  counted 
all  things  but  loss  for  the  excellency  of  the 
knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus  (phu.  3 : :,  s). 

47-50.  Parable  of  the  Drag-net.  The 
drag-net,  or  seine  (Gr.  (;«yi]i  ij),  is  one  of  small 
depth  but  great  length  ;  Trench  says  that  some 
of  these  seines  on  the  coast  of  Cornwall  are  half 
a  mile  long.  One  side  is  kept  close  to  the  bot- 
tom by  weights,  the  other  is  buoyed  up  by  corks 
or  bladders ;  thus,  when  spread,  it  stands  in  the 
water  like  a  wall.    Having  been  spread,  the  fish- 


ermen draw  it  at  both  ends  to  the  land,  enclosing 
in  it  every  fish  not  small  enough  to  escape 
through  its  meshes.  Then  the  separation  takes 
place,  and  the  useless  fish  are  thrown  away, 
while  the  good  are  kept  for  the  market. 

Interpretation.  The  aU  but  universal  inter- 
pretation of  the  commentators  is  as  follows : 
The  net  is  the  church,  the  fishermen  are  the 
ministry,  the  gathering  out  of  the  sea  is  the 
gathering  into  the  visible  church  of  both  good 
and  evil,  the  landing  of  the  fish  and  the  selec- 
tion of  the  good  is  the  day  of  judgment.  Thus 
this  parable  is  only  a  repetition,  in  a  different 
form,  of  the  x^arablc  of  the  tares.  From  this  in- 
terpretation 1  dissent,  because  (a)  it  makes  the 
central  feature  of  the  parable  the  present  work 
of  the  ministry,  while  Christ's  own  interpreta- 
tion makes  the  fishing  a  mere  incident,  the  sepa- 
ration of  the  fish  the  central  feature  ;  (&)  it  repre- 
sents the  fishermen  as  the  ministry,  while  Christ 
declares  that  they  represent  the  angels ;  (c)  it  re- 
presents the  church  as  gathering,  not  out  of  the 
world  by  moral  lines,  but  a  part  of  the  world  by 
mere  geographical  lines,  and  the  contents  of  the 
church  (the  net)  in  nowise  different  morally  from 
that  of  the  Avorld  at  large  (the  sea  beyond) ; 
{d)  it  gives  no  significance  to  the  drawing  to  the 
shore,  and,  on  the  contrai-y,  represents  only  the 
church  as  suljject  to  the  judgment  of  God  ;  (c)  it 
repeats  the  parable  of  tares,  and  is  thus  an  anti- 
climax in  a  scries  which  otherwise  possesses  a 
true  progress  and  development  of  the  truth  from 
the  beginning  to  the  close.  I  should  hesitate  to 
dissent  from  the  whole  current  of  thought  in 
this  matter,  were  it  not  that  the  ordinary  inter- 
pretation was  evidently  originally  adopted  for 
conti-oversial  reasons,  to  silence  the  Donatists, 
who  demanded  a  rigid  discipline  in  the  church, 
and  has  since  been  accepted  by  each  new  com- 
mentator, apparently  on  the  authority  of  preced- 
ing writers,  with  little  or  no  original  investiga- 
tion. To  me  the  interpretation,  which  I  find 
substantially  in  Arnot  (to  whose  treatise  on  the 
parables  the  reader  is  referred  for  a  careful  and 
candid  discussion  of  the  subject),  appears  more 
consonant,  both  with  the  meaning  of  the  parable 
and  the  course  of  the  entire  series.  The  sea  is 
the  world  ;  out  of  it,  by  unseen  but  invisible  in- 
fluences, all  humanity,  good  and  evil,  large  and 
small,  old  and  young,  are  drawn  steadily,  and 
despite  their  forebodings  and  struggles  to  escape, 
to  the  shore  of  eternity.  Not  until  that  shore  is 
reached  can  the  kingdom  of  God  be  fully  dis- 
closed ;  then  the  angels,  who  come  with  Christ 


186 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XIII. 


52  Then  said  he  unto  them.  Therefore  every  scribe 
■which,  is  instructed  unto  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  is  lilce 
unto  a  man  that  is  an  householder,  which  bringeth 
forth  out"  of  his  treasure  things  new  and  old." 

53  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  when  Jesus  liad  finished 
these  parables,  he  departed  thence. 

54  Andi-  when  he  was  come  into  his  own  country,  he 
taught  them  in  their  synagogue,  insomuch  that  they 


were  astonished,  and  said.  Whence  hath  this  man  this 
wisdom,  and  these  mighty  works? 

55  Is  not  this  the  carpenter's  son  ?  is  not  his  mother 
called  Mary  ?  and  his  bretiiren,  James,  and  Joses,  and 
Simon,  and  Judas? 

56  And  his  sisters,  are  they  not  all  with  us  ?  Whence 
then  hath  this  man  all  these  things  ? 

57  And  they  were  ofFeud.id''  in  him.     But  Jesus  said 


n  Prov.  10  :  21  ; 


)  Cant.  7  :  13. 


,c.  ;  Luke  4  :  16,  etc q  Isa.  49  :  7  ; 


;  3 ;  John  6  :  42. 


in  liis  gloi-y  to  judge  the  world  (Matt.  25 :  31),  sepa- 
rate the  good  from  the  bad,  gathering  the  former 
into  the  many  mansions  (vessels)  and  casting  the 
latter  away.  On  verse  50,  see  note  on  verse  42, 
above. 

This  intcri^retation  renders  this  parable  a  fit- 
ting climax  in  the  series  of  seven.  The  Sower 
represents  the  work  of  Christ  and  the  hindrances 
it  meets  in  the  human  heart ;  the  Tares  point  to 
the  true  cause  of  these  hindrances,  evil  influ- 
ences set  at  work  by  the  evil  one  ;  the  Mustard 
Seed  gives  assurance  of  the  final  victory  of  Christ, 
in  the  growth  of  the  great  tree  from  a  small  seed  ; 
the  Leaven  points  out  the  method  of  that  growth 
— secret,  silent,  by  permeation,  by  agitation ; 
the  Treasure  and  the  Pearl  teach  that  only  by  a 
joyful  choice  of  Christ,  as  a  chief  good,  can  any 
one  come  into  the  kingdom;  and  the  Drag-net 
points  out  its  final  consummation,  after  death 
the  mevitable  lot,  and  in  the  judgment  the  in- 
evitable test,  of  the  whole  human  race.  Each 
parable,  too,  receives  an  illustration  in  an  his- 
torical epoch  of  the  church.  The  apostolic 
church  was  the  greatest  of  all  the  seed  times  of  the 
church  ;  in  the  ages  immediately  following  grew 
up,  in  corruptions  of  life,  doctrine,  and  worship, 
tares,  and,  by  persecution,  the  R.  C.  church 
attempted,  in  vain,  to  distinguish  between  the 
tares  and  the  wheat,  and  to  destroy  the  one  and 
leave  the  other ;  the  little  seed  grew,  and  still 
grows  on,  more  and  more  overshadowing  all  the 
earth  ;  the  leaven  secretly,  but  by  perpetual  agi- 
tation, penetrates  society  ;  in  that  agitation,  and 
in  part  because  of  it,  hundreds  and  thousands  of 
souls  find  the  hid  treasure ;  and  in  this  later  age, 
in  which  knowledge  is  increased,  when  many  run 
to  and  fro  seeking  it,  many  obtain  the  pearl  of 
great  price,  worth  all  else  ;  till  at  last  the  end 
shall  come,  when  all  humanity  shall  be  drawn 
from  the  sea  of  time  to  the  shore  of  eternity,  and 
the  final  and  inevitable  judgment  shall  take 
place. 

51,53.  Close  OF  THE  Pabables.  Compare 
with  these  verses  Mark  4  :  34,  "When  they  were 
alone  he  expounded  all  things  to  his  disciples." 
Have  ye  understood?  (Greek  liiv/i/iu),  i.  e., 
with  the  heart.  Compare  verse  19  above  and 
note,  and  Romans  10  :  9.  Scribe.  The  scribes 
were  the  theological  teachers  of  the  age.  See 
notes  on  Matt.  3  ;  4. 

The  spirit  of  Christ's  question  is  that  of  a 


father  or  teacher,  who  makes  sure  that  his  ex- 
planation has  been  understood.  The  answer  is 
not  one  of  undue  self-confidence ;  though  it  is 
not  to  be  supposed  that  the  disciples  understood 
the  whole  significance  of  these  parables,  still  less 
the  prophetic  meaning  which  is  involved  in  thein. 
"  Their  reply  must  be  taken  as  spoken  from  their 
then  standing-point,  from  which  little  would  be 
seen  of  that  inner  and  deeper  meaning  which  the 
Holy  Spirit  has  since  unfolded." — {Alford.)  The 
parable  of  the  householder  which  follows  is 
interpreted  by  the  contrast  between  Christ  him- 
self and  the  Scribes,  the  theologians  and  profes- 
sional teachers  of  Judaism  (Matt.  7  :  29,  and  note). 
They,  like  their  modern  antitypes,  taught  by 
rote  what  they  learned  from  the  teachings  of 
their  predecessors,  and  in  unvarying  routine, 
without  any  living  experience  of  the  truth. 
Christ  declares  that  the  Christian  scribe  must 
bring  forth  out  of  his  own  treasure,  i.  e.,  his  own 
heart  experiences  (compare  Matt.  12 :  os),  things  both 
new  and  old,  neither  despising  the  old  because 
it  is  old,  nor  rejecting  the  new  because  it  is  new. 
The  contrast  is  not  merely  between  the  Old  Tes- 
tament and  the  New  Testament,  nor  between 
old  and  new  forms  of  truth,  but  between  old 
and  familiar  disclosures,  and  new  experiences 
and  apprehensions  of  the  truth.  It  is  interpreted 
and  applied  by  the  charge  of  Robinson  the  Puri- 
tan pastor  to  his  Puritan  flock  on  the  occasion 
of  their  embarking  for  New  England  :  "I  charge 
you  before  God  and  his  blessed  angels  that  you 
follow  me  no  farther  than  you  have  seen  me  fol- 
low the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  The  Lord  has  yet 
more  truth  to  break  out  of  his  Holy  Word.  I 
cannot  sufliciently  bewail  the  condition  of  the 
Reformed  churches,  who  are  come  to'^a  period  in 
religion  and  will  go  at  present  no  further  than 
the  instruments  of  their  reformation.  Luther  and 
Calvin  Avere  great  and  shining  lights  in  their 
times,  yet  they  penetrated  not  into  the  whole 
counsel  of  God."  Our  preaching  should  be  not 
a  mere  repetition  and  amplification  of  Christ's 
precepts,  but,  like  that  of  St.  Paul,  rooted  m 
Christ,  yet  with  its  own  stalk  and  branches. 
"We  must  not  content  ourselves  with  old  dis- 
coveries, but  must  be  adding  new."  "Laying 
up  is  in  order  to  laying  out,  for  the  benefit  of 
others. ' ' — {Matthew  Ilcnry. ) 

5.3-58.    Christ    Rejected    at    Nazaketh. 
Alford   and  Olshausen  regard  this  incident  as 


Ch.  XIIL]  MATTHEW. 

unto  them,  A  prophet  is  not  without  honour,  save  in 
his  own  country,  and  in  his  own  house. 


187 


5S  And  he  did  not  many  mighty  worlis  there,  because 
of  their  unbelief. 


identical  with  that  more  fully  narrated  in  Luke 
4  :  14-29,  In  this  they  differ  from  most  harmon- 
ists, and  for  reasons  that  appear  to  me  inade- 
quate (see  notes  on  Luke).  Mark  gives  'a  more 
accurate  note  of  time  than  Matthew,  and  inter- 
poses between  the  parables  and  the  rejection  at 
Nazareth  the  account  of  several  miracles.  Jl  we 
suppose  his  chronological  order  to  be  correct,  the 
reference  here  to  the  "  mighty  works  "  will  be 
explained  by  these  miracles. 

54.  His  own  country,  i.  e.,  Nazareth  and 
the  region  about,  see  Matt.  2  :  23.  Synagogue. 
For  account  of  Jewish  Synagogue  see  note  on 
Matt.  4  :  23.  Astonished.  At  the  fact,  the 
method,  and  the  effect  of  his  teaching,  see  Matt. 
7  :29. 

55.  Carpenter's  son.  Mark  (6:s)  says  t?tc 
carpenter.  This,  and  the  Jewish  custom  which 
required  every  father  to  teach  his  son  a  trade, 
whatever  pursuit  in  life  he  might  eventually  fol- 
low, indicates  that  Christ  worked  in  his  earlier 
years  at  the  carpenter's  trade  with  his  father. 
That  carpentering  was  a  real  art  and  well  ad- 
vanced is  evident,  both  from  the  structures 
erected,  e.  g.,  the  Temple  and  the  palace  of  Sol- 
omon and  Herod,  and  from  the  tools  employed. 
There  ave  references  in  Scripture  to  the  rule,  the 
measuring  line,  the  plane,  the  compass,  the  savvf, 
the  awl,  and  the  hammer  and  nails.  His  breth- 
ren. See  note  below.  Joses.  The  Sinaitic 
manuscript  has  John,  the  Vatican  has  Jo.seph. 

57.  Offended  in  him.  Stumbled  at  him. 
To  them  he  was  a  stone  of  stumbling.  Thej' 
recognized  to  a  certain  extent  his  wisdom  and 
his  power — observe  wisdom,  not  learning — but 
they  were  too  much  prejudiced  by  what  they 
supposed  they  knew  of  him,  and  his  parentage, 


and  his  education,  to  receive  his  teaching.  The 
question  here  put  by  the  Nazarenes  was  subse- 
quently  put   by  the  Judeans   (see  John  l  -.  15  an.l  note). 

Observe  that  Christ  is  himself  a  perpetual  re- 
buke of  the  spirit  of  caste,  whether  of  family,  or 
station,  or  of  culture  ;  for  he  was  in  appearance 
the  son  of  a  carpenter,  in  reality  a  carpenter, 
and  in  culture,  humanly  speaking,  without  the 
learning  of  the  schools  of  his  day.  Observe,  too, 
that  the  test  of  a  religious  teacher  is,  not  the 
endorsement  or  certificate  of  the  schools,  which 
Christ  did  not  possess ;  nor  personal  popularity, 
which  Christ  did  not  always  possess  ;  but  real, 
permanent  spiritual  power  and  fruitfulness,  as  an 
instructor  in  righteousness.  In  his  own  house. 
See  John  7  :  5. 

58.  He  did  not  many  mighty  works. 
The  Greek  word  (Jtiuui?)  signifles  litemllj power, 
or  strength.  Here  it  is  equivalent  to  works  such 
as  would  manifest  the  divine  power.  Mark's  lan- 
guage is  singular  :  He  could  there  do  no  mighty 
works;  he  adds,  however,  that  Christ  "laid  his 
hands  upon  a  few  sick  folks  and  healed  them  ;  " 
see  note  there.  Because  of  their  unbelief. 
The  object  of  his  miracles,  then,  was  not  to  con- 
vince wilful  skej^tics  of  his  divine  authority ;  if 
it  were,  he  would  have  done  the  most  miracles 
where  the  unbelief  was  strongest.  To  use  the 
miracles  as  an  argument  for  the  divine  author- 
ity of  Christianity,  mth  those  who  deny  its  au- 
thority and  reject  its  teachings,  is  to  misappre- 
hend their  purport  and  aim.  They  are  the 
seal  of  his  divine  authority,  to  those  who  are 
morally  and  spiritually  ready  to  receive  the  truth, 
but  need  for  it  some  external  sanction  (seejoha 

14  :  10,  11). 


BRETHREN  OF  THE  LORD. 


Brethren  of  our  Lord  are  mentioned  ten  times 
in  the  N.  T.  (see  references  below).  The  ques- 
tion how  we  are  to  understand  these  references 
is  one  which  is  generally  regarded  as  difficult; 
albeit,  the  diflSculty  has  been  enhanced,  if  not 
absolutely  created,  by  dogmatic  and  theological 
considerations.  I  shall  give  in  this  note,  briefly, 
(1)  the  Scripture  references  ;  (2)  a  statement  of 
the  three  principal  opinions  concerning  them  ;  (3) 
the  reasons  which  have  led  to  the  view  that  the 
term  brethren  signifies  cousins ;  (4)  the  grounds 
of  the  opinion  which  I  believe  to  be  the  correct 
one. 

1.  Scripture  references.  In  Matt.  13  :  46,  Mark 
8  :  31,  and  Luke  8  :  19,  we  have  an  account  of  an 
endeavor  by  the  mother  and  brethren  of  Jesus  to 
interrupt  Christ's  preaching,  and  get  him  away 
from  the  multitude,  on  account  of  their  fears  for 


his  personal  safety,  and  their  failure  to  appreci- 
ate and  sympathize  with  his  divine  enthusiasm 
(compare  Mark  3 :  2i).  In  Matt.  13  :  55  and  Mark  6  ;  3 
we  have  a  reference  by  the  Nazarenes  to  his 
brethren,  in  connection  with  his  reputed  father, 
and  his  real  mother.  In  John  3  :  12  it  is  stated 
that  Jesus  and  his  mother  and  brethren  went  to 
Capernaum  for  a  short  time.  In  John  7  : 3,  5,  10, 
the  brethren  are  introduced  alone  as  urging  Jesus 
to  go  up  into  Judea,  and  show  himself  and  his 
works  at  Jerusalem ;  and  it  is  distinctly  stated 
that  his  brethren  did  not  believe  on  him.  In  Acta 
1  :  14  they  are  represented  as  meeting  with  Mary 
and  the  twelve  for  prayer,  after  the  ascension 
and  before  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  In 
1  Cor.  9  : 5  Paul  refers  to  them  in  language  which 
implies  a  distinction  between  them  and  the 
twelve.    In  Gal.  1  :  19  he  refers  to  James,  the 


188 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XIII. 


Lord's  brother,  as  though  he  were  an  Apostle. 
Those  are  all  the  passages  in  the  N.  T.  which 
refer  directly  to  brethren  or  sisters  of  the  Lord. 

(2. )  Theories  of  interpretation.  These  are  three  ; 
(a)  that  the  term  brethren  is  synonymous  with 
cousins;  that  the  brethren  and  sisters  of  our 
Lord  were  children  of  Mary's  sister,  and  Lange 
supposes  adopted  by  Mary  uito  her  own  family  ; 
(6)  that  they  were  children  of  Joseph  by  a  former 
wife,  and  so  regarded  as  the  brethren  of  Jesus, 
though  not  so  in  reality ;  (c)  that  they  were 
younger  brothers  and  sisters,  true  children  of 
Joseph  and  Mary. 

(3.)  Arguments  for  the  cousin  theory,  (a.)  The 
term  brother  is  sometimes  used  in  the  East  to 
designate  a  more  distant  lateral  relationship,  as 
the  term  son  is  used  to  desigriate  a  more  distant 

lineal  relationship  (Oen.  n  :  2?,  w.  is  :  8,  and  ll  :  16 ;  SD  :  lit- 
is). The  hypothesis  that  these  brethren  were 
cousins  or  other  relations  of  Jesus  is  therefore 
not  impossible.  (6.)  Their  names  appear  to  iden- 
tify the  brethren  of  the  Lord  with  certain  of  his 
Apostles.  Their  names  are  given  as  James,  Joses 
(Joseph?  John?  see  note  above),  Simon  and 
Judas.  Three  of  Christ's  Apostles  bore  respec- 
tively the  names  of  James,  Simon  and  Judas. 
James,  the  Apostle,  had  also  a  brother  Joses 
(Mark  15 : 4o)  and  a  brother  Judas  (Luke6:iG).  (e.) 
James,  the  Lord's  brother,  is  distinctly  classed 
by  Paul  with  the  Apostles  (cai  i :  id),  {d.)  Christ 
would  not  at  his  death  have  commended  his 
mother  to  John  (John  lo :  26, 27),  nor  would  that  dis- 
ciple have  taken  her  to  his  own  home  to  hve,  if 
she  had  at  the  time  other  children  living,  for  they 
would  have  been  her  natural  protectors,  (e.)  It  is 
derogatory  to  the  character  of  Mary  and  to  the 
dignity  of  our  Lord  to  suppose  that  children 
were  born  to  her  subsequent  to  the  birth  of 
Jesus.  This  last  argument  is,  I  suspect,  the  real 
foundation  of  the  cousin  theory.  The  whole  K.  C. 
doctrine  of  Mariolatry  rests  upon  the  doctrine 
of  her  perpetual  virginity,  and  the  feeling  which 
underlies  that  doctrine  exists  also  in  many  Prot- 
estant minds  in  a  modified  form. 

(4.)  Arguments  against  the  cousin  tJieory.  (a.) 
The  term  brethren  is  never  used  in  the  JV.  T.  to 
signify  a  wider  relationship  than  trae  brothers  ; 
though  its  use  in  a  metaphorical  sense,  e.  g.  Matt. 
1.3  :  43,  is  not  uncommon.  The  O.  T.  references, 
given  above,  do  not  justify  us  in  depriving  it  in 
the  N.  T.  of  its  natural  and  normal  meaning.  (&.) 
The  more  general  term  kinsman  (Greek  (jryyfvijc), 
though  of  frequent  use  in  the  N.  T.  (Mark  6 : 4, 

Luke  1:36,  58;  2:  44;  14: 12;  21  :  16;  John  18  :  26  ;  Acts  10  :  24;  Rom. 

» :3i  16 : 7, 11, 2i),  and  the  more  precise  designations 
of  cousin  (Greek  tiisi/'/.c),  and  sister's  son  (Gr. 

rioc   t'lS    udsXtpl'lc),     (Acts  23:  16;  Col.  4:  lo)    are    UCVCr 

used  in  respect  to  the  brethren  of  the  Lord. 
(c.)  In  every  instance  in  the  Gospels  they  are 
mentioned  in  connection  with  Jesus'  mother,  and 


in  such  a  manner  as  to  imply  that  they  were  part 
of  Mary's  household  ;  while  there  is  nothing  to 
imply  that  they  were  either  children  of  Joseph 
by  a  former  marriage,  or  adopted  children,  (eh) 
In  John  it  is  distinctly  stated  that  Jesus'  brethren 
did  not  believe  in  him,  while  it  is  as  distinctly 
stated  in  a  preceding  chapter  that  the  twelve  did 
believe  in  him,  despite  the  withdrawal  of  other 

disciples  (compare  John  6  :  66-60  with  7  :  3-5).      (C.)  In  Acts 

the  brethren  are  said  to  have  met  with  the  twelve, 
and  cannot  therefore  be  confounded  with  or  re- 
garded as  in  part  making  up  the  number  of  the 
twelve.  (/. )  The  language  .of  Luke  2  :  7  (comp. 
Matt.  1 :  25  and  note),  "  shc  brought  forth  her  first- 
born SOD,"  implies  that  other  children  were  sub- 
sequently borate  Mary,  (g.)  The  only  Scripture 
argument  for  doubting  that  they  were  true 
brethren  of  the  Lord  is  the  identity  of  the  names 
of  three  of  them  with  those  of  three  of  the 
Apostles,  James,  Simon,  and  Judas.  But  the 
frequency  with  which  these  names  occur  in 
Jewish  families  takes  all  weight  from  this  con- 
sideration. Josephus  mentions  twenty-one 
Sunons,  seventeen  Joses,  and  sixteen  Judases ; 
and  in  the  apostoUc  lists  are  two  Simons,  two 
Judases  and  two  Jameses.  The  fact  that  James, 
the  Lord's  brother,  is  called  an  Apostle  (cai.  i :  19), 
does  not  indicate  that  he  was  one  of  the  twelve, 
for  Paul  and  Barnabas  are  also  called  Apostles 
(Acta  14 :  u).  That  title  belongs  not  merely  to  the 
twelve,  but  to  those  who  were  living  and  personal 
witnesses  of  Christ's  resurrection  (1  Cor.  9 : 1 ;  is : 
8, 9).  That  Christ  commended  his  mother  to  the 
keeping  of  John  does  not  prove,  and  hardly 
imjilies  that  there  were  not  other  children,  who, 
since  they  were  then  unbelievers,  were  not  in 
sympathy  with  their  mother,  and  who  also  may 
have  been  without  means  to  provide  for  her  com- 
fort. 

For  myself  I  can  find  no  other  reason  for 
taking  the  language  of  the  N.  T.,  concerning 
the  brethren  of  our  Lord,  in  any  except  its  nat- 
ural sense,  save  a  feeling,  which  I  believe  to  be 
essentially  false,  that  it  somehow  derogates  from 
the  dignity  of  Maiy  and  of  Jesus,  to  suppose 
that  she  lived  in  the  marital  relation  subsequent 
to  Christ's  birth.  Such  a  feeling,  even  if  well- 
grounded,  would  certainly  be  no  basis  for  the 
interpretation  of  Scripture ;  but  it  is  not  well- 
grounded.  On  this  point  Dr.  Schafl's  remarks 
are  well  worth  pondering :  "Neither  his  nor  her 
honor  require  the  perpetual  virginity  after  his 
birth,  unless  there  be  something  impure  and  un- 
holy in  the  marriage  relation  itself.  The  latter 
we  cannot  admit,  since  God  instituted  marriage 
in  the  state  of  innocence  in  Paradise,  and  St. 
Paul  compares  it  to  the  most  sacred  relation  ex- 
isting, the  union  of  Christ  with  his  church. 
And  the  Apostles  and  Evangelists,  who  are  cer- 
tainly much  safer  guides  in  all  matters  of  faith 


Ch.  XIV.} 


MATTHEW. 


189 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

AT  that  time'  Herod  the  tetrarch  heard  of  the  fame 
of  Jesus  ; 
*2  And  said  unto  his  servants.  This  is  John  the  Bap- 


tist :  he  is  risen  from  the  dead  ;  and  therefore  mighty 
worlis  do  show  forth  themselves  in  him. 

3  For  Herod  had  laid  hold  on  John,  and  bound  him, 
and  put  him  in  prison  for  Herodias'  sake,  his  brother 
Philip's  wile. 


r  Mark  6  :  14 ;  Luke  9  : 


and  religious  feeling  than  even  fathers  and  re- 
formers, seem  to  have  had  no  such  feeling  of  re- 
pugnance to  a  real  marriage  between  Joseph  and 
Mary.  It  may  be  regarded  as  another  proof  of 
the  true  and  full  humanity  and  the  condescend- 
ing love  of  our  Saviour,  if  he  shared  the  common 
trials  of  family  life  in  all  its  forms,  and  moved 
a  brother  among  brothers  and  sisters,  that  he 
might  be  touched  with  a  feeling  of  our  infirmi- 
ties." See  on  this  subject  the  Introduction  to 
Epistle  to  James,  and  note  on  The  Apostles,  their 
Uves  and  characters.  Matt.  ch.  10,  p.  Ii7. 

Ch.  14  :  1-12.-THE  DEATH  OF  JOHN  THE  BAPTIST.— 
The  testimont  of  a  guiltt  conscience  (verse  2).— 
The  wages  op  faithful  preaching  (Compare  2  Cor. 
11  :  22-2T)  — Fear  of  public  opinion  is  a  poor  sub- 
stitute FOR  the  fear  op  God  (verses  5  and  9).— The 
difference  between  dancing  and  the  dance 
(verse  6  with  chap.  11  :  IT).— The  danger  of  voLxn?- 
tuousness.— A  bad  promise  is  better  broken  than 
kept. — The  power  for  evil  op  a  wicked  wipe  and 
mother.— Jesus  the  refuge  op  the  afflicted  and 
persecuted  (verse  12). 

For  parallel  accounts  see  Mark  6  :  14-29,  and 
Luke  3  :  19,  20 ;  9  :  7-9.  Luke  does  not  relate 
the  death  of  John.  Mark  gives  some  particulars 
omitted  here.  Josephus  (Ant.  is :  s)  gives  more 
fully  the  history  of  Herod's  marriage  to  Hero- 
dias. The  facts  in  the  case,  necessary  to  an 
understanding  of  this  narrative,  are  these : 
Herodias,  the  grand-daughter  of  Herod  the 
Great,  through  his  favorite  wife  Mariamne,  was 
an  ambitious,  designing,  unprincipled  woman. 
She  married  Herod  Philip,  son  of  Herod  by  an- 
other Mariamne,  and  heir  apparent  to  the  throne. 
But  Philip  was  disinherited  by  his  father's  M'ill, 
and  the  kingdom  was  divided  between  Antipas, 
Archelaus,  and  a  second  Philip ;  Antipas,  the 
Herod  mentioned  here,  being  Tetrarch  of  Gali- 
lee   and    Perea   (see  note  on  Luke  3  :  1,  and  map  there).      He 

married  the  daughter  of  Aretas,  king  of  Petra, 
but  being  brought  into  company  with  Hero- 
dias, the  wife  of  his  half  brother  Philip,  he 
divorced  his  own  wife,  and  married  Herodias, 
who  abandoned  her  husband  for  the  purpose. 
The  king  of  Petra,  indignant  at  the  affront  put 
upon  him,  declared  war  against  Herod  Antipas. 
John  the  Baptist,  during  the  preparations  for 
this  war,  denounced  the  Tetrarch  for  this  crime, 
which  had  plunged  the  province  into  such  diffi- 
culties, as  well  as  for  his  other  tyrannies  (Luke 
3 :  19),  and  Herod,  fearing  the  influence  of  his 
preaching,  arrested  him  and  cast  him  into  prison. 


Subsequent  to  the  assassination  of  the  Baptist, 
described  in  this  chapter,  Herod  Antipas  was 
totally  defeated,  and  his  army  destroyed  by  Are- 
tas, an  event  which  the  Jews  interpreted  as  a  di- 
vine punishment  upon  Herod  for  John's  death. 
Later  in  his  life,  Herod,  instigated  by  Herodias, 
went  with  her  to  Rome  to  obtain  the  title  of 
king,  and  to  complain  of  Agrippa,  his  nephew, 
for  assuming  it,  was  banished  by  Caligula  to 
Lyons  in  Gaul,  whence  he  removed  to  Spain, 
where  he  died,  his  wife  sharing  his  exile  with 
him.  The  Scripture  references  show  him  to  have 
been  tyrannical  (Luke  3 :  19),  cunning  (Luke  13 :  si,  32), 
voluptuous,  and  superstitious.  He  is  the  Herod 
to  whom  Christ  was  sent  by  Pilate  during  the 
Passion  week  (Luke  23 : 6-11),  and  his  conduct  there 
agrees  with  his  character  as  represented  here. 
See  for  full  history  of  John's  imprisonment  and 
death  AbboWs  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  chapter  21. 

1.  At  that  time.  At  this  period  of  Christ's 
ministry.  Mark  gives  Avhat  is  the  most  probable 
chronological  order.  Subsequent  to  the  para- 
bles by  the  sea-shore  (Mark  4 : 1-33),  followed  cer- 
tain miracles  (Mark  4 :  35-6 : 6),  and  the  commission 
of  the  twelve  (Mark  6 : 7-io),  recorded  by  Matthew 
more  fully  in  Chapter  10.  Their  itinerant  minis- 
try added  to  Christ's  fame  and  brought  it  to  the 
ears  of  Herod.  Tetrarch.  Properly  the  gov- 
ernor of  the  fourth  part  of  a  country  ;  but  also 
used  to  designate  a  tributary  ruler  whose  author- 
ity and  position  were  not  sufficient  to  justify  the 
title  king.  Herod  Antipas  is  generally  and  prop- 
erly called  Tetrarch,  though  also  entitled  "  king  " 
here,  in  verse  9,  and  in  Mark  6  :  14,  23. 

2.  Therefore,  i.  c,  because  he  is  risen  from 
the  dead.  Mighty  works  are  at  work  in 
him.  (Greek,  iiwafim;  ivtnyovair.)  During  his 
life  John  wrought  no  miracles  (Jobn  10 :  4i).  Herod 
supposed  that  his  resurrection  had  clothed  him 
with  new  power.     This  opinion  was  shared  by 

others    (Matt,  le  :  14 ;  Mark  8  :  23).        Luke    SayS    (Luka 

9 : 7-9)  that  Herod  was  perplexed,  and  implies  that 
his  belief  in  John's  resurrection  was  imbibed 
from  others. 

3.  Laid  hold.  Arrested ;  compare  for  mean- 
ing. Matt.  21  :  46  ;  26  :  4,  50,  where  the  Greek  is 
the  same.  This  arrest  of  John  the  Baptist  had 
taken  place  nearly  a  year  previous  (Matt.  4  :  12). 
Andrews  places  the  arrest  of  John  the  Baptist  in 
April,  A.D.  28,  his  death  in  the  winter  of  a.d.  29. 
Prison.  In  the  castle  of  Macherus,  as  we  learn 
from  Josephus.  For  description  of  it,  see  note 
on  Matt.  11  :  3. 


190 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XIV. 


4  For  John  said  unto  him,  It'  is  not  lawful  for  thee 
to  have  her. 

5  And  when  he  would  have  put  him  to  death,  he 
feared  the  multitude,  because  they  counted  him  as  a' 
prophet. 

6  But  when  Herod's  birthday  was  kept,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Herodias  danced  before  them,  and  pleased 
Herod. 

7  Whereupon  he  promised  with  an  oath  to  give  her 
whatsoever  she  would  ask. 

8  And  she,  being  before  instructed  of  her  mother, 
said.  Give  me  here  John  Baptist's"  head  in  a  charger. 


9  And  the  king  was  sorry :'  nevertheless,  for  the 
oath's"  sake,  and  them  which  sat  with  him  at  meat,  he 
commanded  it  to  be  given  Iter. 

10  And  he  sent,  and  beheaded  John  in  the  prison. 

11  And  his  head  was  brought  in  a  charger,  and 
given  to  the  damsel:  and  she  brought  zVtoher  mother. 

12  And  his  disciples  came  and  took  up  the  body,  and 
buried"  it,  and  went  and  told  Jesus. 

13  When  Jesus  heard  of  it,  he^  departed  thence  by 
ship  into  a  desert  place  apart :  and  when  the  people 
had  heard  thereof,  they  followed  him  on  foot  out  of 
the  cities 


4.  Unto  him.  These  words  are  omitted 
by  the  Sinaitic  manuscript.  It  is  tincertain 
whether  John's  reproof  was  a  private  and  per- 
sonal one,  or  was  a  public  denunciation,  before 
the  people,  of  the  crime  of  their  prince.  It  is 
not  lawful.  Because  the  wife  of  Herod  Anti- 
pas  was  stUl  living,  the  husband  of  Herodias  was 
stUl  living,  and  Herodias  and  Herod  Antipas 
were  relatives  within  the  degrees  of  consanguin- 
ity, within  which  marriage  was  forbidden  by  Lev. 
18  :  11 ;  for  Herodias  was  a  grand-daughter  of 
Herod  the  Great,  and  Antipas  was  a  son  of 
Herod  the  Great,  though  by  another  wife.  Lev. 
18  :  16  directly  forbids  marriage  to  a  brother's 
wife,  i.  c,  while  the  brother  is  living. 

5.  Because  he  feared  the  multitude. 
He  also  stood  in  awe  of  John,  recognizing  in  him 
a  prophet,  and  in  many  respects  yielding  to  his 
counsel  (Mark  6 :  2o).  It  is  a  reasonable  deduction 
from  Mark's  language  that  Herod  Antipas  was 
not  without  some  conscience,  but  was  under  the 
influence  of  his  wife,  who  was  more  resolute  and 
more  wicked  than  himself. 

6.  Herod's  birth-day  was  kept.  By  a 
great  feast  to  the  nobility  of  GalUee  (Mark  6 :  21). 
The  daughter  of  Herodias.  By  her  pre- 
vious husband  PhUip,  her  name  was  Salome. 
She  subsequently  married  another  Herod,  Philip 
the  tetrarch  of  Trachonitis,  and  subsequent  to 
his  death,  Aristobulus,  the  brother  of  Agrippa 
(josephus'  Ant.  18 : 5, 4).  Daiiced  before  them.  It 
was  in  the  East,  even  more  than  with  us,  a  dis- 
grace for  a  woman  to  enter  such  a  scene  of  carous- 
ing as  characterized  the  king's  feast  (compare  Esther 
1 :  iD-12).  The  dance  was  and  still  is  sensual  and 
exciting.  The  maiden  carries  her  own  instru- 
ment with  her,  and  accompanies  herself.  Only 
the  professional  dancer,  whose  position  is  infe- 
rior to  that  which  she  occupies  here,  will  ordina- 
rily prostitute  her  womanhood  to  the  entertain- 
ment of  such  an  assemblage  (see  Thomson's  Land 
and  Book,  3  :  345).  But  the  entertainment  was 
adapted  to  please  the  voluptuous  king,  who  was 
pleased,  not  shamed,  by  the  dishonorable  accom- 
plishment and  exhibition  of  his  adopted  daugh- 
ter. 

7.  He  promised  with  an  oath  to  give 


her  w^hatsoever  she  Avould  ask.  Mark 
adds.    Unto    the    half    of    my    kingdom. 

"Why  marvel V  Since  even  now,  after  the 
coming  in  of  so  high  a  wisdom,  for  a  dance  sake, 
many  of  these  effeminate  young  men  give  up 
their  very  souls,  and  that  without  constraint  of 
any  oath." — {Chrysostom.) 

8.  And  she  being  urged  on  by  her 
mother  (Gr.  nno^-ii^-iu^w).  Not,  as  in  our  Eng- 
lish version,  before  instructed.  This  is  not  the 
proper  significance  of  the  Greek,  and  it  appears 
from  Mark  6  :  24,  that  after  the  dance  she  went 
out  and  asked  her  mother.  What  shall  I  ask'r' 
before  preferring  the  demand.  She  was  not  in 
the  conspiracy,  but  was  made  the  instrument  of 
it.  Charger.  A  wooden  trencher  or  dish,  on 
which  food  was  served  up.  In  Luke  11  :  39,  the 
same  word  is  rendered  platter. 

9.  Sorry.  Both  because  he  feared  the  people 
(verse  s)  and  the  reproaches  of  his  own  conscience 
(Mark  6 :  2o).  But  he  feared  the  ridicule  of  those 
that  sat  at  meat  with  him  more.  He  was  not 
true  Ling  in  his  ovra  court.  Note  the  difference 
between  sorrow  and  rejmitance,  and  the  worth- 
lessness  of  sorrow  that  does  not  lead  to  repent- 
ance. 

12.  Went  and  told  Jesus.  Observe  that 
the  death  of  John  the  Baptist  appears  to  have  put 
an  end  to  the  doubts  and  jealousies  which  his 
disciples  entertained  concerning  Jesus  during 
the  Baptist's  life.  Observe,  too,  that  it  was  sor- 
row which  drove  them  to  Christ,  to  whom  they 
came  not  while  their  own  teacher  was  with 
them.  When  the  deprivation  of  our  earthly 
teachers  brings  us  to  the  heavenly,  it  is  gain,  not 
loss. 

On  this  whole  incident  the  reflection  of  Chry- 
sostom is  worth  pondering,  "She  looked  to  be 
concealed  after  this  and  to  hide  her  crime  (by 
the  death  of  her  accuser).  But  the  very  con- 
trary was  the  result ;  for  John's  cry  was  heard 
the  more  loudly  thereafter."  "The  more  thou 
dost  dissemble  a  sin,  the  more  thou  dost  expose 
it.  Sin  is  not  hidden  by  the  addition  of  sin,  but 
by  repentance  and  confession." 

13-27.  The  Feeding  of  Five  Thousand.— 
Walking  on  the  Sea.— See  Mark  6  :  30-56  ;  Luke 


ch.  xiv.:i 


MATTHEW. 


191 


14  And  Jesus  went  forth,  and'  saw  a  great  multitude, 
and  was  moved  with  compassion''  toward  them,  and 
he  healed  their  sick. 

15  And  when  it  was  evening,  his  disciples  came  to 
him,  saying.  This  is  a  desert  place,  and  the  time  is  now 
past ;  send  the  multitude  away,  that  they  may  go  into 
the  villages,  and  buy  themselves  victuals. 

16  But  Jesus  said  unto  them,  They  need  not  depart ; 
give  ye  them  to  eat. 

17  And  they  say  unto  him,  We  have  here  but  five 
loaves  and  two  fishes. 

18  He  said.  Bring  them  hither  to  me. 

19  And  he  commanded  the  multitude  to  sit  down  on 
the  grass  ;  and  took  the  five  loaves  and  the  two  fishes, 
and,  looking  up  to  heaven,  he  blessed,  and  brake  ;  and 
gave  the  loaves  to  his  disciples,  and  the  disciples  to  the 
multitude. 

20  And  they  did  all  eat,  and  were  filled :  and  they 
took  up  of  the  fragments  that  remained  twelve  baskets 
full." 

21  And  they  that  had  eaten  were  about  five  thousand 
men,  beside  women  and  children. 

22  And  straightway  Jesus  constrained  his  disciples 


to  get  into  a  ship,  and  to  go  before  him  unto  the  other 
side,  while  he  sent  the  multitudes  away. 

23  And  when  he  had  sent  the  multitudes  away,  he" 
went  up  into  a  mountain  apart  to  pray  :  and  when  the 
evening  was  come,  he  was  there  alone. 

24  But  the  ship  was  now  in  the  midst  of  the  sea, 
tossed  with  waves  :  for  the  wind  was  contrary. 

25  And  in  the  fourth  watch  of  the  night  Jesus  went 
unto  them,  walking  on  the  sea. 

26  And'^  when  the  disciples  saw  him  walking  on  the 
sea,  they  were  troubled,"^  saying,  It  is  a  spirit ;  and  they 
cried  out  for  fear. 

27  But  straightway  Jesus  spake  unto  them,  saying, 
Bef  of  good  cheer ;  it  is  I,  be  not  afraid. 

28  And  Peter  answered  him  and  said,  Lord,  if  it^  be 
thou,  bid  me  come  unto  thee  on  the  water. 

29  And  he  said,  Come.  And  when  Peter  was  come 
down  out  of  the  ship,  he  walked  on  the  water,  to  go  to 
Jesus. 

30  But  when  he  saw  the  wind  boisterous,  he  was 
afraid  ;  and  beginning  to  sink,  he  cried,  saying.  Lord, 
save  me  !  •>  . 

31  And  immediately  Jesus  stretched  forth  his  hand,' 


1  ch.  9:36;  15 -32.... a  Heb.  4 


..b  2  Kings  4:  1-7 
g  Phil.  4:  13.... 


...c  Mark6:  46. ...d  Job  9: 
1  Pa.  69:1,  2;  Lam.  3:67... 


8  ;  John  8  :  19. 
I  Pa.  138  :  7. 


Luke  24  :  37.... f  Acts  23:11; 


8  :  10-17 ;  John,  ch.  6 ;  and  see  notes  on  John. 
Comparing  these  accounts,  the  course  of  events 
appears  to  have  been  as  follows  : — Jesus  commis- 
sioned his  disciples  (Matt,  lo)  to  preach  the  gospel 
in  the  villages,  while  he  preached  in  the  cities. 
This  combined  preaching  extended  his  fame  and 
brought  it  to  the  ears  of  Herod,  who  believed 
Jesus  to  be  John  the  Baptist  risen  from  the 
dead.  This  fact  came  to  the  knowledge  of 
Jesus  about  the  time  that  his  disciples  returned 
from  their  commission  (Mark  6 ;  so,  31) ;  he  there- 
fore called  them  to  leave  their  work  and  the 
multitude,  and  with  them  departed  from  the 
western  and  populous  shore  of  the  sea  of  Gal- 
ilee to  a  plain  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  east 
of  Bethsaida,  a  town  on  the  north  banks  of  the 
sea  of  Galilee  where  the  Jordan  enters  the  sea 
(consult  map).  The  people  followed  Jesus  on 
foot,  and  from  his  retirement  among  the  mount- 
ains he  saw  them  gathering  on  the  plain.  The 
throng  was  doubtless  increased  by  the  fact  that 
the  Passover  was  nigh,  and  pilgrims  were  on 
their  way  to  Jerusalem  to  celebrate  it  (John  6 : 3-5). 
Jesus  thereupon  descended  the  mountain,  and 
spent  the  day  in  teaching  them  and  healing  them 

( Mark  6  :  34  ;  Luke  9  :  ll),  and  toward  evening  (Matt.  14 :  is) 

fed  them  with  the  five  loaves  and  two  small 
fishes.  In  their  enthusiasm,  the  people  would 
have  made  him  king  (john  e :  is) ;  whereupon  Jesus 
directed  the  disciples  to  take  to  their  boat  and 
row  along  the  coast  to  Bethsaida,  where  he 
would  meet  them,  i.  e.,  Bethsaida  Julias,  not 
another  Bethsaida  on  the  western  coast,  as  has 
sometimes  been  imagined  (see  note  on  M.irk  6 :  45). 
One  of  those  winds  which  often  sweep  down  the 
valley  of  the  Jordan  from  the  Lebanon,  struck 
the  disciples'  boat,  and  swept  it  out  into  the 
lake.  It  was  as  they  were  rowing  back  to  meet 
their  Lord,  according  to  appointment,  that  he 
came  forth  to  meet   them  "swift  walking  on 


the  wave."  They  then  completed  their  jour- 
ney, and  arrived  at  the  land  of  Gennesaret,  on 
the  western  shore,  where  Christ  performed  the 
miracles  referred  to  here  in  verses  3i-36  and  in 
Mark  6  :  53-56,  and  on  the  day  following 
preached  the  sermon  which  John  alone  records 
(John  6 :  22-7i),  in  whlch  he  disclosed  something 
more  definitely  of  his  approaching  death,  which 
led  many  of  his  Galilean  followers  to  forsake  him 
(John  6 :  66),  and  which  constituted  the  close  of  his 
public  ministry  in  Galilee.  For  notes  on  the 
miraculous  feeding  of  the  multitude  and  the 
subsequent  walking  on  the  sea,  with  the  sermon 
which  followed,  see  John  chap.  6.  Luke  de- 
scribes the  feeding  of  the  five  thousand,  but  not 
the  walking  on  the  sea.  This  feeding  is  not  to 
be  confounded  with  that  of  the  four  thousand 
(Matt.  15 :  32-39),  which  took  place  later  in  Christ's 
ministry. 

28-31.  Petee  attempts  to  walk  on  the 
WATER.  Peculiar  to  Matthew.  This  incident 
entirely  negatives  the  hypothesis  of  Bleek,  that 
perhaps  Jesus  was  on  the  land,  and  the  disciples 
in  the  storm  and  darkness  thought  him  to  be  on 
the  sea.  Of  course  there  was  no  room  for  mis- 
apprehension in  the  case  of  Peter.  The  incident 
itself  is  generally  regarded  as  an  illustration  of 
Peter's  great  faith.  To  me  the  lesson  appears 
quite  different.  Zealous,  but  impetuous  and 
self-confident,  the  same  spirit  which  led  Peter 
into  the  court  of  the  High  Priest  at  the  time  of 
Christ's  trial — a  certain  rash  willingness  to  go 
into  danger,  a  certain  thoughtless  scorn  of  it,  a 
certain  subtle  and  yet  unconscious  vanity  in  the 
exhibition  of  his  own  faith  and  courage— led  him 
now  to  wish  to  show  his  faith  by  walking  on  the 
wave.  But  he  only  showed  his  fear.  Christ 
walked  on  the  wave  for  a  purpose,  to  come  to 
his  disciples  whom  otherwise  he  could  not  reach  ; 
and  he  fell  not ;  Peter  walked  on  the  wave  for 


192 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XV. 


and  caught  him,  and  said  unto  him,  O  thou  of  httle  faith, 
wherefore  didst  thou  doubt }' 

32  And  when  they  were  come  into  the  ship,  the  wind 
ceased.'' 

33  Then  thev  that  were  in  the  ship  came  and  wor- 
shipped him,  saying.  Of  a  truth  thou  art  the  Son  of 
God.' 

34  And™  when  they  were  gone  over,  they  came  into 
the  land  of  Gennesaret. 

35  And  when  the  men  of  that  place  had  knowledge 
of  him,  they  sent  out  into  all  that  country  round  about, 
and  brought  unto  him  all  that  were  diseased  : 

36  And' besought  him  that  they  might  only  touch  the 
hem"  of  his  garment :  and  as  many"  as  touched  were 
made  perfectly  whole. 

CHAPTER    XV. 

THENp  came  to  Jesus  scribes  and  Pharisees,  which 
were  of  Jerusalem,  saying, 


2  Why  do  thy  disciples  transgress  the  tradition  of  the 
elders?  for  they  wash  not  their  hands  when  they  eat 
bread. 

3  But  he  answered  and  said  unto  them,  VVhy  do  ve 
also  transgress  the  commandment  of  God  by  your 
tradition }'' 

4  For  God  commanded,  saying,'  Honour  thy  father 
and  mother  :  and,  He"  that  curseth  father  or  mother,  let 
him  die  the  death. 

5  But  ye  say.  Whosoever  shall  say  to  /tis  father  or 
Ais  mother,  //  is  a  gilt,  by  whatsoever  thou  mightest  be 
profited  by  me  ; 

6  And  honour  not'  his  father  or  his  mother,  /le  shall 
be  free.  Thus  have  ye  made  the  commandment  of  God 
of  none  effect  by  your  tradition. 

7  Ye  hypocrites  !  well  did  Esaias  prophesy  of  you, 
saying, 

8  This"  people  draweth  nigh  unto  me  with  their 
mouth,  and  honoureth  me  with  their  lips :  but  their 
heart  is  far  from  me. 


James!  :  6....k  Ps.  107  :  59 1  Dan.  3  :  85  ;  Lulcc  4  :  41 ;  John   1  :  49;  6:  69;  11  :  27;  Ai^ts  8  :  37  ;  Rom.  1  :4 m  Mark  6  : 

9:20;  Num.  15:38;  Mi.ik  3  :  10;  Lnke  6  :  19;  Acts  19:  VI.... a  John  6  :  37.... p  Mark  7  :  1,  etc....q  Col.  2  :  8,  a3 ;  Tit.  1  : 
20:  12;  Deut.  5  :  16 s  Ex.  21  :  17;  Lev.  20  :  9 t  Deut.  27  :  16 u  Isa.  29  :  13. 


no  other  purpose  than  the  pleasure  of  doing  a 
great  deed,  and  demonstrating,  perhaps  to  him- 
self even  more  than  to  others,  that  he  dared 
attempt  it ;  and  he  would  have  sunk  but  for  his 
Saviour's  presence.  It  was  a  useless  miracle  for 
which  Peter  asked  ;  the  result  was  an  exhibition, 
not  of  his  strength,  but  of  his  weakness.  That 
Christ  did  not  regard  Peter's  act  as  an  exempli- 
fication of  faith  is  evident  from  his  rebuke,  "0 
thou  of  little  faith."  And  the  lesson  appears  to 
me  to  be,  True  faith  never  attempts  wonders  for 
the  sake  of  doing  them.  It  relies  on  God  for 
every  thing  in  time  of  need,  but  never  seeks  or 
tnanufactures  occasions  for  marvelous  experiences  or 
exhibitions  of  faith.  It  is  noteworthy  that  the 
Gospels  narrate  the  failures  in  miraculous  power 
and  in  faith  in  understanding  of  Christ  (comp.  Matt. 

16  :  10,  11,  23;  17  :  16;  Mark9:10-33)    aS  UO  bOOk  of  mjths 

would  do. 
32,  33.    They  that  were  in    the    ship. 

Alford  thinks  the  crew  are  designated.  But 
there  is  nothing  in  the  account  to  indicate  that 
there  was  any  crew.  The  disciples  were  fisher- 
men, and  would  have  probably  managed  their 
own  boat.  Mark  says  they  were  sore  amazed, 
and  wondered,  "  for  they  considered  not  the 
miracle  of  the  loaves  ;  for  their  heart  was  hard- 
ened." But  this  language  is  not  severer  than 
some  words  of  condemnation  uttered  by  Christ 
directly  to  the  twelve,  e.  g.,  Matt.  16  :  8,  9  ;  Luke 
24  :  25.  Thou  art  the  Son  of  God.  Com- 
pare Matt.  S  :  27.  There  a  similar  quelling  of 
the  storm  led  only  to  the  expession,  "What 
manner  of  man  is  this  ?  "  Here  the  answer  is  af- 
forded to  that  question.  This  is  the  first  time 
that  Jesus  is  so  called  by  men  in  the  Synoptic 
Gospels.  If  we  compare  the  expression  with 
Peter's  declaration  of  faith,  "Thou  art  the 
Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God"  (Matt,  le :  le), 
we  may  find  in  his  experience  here,  the  seed  of 
his  faith  there.    Observe  that  this  miracle  is  re- 


garded by  the  disciples  as  an  evidence  of  Christ's 
divine  nature  and  authority,  and  that  he  does 
nothing  to  indicate  that  they  are  under  any  mis- 
apprehension. 

34-36.  Miracles  ik  the  Land  of  Gennb- 
SARET.  Peculiar  to  Matthew  and  Mark  6  :  53-56. 
John,  however,  gives  a  hint  of  it  in  his  expres- 
sion :  "After  these  things,"  i.  e.,  after  the  ser- 
mon at  Capernaum,  which  followed  the  feeding 
of  the  five  thousand,  "Jesus  walked  in  Gali- 
lee" (John  7  :  i).  The  chfonological  order  is 
somewhat  uncertain.  It  is  probable,  however, 
that  the  account  here  and  the  parallel  one  In 
Mark  is'  of  a  tour  throughout  Galilee,  mora 
or  less  protracted,  following  the  miracle  of  the 
feeding  and  the  sermon  at  Capernaum,  which 
was  his  last  discourse  in  that  city ;  that  during 
this  tour  the  rebuke  of  the  Pharisees,  narrated 
in  the  next  chapter,  was  uttered ;  and  that 
shortly  thereafter  Jesus  left  Galilee,  and  re- 
treated with  his  disciples  into  the  coasts  of  Tyre 
and  Sidoii,  as  narrated  in  chap.  15  :  21. 

The  land  of  Gennesaret.  A  plain  lying 
along  the  north-western  shore  of  the  Sea  of  Gali- 
lee. It  is  stated  by  Drs.  Robinson  and  Porter  to 
be  about  three  miles  long  and  one  broad.  Stan- 
ley makes  it  much  larger ;  but,  of  course,  its 
bounds  are  indeterminate,  and  one  writer  prob- 
ably includes  what  the  other  excludes  from  the 
plain.  Though  now  covered  with  thorn-bushes,  it 
gives  evidence  of  having  once  possessed  a  marvel- 
ous fertility.  Tiberias,  Magdala,  Chorazin,  and 
Capernaum  were  situated  on  or  near  this  plain, 
which  was  watered  by  four  mountain  springs, 
which  at  that  time  the  heats  of  summer  seldom 
if  ever  impoverished.  Hem  of  garment.  See 
notes  on  Mark  5  :  27. 

Ch.  15  :  1-20.  Eating  with  unwashed 
Hands.  Peculiar  to  Matthew  and  Mark  7  : 1- 
23.    The  account  is  fullest  in  Mark.    See  notes 


Ch.  XV.] 


MATTHEW. 


193 


9  But  in  vain  they  do  worship  me,  teachingyi;r  doc- 
trines,' the  commandments  of  men. 

10  And  he  called  the  multitude,  and  said  unto  them, 
Hear,  and  understand  : 

11  Not™  that  which  goeth  into  the  mouth  defileth  a 
man ;  but  that  which  cometh  out  of  the  mouth,  this 
defileth  a  man. 

12  Then  came  his  disciples,  and  said  unto  him, 
Knowest  thou  that  the  Pharisees  were  oifended,  after 
they  heard  this  saying  ? 

13  But  he  answered  and  said.  Every  plant"  which  my 
heavenly  Father  hath  not  planted,  shall  be  rooted  up. 

14  Let  them  alone  :  theyy  be  blind  leaders  of  the 
blind.  And  if  the  blind  lead  the  blind,  both  shall  fall 
into  the  ditch. 

15  Then  answered  Peter,  and  said  unto  him.  Declare 
unto  us  this  parable. 

16  And  Jesus  said.  Are  ye  also  yet  without  under- 
standing ? 


17  Do  not  ye  yet  understand,  that  whatsoever  enter- 
et.i  in  at  the  mouth^  goeth  into  the  belly,  and  is  cast 
out  into  the  draught  ? 

18  But  those  thmgs  which  proceed  out  of  the  mouth 
come  forth  from  the  heart :  and  they  detile  the  man. 


For^ 


;  of  the  heart  proceed  evil  thoughts, 


ders,  adulteries,  fornications,  thefts,  false  witness,  blas- 
phemies : 

20  These  are  the  things  which  defile  a  man  :  but  to 
eat  with  unwashen  hands  defileth  not  a  man. 

21  Then''  Jesus  went  thence,  and  departed  into  the 
coasts  of  Tyre  and  Sidon. 

22  And,  behold,  a  woman  of  Canaan  came  out  of  the 
same  coasts,  and  cried  unto  him,  saying,  Have  mercy 
on  me,  O  Lord,  thou  son  of  David  !  'my  daughter  is 
grievously  vexed  with  a  devil. 

23  But  he  answered  her  not  a  word.*  And  his  dis- 
ciples came,  and  besought  him,  saying.  Send  her  away  ; 
for  she  crieth  after  us. 


...w  Acts  10  :  15;  Rom.  14:  14,  20;  1  Tim.  4:4;  Titus  1  :  15. 
5. . .  .a  Gen.  3:6;  8  :  21  ;  Prov.  6:14;  24  :  9  ;  Jer.  17:9:  B 
Luke  18  :  3S,  39. . .  .d  Ps.  28  :  1  ;  Lam.  3  :  8. 


there.  The  time  and  occasion  are  uncertain ; 
probably  during  the  tour  throughout  GaUlee  re- 
ferred to  in  the  last  verses  of  the  preceding  chap- 
ter, and  more  fully  described  in  Mark  6  :  53-56, 
and  hinted  at  in  John  7  : 1.  The  Scribes  and 
Pharisees  came  from  Jerusalem  (Mark  i  -.  i),  per- 
haps on  their  return  from  the  Passover  mentioned 
in  John  6  :  4.  With  this  passage  should  be  com- 
pared the  analogous  teaching,  on  a  difEerent  oc- 
casion, ui  Luke  11  :  37,  &c. 

12-14.  These  verses  are  found  only  in  Mat- 
thew. The  plant  is  a  common  symbol  ia  Scrip- 
ture of  teaching,  both  true  and  false,  (Matt.  i:i :  3-8, 

24-32 ;  Mark  4  :  26-29 ;  John  15 :  1,  2).  Here  the  decla- 
ration is  that  any  teaching,  however  erroneous, 
which  God  has  not  inspired,  shall  not  abide  ;  the 
moral  is  the  same  as  that  of  the  parable  of  the 
tares  (Matt.  i3 :  37-43  ana  notes) ;  the  principle  the  same 
as  that  substantially  promulgated  by  Gamaliel  to 
the  Sanhedrim  (Acts  5 :  38, 39).  Let  them  alone. 
This  seems  at  first  a  singular  counsel  respecting 
the  teachers  of  error.  It  is,  however,  different 
from,  Let  the  error  alone,  or,  Let  the  pu- 
pils of  error  alone.  Christ  very  rarely  entered 
into  direct  controversy  with  false  teachers.  I 
think  in  no  single  instance  did  he  invite  to  or 
provoke  a  controversy  with  them.  He  devoted 
himself  to  the  affirmative  work  of  preaching  the 
truth,  and,  for  the  most  part,  let  the  preachers 
of  error  alone.  And  God  has  rooted  up  their 
plants.  Christ  is,  in  this  respect,  an  example  to 
the  modern  Christian  teacher  in  dealing  with 
modem  antagonisms  to  Christianity.  The  best 
corrective  of  Rationalism  and  Romanism  is  the 
preaching  of  an  affirmative  and  practical  Chris- 
tianity. Fall  into  the  ditch.  Observe  that 
Christ's  disciples  had  been  assailed  for  eating 
with  unwashed  hands,  because  this  was  in  the 
eyes  of  the  Pharisees  an  uncleanness.  Christ's 
response  to  his  disciples  embodies  the  idea  that 
the  guidance  of  the  Pharisees  wiU  lead  directly 
to  the  foulest  uncleanness. 


Ch.  15  :  21-28.— THE  SYRO-PH(ENICIAN  WOMAS  — 
Faith  illustiiated  ;  it  is  earnest,  mPOETUNATE, 
HtrarBLE. 

This  incident  follows  immediately  after  Christ's 
last  tour  through  Galilee.  It  is  recorded  only 
here  and  in  Mark  7  :  24-30.  The  account  is  full- 
est here,  but  Mark  adds  some  significant  facts, 
chiefly  the  intimation  that  Jesus'  object  in  gomg 
into  the  heathen  territory,  was  to  secure  the 
rest  which  he  could  not  obtain,  even  among  the 
mountains  of  his  own  land. 

31.  Thence.  From  GalUee.  Into  the 
coasts  of  Tyre  and  Sidon.  For  description 
of  this  region  see  note  on  Matt.  11  :  21.  Whether 
he  went  iuto  the  Phoenician  territory  or  only  to 
the  borders  of  it  has  been  questioned.  The 
phrase  here  employed  (Greek  tic  r«  |U£^ij)  occurs 
m  Matthew  2  :  22,  and  16  :  13  ;  also  in  Mark  8  :10, 
and  Acts  2  :  10,  and  in  all  of  these  cases  indicates 
gomg  into  the  territory.  The  context  sustains 
that  interpretation  here ;  he  left  Galilee  and 
went  into  Phoenicia  to  secure  rest.  Mark  7  :  24, 
adds  that  he  entered  into  a  house,  and  would 
have  no  man  know  it ;  but  he  could  not  be 
hid. 

22.  A  woman  of  Canaan.  Mark  describes 
her  more  particularly.  She  was  a  Greek  or  Gen- 
tile, i  e.  in  language  and  religious  education, 
and  a  Sijro-Phmnician.  There  were  Phoenicians 
in  Africa,  known  as  Llby-Phoenicians,  and  in 
Syria  known  as  Syro-Phoenicians.  She  belonged 
to  the  latter ;  was  probably  one  of  a  mixed  race,  in 
which  the  blood  of  the  Syrians  and  Phoenicians 
muigled,  and  therefore  doubly  despised  by  the 
Jews.  The  term  Canaan  was  the  older  title  of  the 
country,  and  the  inhabitants  were  successively 
termed  Canaanites  and  Phoenicians,  as  the  inhab- 
itants of  England  were  successively  called  Britons 
and  Englishmen.  Matthew  used  the  older  term, 
Mark  the  later.  From  the  same  coasts 
coming  out,  cried  unto  him.  Not,  as  in 
our  version,  came  out  of  the  same  coasts.    She  was 


194 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XV. 


24  But  he  answered  and  said,=  I  am  not  sent  but  u  ito 
the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel. 

25  Then    came   she,   and   worshipped   him,   saying, 
Lord,  help  me  ! 

26  But  tie  answered  and  said.  It  is  not  meet  to  take 
the  children's  bread,  and  to  cast  it  to  dogs.' 


27  And  she  said,  Truth,  Lord:  yet  the  dogs  eat  of 
the  crumbs  which  fall  from  their  masters'  table. 

28  Then6  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  her,  O 
woman,  great  is  thy  faith :  be*"  it  unto  thee  even  as  thou 
wilt.  And  her  daughter  was  made  whole  from  that 
very'  hour. 


1  ch.  10  :  6,  6  ;  Acts  3  :  26 f  ch.  7:6;  Rev.  22  :  15 g  Job  13  :  15  ;  23  :  10  ; 


.  3  :  32. 


Ps.  145  :  19.  .  .  .i  John  4  :  60-53. 


a  woman  of  Canaan  from  (yno)  the  same  terri- 
tory, and  came  out  to  meet  Jesus  probably  from 
her  house  or  village.  Have  mercy  on  me. 
The  suffering  of  the  child  is  the  burden  of  the 
mother.  Her  prayer  is  for  mercy  for  herself,  so 
clearly  is  she  identified  with  her  daughter.  Ob- 
serve, she  does  not  ask  him  to  come  and  heal,  as 
the  nobleman  in  John  4 :  49,  and  the  ruler  in  Matt. 
!)  :  18.  Her  faith  shows  itself  in  the  very  outset. 
Compare  the  similar  faith  of  the  centurion  in 
Matt.  8  :  8,  9,  and  observe  that  in  both  cases  it 
was  manifested,  not  by  an  Israelite,  but  by  a 
Gentile.  Son  of  David.  Evidently  the  wo- 
man had  some  knowledge  of  the  Old  Testament, 
and  its  prophecies  of  a  Messiah.  She  may  have 
been  a  proselyte.  Grievously  vexed  with 
a  devil.  Literally  very  evil  deviled,  and  so  ren- 
dered in  one  of  the  old  versions.  On  the  nature 
of  demoniacal  possessions  see  note  at  close  of 
chap.  8,  page  85. 

23.  Send  her  away.  Dismiss  her.  The 
language  does  not  indicate  whether  by  healing  or 
by  giving  a  positive  refusal  to  heal.  The  reason- 
able implication,  however,  is  that  they  had  en- 
deavored to  drive  her  away,  as  was  done  in  other 
parallel  cases  (Matt.  i9:  is ;  Luke  is :  39),  but  in  vain. 
They  recognized  Christ's  object  to  be  retirement, 
an  object  which  her  presence  and  petitions  were 
sure  to  defeat. 

24.  I  am  not  sent  but  unto  the  lost 
sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel.  Compare 
note  on  Matt.  10  :  6.  Here,  however,  Christ  de- 
fines his  mission,  not  that  of  his  disciples  ;  but 
only  the  limits  of  his  own  personal  and  earthly 
ministiy.  It  was  not  till  after  his  death  that  the 
vaU  was  rent,  which  shut  out  all  but  the  high 
priest  from  the  Holy  of  Holies — and  by  his  death 
that  he  saves  all  who  come  unto  him  whether 
Jew  or  Gentile.  James  Morison  gives  well  the 
reason  for  his  declining  to  extend  his  earthly 
mission  to  Gentile  races  :  "  To  have  spread  out 
his  ministry  farther  during  the  brief  period  of 
his  terrestrial  career,  would  simply  have  been  to 
have  thinned  and  weakened  his  influence.  What- 
ever might  have  been  gained  extensively  would 
have  been  lost  intensively."  Compare  Romans 
11  :  12-17,  where  the  impKcation  is  that  the  re- 
jection of  Christ  by  the  Jews  was,  in  the  Pron- 
dence  of  God,  the  precursor  of  the  preaching  of 
the  Gospel  to  the  Gentiles.  It  must  come  to  the 
world  either  through  the  Jews,  or  despite  the 
refusal  of  the  Jews  to  receive  it.    Compare  also 


Matt.  21  :  42,  43,   where  the  implication  is  the 
same. 

25.  Then  came  she.  Hitherto  she  had 
followed  him  in  the  way  ;  now  she  came,  as  Mark 
more  particularly  describes,  to  the  house  where 
he  was.  And  Avorshipped  him.  Rather  rev- 
erenced him.  See  note  on  Matt.  8  :  2,  where  the 
original  verb  is  the  same. 

26.  It  is  not  meet.  Not,  It  is  not  allowahle 
(tjeornr),  though  some  manuscripts  give  this  read- 
ing, but,  It  is  not  appropriate  {xu'/.'ic).  This  is 
the  reading  of  the  Received  Text,  of  the  Sinaitic 
manuscript,  and  the  undoubted  reading  in  Mark 
7  :  27.  Mark  adds  an  important  sentence,  which 
both  explains  this  declaration  and  gives  the  key 
to  the  mother's  reply.  Christ  says,  "Let  the  chil- 
dren first  be  filled;  for  it  is  not  meet,"  etc. 
This  language  implies  that  there  is  food  in  the 
Gospel  for  the  GentUe  as  well  as  for  the  Jew, 
but  that  the  Gospel  should  begin  with  Israel.  It 
is  clear  from  this  that  Christ  did  not  teach  that 
the  Gentiles  were  to  be  despised  and  outcast,  and 
did  not  intend  to  be  so  understood.  And  cast 
it  to  the  pet  dog:s.  The  Greek  here  {/.wdqiu^) 
signifies  a  little  dog ;  is  here  probably  equivalent 
to  house  or  pet  dog,  in  contradistinction  to  the 
dogs  of  the  street,  (zuwr),  which  in  the  East  are 
mostly  without  masters,  and  i-oam  the  towns  and 
cities  in  packs,  and  feed  upon  offal  and  even 
corpses.  The  word  which  I  have  rendered  "pet 
dogs,"  is  used  only  here  and  in  Mark  7  :  27,  28. 
Its  use,  coupled  vrith  the  intimation  that  the 
Gentiles  are  to  be  fed  but  not  at  first,  gives  an 
indefinable  but  important  color  to  the  whole  inci- 
dent, which  has  been  generally  overlooked. 

27.  Truth,  Lord :  for  the  pet  dogs  eat 
of  the  crumbs  which  fall  from  the  table 
of  their  masters.  Observe,  that  she  acquies- 
ces heartily  in  Christ's  declaration  :  it  is  not  fit 
that  the  dogs  be  fed  before  the  children  ;  that  she 
gives  the  reason:  because  thej^  feed  from  that 
which  the  children  cast  away  or  pass  by  in  indif- 
ference ;  and  that  she  recognizes  in  the  Israelites 
the  masters,  in  spiritual  things,  of  the  Gentiles, 
from  whose  table  the  Gentiles  are  to  be  fed, 
for  she  says  not.  The  table  of  the  master,  but  The 
table  of  their  masters  (roJr  -^vqImv  uvtoh).  Our 
English  version,  Yet  the  dogs  feed,  implies  a  con- 
trast between  his  statement  and  hers.  The  orig- 
inal (xiil  y«o)  implies  that  she  gives,  in  her  state- 
ment, a  reason  for  her  assent  to  his.  It  is  not 
needful  to  deprive  the  children  to  supply  the 


Ch.  XV.] 


MATTHEW. 


195 


29  Andi  Jesus  departed  from  thence,  and  came  nigh 
unto  the  sea  of  Gahlee  ;  and  went  up  into  a  mountain, 
and  sat  down  there. 

30  And  great  multitudes  came  unto  him,  having  with 


them  those  that  were  lame,  blind,  dumb,   maimed,  and 
many  others,  and  cast  tliem  down  at  Jesus'  leet ;  and  he 
healed  them  •}■ 
31  Insomuch  that  the  multitude    wondered,   when 


.k  Ps.  103  :  3 :  Isa.  35  :  B,  6 


dogs.  So  it  is  not  needful  to  deprive  Israel  of  its 
blessing  in  order  to  give  ine  the  blessing  I  crave  : 
what  they  have  cast  away  I  seek.  It  would  be 
different  if  I  asked  you  to  leave  Israel  to  preach 
and  to  heal  in  Phoenicia. 

28.  Compare  the  language  of  Mark  (7 :  30), 
"  And  when  she  was  come  to  her  house,  she  found 
the  devil  gone  out,  and  her  daughter  laid  upon 
the  bed." 

Meaning  of  this  Incident.  In  interpreting 
this  incident  we  are  to  remember  certain  facts 
which  the  commentators,  as  well  as  the  skeptical 
critics,  have  sometimes  forgotten,  (a.)  Jesus 
departed  from  Galilee,  not  to  continue  his  minis- 
try, but  to  rest  from  it.  To  have  complied  with 
the  mother's  request  would  have  defeated  his 
purpose  ;  did  defeat  it,  so  that  he  straightway 
retreated  again  from  the  coasts  of  Tyre  and 
Sidon  into  the  mountains  of  Galilee,  and  thence 
into  the  region  about  Caesarea  Philippi  (Mark  15:29; 
16:13).  (6.)  He  knew  by  a  perfect  spiritual  in- 
sight just  what  measure  of  trial  the  woman 
could  bear,  so  that  the  test,  which  would  have 
been  hazardous  if  attempted  by  another,  was  not 
so  when  used  by  him.  (c.)  The  presumption  that 
the  tone  of  his  voice,  and  the  manner  of  his 
utterance,  gave  to  his  words  a  different  impres- 
sion from  that  which  they  bear  in  the  simple  read- 
ing of  them,  is  not  unreasonable,  in  the  light  of 
the  result  to  which  they  led.  The  interpretation 
of  this  incident,  which  regards  Christ  as  having 
repelled  and  rebuffed  the  woman,  treated  her 
with  an  appearance  of  Jewish  contempt  as  a  dog, 
and  yielded  at  the  last  to  her  importunity,  in 
spite  of  his  original  apparent,  if  not  real  inten- 
tion, I  cannot  accept  because  (a),  so  interpreted, 
the  incident  stands  absolutely  isolated  ;  there  is 
no  other  case  in  the  Gospels  in  which  Christ  re- 
fused help  to  the  suffering  and  the  needy.  (&.) 
It  contravenes  his  whole  spirit ;  there  is  no  other 
ill  which  he  indicated  any  sharing  or  appearance 
of  sharing  in  the  prejudice  which  treated  Gen- 
tiles as  dogs ;  on  the  contrary,  his  ministry  in 
Galilee  was  begun  by  a  public  rebuke  of  that 
prejudice  (Luke  4 :  25, 26),  a  rebuke  subsequently  re- 
peated at  Capernaum  (Matt.  8 :  10-12).  (c.)  The 
language  of  the  narrative  itself  does  not,  when 
carefully  studied,  confirm  this  impression — the 
impression  of  one  hard  to  be  entreated.  His 
use  of  the  distmctive  word  "httle  or  pet  dogs," 
his  intimation  of  mercy  to  the  Gentiles  in  the 
phrase  "Let  the  children  ^rs<  be  filled,"  (Mark 
7 :  27),  and  the  woman's  method  of  taking  up  his 


reply,  not  taking  exception  to  his  statement, 
but  making  his  declaration,  It  is  not  fitting  to  take 
the  children's  bread  and  cast  it  to  the  pet  dogs, 
a  reason  for  her  own,  Truth,  Lord,  for  the  pet 
dogs  eat  of  the  crumbs,  all  look  toward  a  differ- 
ent tone  and  spirit  in  the  whole  scene.  It  ap- 
pears then  to  me  that  Christ  intended  his  lan- 
guage as  a  rebuke  to  the  disciples,  not  to  the 
mother ;  that  her  quick  intuition  read  in  his 
tone  what  they  failed  to  read  in  his  words ; 
that  her  ready  repartee  is  the  language  of 
awakened  hope,  not  the  last  despairing  C17  of 
a  crushed  and  broken  heart ;  that  he  neither 
intended  to  repel  her  nor,  in  fact,  did  so ;  but, 
knowing  her  faith,  intended  to  draw  forth  its  ex- 
pression as  a  lesson  to  his  as  yet  untaught  dis- 
ciples, to  whom  this  woman  of  an  apostate  race 
was  but  a  Gentile  dog.  In  other  words,  I  conceive 
that  he  spoke  in  the  manner  which  we  some- 
times use  with  children,  when  we  intend  to  grant 
their  request  yet  hold  them  off,  and  make  pre- 
tence of  finding  reason  why  it  should  not  be 
granted,  for  the  purpose  of  trying  their  earnest- 
ness. His  very  commendation.  Great  is  thy  faith, 
I  take  to  be  a  recognition  of  her  spiritual  appre- 
ciation of  his  love,  which  his  disciples  did  not 
then  and  have  not  always  since  comprehended  as 
well  as  she  did. 

29-39.  The  four  thousand  fed.  The 
events  which  follow,  up  to  and  including  chapter 
18,  describe  a  period  of  apparent  retirement, 
spent  partly  in  Galilee,  partly  north  of  Galilee  in 
the  districts  about  Caesarea  Philippi.  Matthew 
does,  indeed,  record  some  public  miracles,  as  the 
one  here,  and  Mark  adds  more  that  Matthew 
omits  ;  but  it  is  noticeable  that  there  is  no  inti- 
mation here,  or  anywhere  after  this,  of  any  consid- 
erable preachuig  of  the  Gospel  in  Galilee.  On 
the  other  hand,  Christ's  endeavor  to  remain  in 
retirement  is  not  only  clearly  stated  by  Mark  (9 :  30), 
but  is  also  indicated,  less  clearly,  in  the  fact  that 
our  Lord's  miracles  are  performed  apart  from  the 
multitude  (Mark  7 :  33 ;  8 :  22-26),  and  are  accompan- 
ied   by    injunctions   of    secrecy    (Matt.  9  :  30;  Mark  7: 

36 ;  8 :  26).  Hc  gocs,  too,  f rom  ouc  district  to 
another,  as  if  seeking  repose,  which  the  throng 

deny  him  (Matt.  15  :  29,  so,  39  ;  le  :  1,  4;  Mark  7  :  22,  27).     So 

marked  is  this  change  in  his  ministry,  that  his 
disciples  taunt  him  with  his  concealment  (John  t  : 
2-5).  This  period,  up  to  his  departure  from  Galilee, 
mentioned  in  Matthew  19  : 1,  to  fulfill  the  min- 
istry, more  fully  described  by  John,  is  devoted 
chiefly  to  instructing  his  disciples  respecting  the 


196 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XVL 


they  saw  the  dumb  to  speak,  the  maimed  to  be  whole, 
the  lame  to  walk,  and  the  blind  to  see  :  and  they  glori- 
fied the  God  of  Israel. 

32  Then'  Jesus  called  his  disciples  w«^o/i/;«,  and  said, 
I  have  compassion  on  tlie  multitude,  because  they  con- 
tinue with  me  now  three  days,  and  have  nothing  to 
eat :  and  I  will  not  send  them  away  fasting,  lest  they 
faint  in  the  way. 

33  And™  his  disciples  say  unto  him.  Whence  should 
we  have  so  much  bread  in  the  wilderness,  as  to  fill  so 
great  a  multitude  ? 

34  And  Jesus  saith  unto  them,  How  many  loaves  have 
ye  ?    And  they  said,  Seven,  and  a  few  little  fishes. 

35  And"  he  commanded  tlie  multitude  to  sit  down  on 
the  ground. 


36  And  he  took  the  seven  loaves  and  the  fishes,  and" 
gave  thanks,  and  brake  tkem,  and  gave  to  his  disciples, 
and  the  disciples  to  the  multitude. 

37  And  they  did  all  eat,  and  were  filled  :  and  they  took 
up  of  the  broken  meat  that  was  left  seven  baskets  full. 

38  And  they  that  did  eat  were  tour  thousand  men, 
beside  women  and  children. 

39  And  he  sent  away  the  multitude,  and  took  ship, 
andP  came  into  the  coasts  of  Magdala. 

CHAPTER     XVI. 

THE  Pharisees  also  with  the  Sadducees  came,  and 
tempting,  desired  him  that  he  would  shew  them  a 
signi  from  heaven. 


2  Kings  4:  43,  44... 


.p  Marks:  10.... q  ch. 


Kingdom  of  God,  and  embraces  warnings  against 
the  leaven  of  the  Pharisees  (le :  1-12),  the  full  dis- 
closure of  his  own  divinity  (ic :  13-20),  accompanied 
by  clearer  prophecies  o\  his  death  and  resurrec- 
tion (16 :  21-23),  the  manifestation  of  his  glory  in 
the  transfiguration  (17 :  i-s),  and  instructions  re- 
specting faith,  humUity,  and  forgiveness  and  kind- 
ness (ch.  17 :  19  to  ch.  18 :  35).  The  accouut  of  the  mira- 
cles of  healing  here  referred  to,  as  well  as  of  the 
feeding  of  the  four  thousand,  is  fullest  in  Mark  ; 
see  notes  there  (Mark  7 :  31-37 ;  8  : 1-9). 

29.  It  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  after  the 
feeding  Christ  took  ship  to  come  into  the  coasts 
of  Magdala,  which  was  on  the  vrestern  and  pop- 
ulous side  of  the  sea,  that  he  came  at  first  into 
the  eastern  coasts.  Mark  adds  that  he  came 
through  the  coast  of  Decapolis,  a  district  chief- 
ly on  the  eastern  shore.  See  note  there.  Went 
up  into  a  hill  country.  Not  a  particular 
mountain,  as  might  be  supposed  from  our  version, 
but  up  into  the  hUl  district  east  of  the  sea  of 
Galilee  ;  for  the  most  part  then,  as  now,  wild  and 
uninhabited.  Sat  down  there.  That  is,  stop- 
ped there.  Sit  is  sometimes  thus  used  in  the  N.  T. 
as  equivalent  to  dwell  or  abide,  e.  g.  Matt.  4  :  16  ; 
Luke  1  :  79 ;  Acts  14  :  8. 

30.  Cast  them  down.  A  graphic  indication 
of  their  haste  and  eagerness. 

31.  The  maimed  to  be  whole.  Tischen- 
dorf  omits  this  clause.  Alford  retains  it.  It 
does  not  imply  that  any  missing  members  were 
restored.  The  word  rendered  maimed  signifies 
literally  hent  or  crooked,  and  nothing  more  is  nec- 
essarily involved  than  a  restoration  of  vitality  to 
a  before  useless  member,  as  from  paralysis.  The 
word  applies  particularly  to  the  hands,  as  the 
word  lame  to  the  feet.  In  no  recorded  instance 
did  our  Lord  create  members  which  were  miss- 
ing. Even  his  miraculous  powers  Christ  did 
not  put  forth,  says  Olshausen,  without  internal 
law  or  order.  In  this  respect,  it  may  be  added, 
his  miracles  differ  from  the  mere  prodigies  of 
the  pseudo  wonder-workers.  Mark  (7 :  31-37)  gives 
an  account  of  a  particular  miracle,  the  healing 
of  one  who  was  deaf  and  had  an  impediment  in 
his  speech. 


God  of  Israel.  The  Pharisees  accused  Jesus 
of  blasphemy  under  a  statute  (ceut.  13 : 1-5)  which 
punished  \\'ith  death  all  attempts  to  divert  the 
allegiance  of  the  people  from  Jehovah  to  other 
gods,  and  subsequently  condemned  him  to  death 
on  the  ground  that  he  had  thus  attempted  to  di- 
vert the  allegiance  of  the  people  to  himself. 
Observe  the  refutation  of  his  charge  here  ;  their 
reverence  for  the  God  of  Israel  was  increased, 
not  lessened.  It  is  still  charged  that  the  doctrine 
of  the  divinity  of  Christ  leads  to  idolatry,  the 
substitution  of  a  hero  worship  for  the  worship 
of  a  Divine  Spirit.  In  fact,  Christianity  has  pro- 
duced the  highest  and  most  intelligent  and  spir- 
itual worship  of  the  Infinite  and  Invisible  God 

(compare  John  5  ;  23). 

32-39.  This  miracle  of  the  feeding  of  the 
four  thousand,  not  to  be  confounded  with  the 
feeding  of  the  five  thousand  before  described  by 
Matthew,  is  more  fully  described  by  Mark  8  : 1-9. 
See  notes  there.  It  is  not  mentioned  by  the 
other  two  Evangelists.  The  only  material  varia- 
tion in  the  two  accounts  is  in  the  description  of 
Christ's  subsequent  departure  from  the  eastern 
shore.  Matthew  says  he  came  into  the  coasts 
of  Magdala,  that  is,  its  environs.  Mark  says 
he  came  into  the  parts  of  Dalmanutha.  Nei- 
ther place  is  elsewhere  mentioned  in  the  N.  T. 
Magdala  or  Magadar  is  undoubtedly  identical 
with  the  modem  El-Mejdel.  It  is  situated  on 
the  western  coast  of  the  sea  of  Galilee.  See 
map.  It  was  probably  the  birth-place,  and  gave 
the  cognomen  to  Mary  Magdalene,  that  is,  Mary 
of  Magdala.  Dalmanutha  was  either  identical 
with  it,  being  only  another  name  for  the  same 
place,  or  a  village  in  the  immediate  vicinity. 

Ch.  16  :  1-4.    BEMAND  OF  A  SIGN.— Ottr  duty:  to 

STUDY  THE  SIGKS  OF  THE  SPIKITUAl  SEASONS.— ThE 
ANSWER  TO  MODERN  SKEPTICISM  :  THE  SIGNS  OF  THE 
PRESENT  TIMES. 

Peculiar  to  Matthew  and  Mark  8  :  10-12  ;  fuller 
here.  An  analogous  demand  had  been  pre- 
viously made  and  compliance  refused.  For 
there  is  no  reason  for  identifying  this  account 
with  that  given  by  Matthew,  in  chapter  12  :  38-40. 


Ch.  XVI.] 


MATTHEW. 


197 


2  He  answered  and  said  unto  them,  When  it  is 
evening,  ye  say,  //  will  be  fair  weather  ;  for  the  sit y  is 
red. 

3  And  in  the  morning,  It  will  be  foul  weather  to  day, 
for  the  sky  is  red  and  lowering.  O  ye  hypocrites  !  ye 
can  discern  the  face  of  the  sky  ;  but  can  ye  not  discern 
the  signs  of  the  times  ? 

4  A  wicked  and  adulterous  generation  seeketh  after 


a  sign  ;  and  there  shall  no  sign  be  given  unto  it,  but 
the  sign  of  the  prophet  Jonas.'  And  he  left  them,  and 
departed. 

5  And  when  his  disciples  were  come  to  the  other  side, 
they  had  forgotten  to  take  bread. 

6  Then  Jesus  said  unto  them,»  Take  heed  and  be- 
ware of  the  leaven'  of  the  Pharisees  and  of  tne  Saddu- 
cees. 


Luke  12:1 1 1  Cor.  5:6-8;  Gal.  6  :  9  ;  2  Tim.  2  :  16,  17. 


The  Jews  believed  that  false  gods  could  work 
signs  on  earth,  but  only  the  true  God  could  give 
a  sign  from  heaven.  It  is  not  at  aU  strange  that 
the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  should  repeat  their 
demand  for  such  a  sign,  nor  that  Christ  should 
reply,  as  before,  by  referring  them  to  his  future 
resurrection,  as  typified  by  the  miraculous  res- 
cue of  Jonah.  That  this  was  the  second  de- 
mand of  this  sort  is  incidentally  confirmed  by 
the  touching  allusion,  in  Mark,  to  the  effect 
which  their  resolute  unbelief  produced  on  the 
mind  of  Jesus :  He  sighed  deeply  in  his  spirit. 
Observe  that  in  Christ,  skepticism,  even  the  most 
obdurate,  awoke  pity  rather  than  indignation  or 
a  spirit  of  controversy.  "He  pities  and  bewails 
them,  as  tacurably  diseased." — {Chrysostom.) 

2,  3.  A  figure  analogous  to  that  employed  in 
these  verses  is  to  be  found  in  Luke  after  the 
words,  He  answered  and  said  unto  them,  are 
omitted  in  several  of  the  best  manuscripts,  in- 
cluding the  Vatican  and  the  Sinaitic.  Tischen- 
dorf  omits  them.  This  figure  is  net  found, 
either,  in  Mark's  account.  But  the  internal  evi- 
dence of  genuineness  is  conclusive  to  my  mind. 
I  can  easily  imagine  that  an  early  copyist  might, 
with  Strauss,  think  the  passage  "totally  unin- 
telligible ;"  but  I  cannot  as  readily  believe  that 
any  one  should  have  had  the  genius  to  conceive 
and  interpolate  it. 

Lowering.  Gloomy,  with  an  aspect  anal- 
ogous to  that  of  one  who  lowers  his  brows  in 
depression  or  anger.  Ye  can  discern  the 
face  of  the  sky.  The  Jews  were  curious  in 
observing  the  face  of  the  heavens,  and  the  tem- 
perature of  the  air,  from  which  they  believed 
they  could  discern  the  prospects  of  the  season. 
Thus,  from  the  direction  which  the  smoke  took 
on  the  last  day  of  the  feast  of  the  Tabernacles, 
they  undertook  to  foretell  the  quantity  of  the 
rain  for  the  ensuing  year.  Signs  of  the  times. 
The  original  word  (xcd'^ic)  rendered  times^  signi- 
fies properly  aw  appointed  ov  set  time.  It  is  used  in 
this  sense  in  John  the  Baptist's  preaching,  "The 
time  is  fulfilled  "  (Mark  i :  16),  and  in  this  sense 
here,  Christ's  question  is,  Cannot  ye  discern  the 
signs  or  tokens  of  the  time  appointed,  by  symbol 
and  prophet  in  the  O.  T.,  for  the  coming  of  the 
Messiah?— in  the  overthrow  of  the  throne  of 
Herod  and  the  subjection  of  Israel  to  Rome,  in 
the  degradation,  political  and  moral,  of  the  realm, 
in  the  coming  of  John  the  Baptist  in  the  spirit  of 


Elijah,  and  in  the  miracles  wrought  for  the 
blessing  of  the  people  in  fulfillment  of  such 
prophecies  as  that  of  Isaiah  61  : 1-3. 

The  word  miracle  in  the  N.  T.  is  generally  a 
translation  of  the  Greek  word  {oii^mov)  here  ren- 
dered sign ;  for  the  miracle  is  always  a  sign  or 
token  of  the  divine  presence  and  power.  Ob- 
serve then  two  practical  lessons  to  ourselves  in 
Christ's  reply  here.  It  is  the  duty  of  Christians 
to  study  the  signs  of  God's  seasons  in  church 
and  state,  and  adapt  their  work  accordingly. 
The  answer  to  modern  skepticism  is  not  chiefly 
the  miracles  of  the  past,  i.  e.  the  signs  of  divine 
power  in  the  first  century,  but  the  signs  of  divine 
presence  and  power  in  our  own  times.  Christ 
never  employs  miracles  to  overthrow  unbelief; 
in  employing  the  argument  from  them  for  that 
purpose  we  do  not  use  them  as  Christ  used 
them.     Compare  note  on  Matt.  13  :  58. 

Ch.  16  ;  5-12.  WARNING  AGAINST  THE  LEAVEN  OF 
FALSEHOOD.— The  dangebs  of  false  teaching  and 

PERNICIOUS  INFLUENCE —The  DUTY  OF  WATCHFUL- 
NESS.—FORMALISM,  Rationalism,  Wokldlinbss,  are 

SINS  AKIN  TO  EACH  OTHER. 

Peculiar  to  Matthew  and  Mark  8  :  13-31.  The 
latter  account  is  more  graphic  and  minute.  The 
same  caution  against  the  leaven  of  the  Pharisees 
was  repeated  on  another  occasion.  See  Luke 
13:1. 

5.  To  the  other  side.  From  the  western 
and  populous  side  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee  to  the 
north-eastern  shore.  Immediately  after  this 
conversation  they  went,  perhaps  to  get  bread,  to 
Bethsaida  (Mark  8 :  22)  which  is  situated  at  the  en- 
trance of  the  Jordan  into  the  lake  (see  map). 
To  take  bread.  Rather  loaves.  Mark  with 
characteristic  particularity  adds  that ' '  neither  had 
they  in  the  ship  with  them  more  than  one  loaf." 
The  loaf  was  a  thin  cake  or  cracker,  made  of 
flower  and  water  or  milk,  ordinarily  mixed  with 
leaven  and  left  to  rise,  and  baked  in  the  oven. 
It  was  generally  about  a  finger's  breadth  in  thick- 
ness. Thi'ee  were  not  too  much  for  a  meal  for  a 
single  person  (Luke  11 :  s),  and  one  was  considered 
barely  suflBcient  to  sustain  life.  It  is  one  of  these 
crackers  or  cakes  that  is  intended  by  the  phrase 
"  morsel"  in  1  Sam.  3  :36,  and  "piece  "  in  Jer. 
37  :  31.  Two  hundred  were  not  a  great  supply 
for  a  company.    See  1  Sam.  35 :  18  ;  3  Sam.  16  : 1. 

6.  Take  heed  and  beware.    A  double  in. 


198 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XVI. 


7  And  they  reasoned  among  themselves,  saying,  It  is 
because  we  have  taken  no  bread. 

8  (^K///V/i  when  Jesus  perceived,  he  said  unto  them," 
O  ye  of  little  faith,  why  reason  ye  among  yourselves, 
because  ye  have  brought  no  bread  ? 

9  Do  ye  not  yet  understand,  neither  remember  the 
live"  loaves  of  the  five  thousand,  and  how  many  bas- 
kets ye  took  up? 


10  Neither  the  seven"  loaves  of  the  four  thousand, 
and  how  many  baskets  ye  took  up? 

11  How  is  ii  that  ye  do  not  understand,  that  I  spake 
it  not  to  you  concerning  bread,  that  ye  should  beware 
of  the  leaven  ot  the  Pharisees  and  ot  the  Sadducees  ? 

12  Then  understood  they  how  that  he  bade  them  not  . 
beware  of  the  leaven  of  bread,  but  of  the  doctrine*  of 
the  Pharisees  arid  of  the  Sadducees. 


ch.  6  :  30  :  8  :  26  ;  14  :  31. 


.w  ch.  15  :  34,  etc.  . .  .x  ch.  15  :  1-9. 


junction.  Be  on  the  tvatch  for  secret  errors  and 
evil  influences,  and  guard  yourselves  against  them. 
Leaven.  This  answered  to  the  yeast  of  modern 
times.  It  is  in  the  Bible  a  symbol  of  a  secret, 
subtle  and  pervasive  influence ;  generally  of  an 
evil  character.  Compare  1  Cor.  5  ;  6-8  and  notes 
on  Matt.  13  :  33.  Of  the  Pharisees  and  of 
the  Sadducees.  Mark  omits  of  the  Sadducees 
and  substitutes  of  Herod.  The  Pharisees  were 
the  formalists  of  the  first  century,  the  Sadducees 
the  rationalists,  the  Herodians  the  unprincipled 
and  worldly  politicians.  The  leaven  against 
which  Christ  warns  his  disciples  is  that  of  for- 
malism and  pretence,  of  sneering  unbelief,  and 
of  the  craft  and  cunning  of  worldliness.  Com- 
pare his  characterization  of  Herod  in  Luke  13  : 
32. 

7.  They  reasoned  among  themselves,  etc. 
Great  care  was  taken  by  the  Pharisaic  canons 
what  leaven  was  to  be  used  and  what  not ;  e.  g. 
whether  heathen  leaven  might  be  employed,  is 
the  subject  of  rabbinical  discussions.  The  dis- 
ciples thought  that  Christ  reproved  them  for 
their  carelessness  in  forgetting  to  provide  bread, 
lest  they  corrupt  themselves  by  using  bread 
mixed  with  the  Pharisees'  leaven.  The  incident 
Indicates  the  spiritual  dullness  of  the  disciples 
(compare  Luke  22 :  3s),  and  rcfutes  the  idea  of  one 
school  of  modem  rationalists,  that  many  of  the 
spiritual  ideas  of  the  Gospels  originated  with  the 
Evangelists  and  were  imputed  by  them  to  Christ. 
So  far  from  originating  any,  they  could  not  even 
understand  his.  Observe  the  indication  that,  in 
their  ordinary  travels,  they  provided  tliemselves 
^vith  food,  the  injunction  of  Matt.  10 : 9, 10  being 
purely  temporary  in  its  application ;  and  also 
that  in  their  travels  our  Lord  depended  on  the 
disciples  to  provide  the  necessary  food  for  their 

journey.       (compare  John  4  :  s). 

8.  Which  when  Jesus  knew.  Perhaps 
from  observation,  perhaps  by  that  immediate 
knowledge  of  the  heart  of  which  the  N.  T.  af- 
fords so  many  illustrations  (Mark  2:8;  Luke  5  :  22  ;  6  :  8). 

O  ye  of  little  faith.  Observe  the  implication 
as  to  the  meaning  of  the  word  faith,  as  Christ 
uses  it.  Not  here,  Ye  of  small  belief,  limited 
creed,  or  even  defective  spirit  of  trust ;  but  Te 
of  little  spiritual  perception.  Compare  for 
Scripture  significance  of  faith  2  Cor.  4  :  IS  and 
Hebrews  11  :  1.  To  this  report  of  Christ's  re- 
buke, Mark  makes  an  important  addition.    See 


Mark  8  :  17,  18.  He  also  gives  the  questions  be- 
low respecting  the  two  miracles  more  fully  than 
Matthew.  See  Mark  8  :  19-21.  Observe  the  fact 
indicated  in  the  account  there,  that  the  disciples 
remembered  definitely  the  two  miracles,  and  the 
exact  number  of  baskets  of  fragments  left,  but 
did  not  learn  their  spiritual  lessons.  A  striking 
illustration  of  "  having  eyes,  yet  seeing  not." 

9-10.  Do  ye  not  understand,  neither  re- 
member the  five  loaves  of  the  five  thou- 
sand, and  how  many  traveling  baskets 
{xi'xftimc)  ye  took  up?  neither  the  seven 
loaves  of  the  four  thousand,  and  how 
many  grain  baskets  {onvqlg)  ye  took  up  ? 
Observe  that  Christ  distinctly  refers  to  two  mir- 
acles of  feeding  ;  that  he  discriminates  between 
them  by  his  reference  to  the  "five  loaves  of  the 
five  thousand"  and  the  "seven  loaves  of  the 
four  thousand,"  and  by  referring  to  the  different 
kinds  of  baskets  used.  This  contrast  corres- 
ponds exactly  to  the  two  accounts  (compare  notes  on 
Mark  8  :  1-10  and  John  6  :  l-is),  and  tO  the  reCOUcction  Of 

the  a^DOstles  who  (Mark  8 :  i9-2o)  rcspond  to  Christ's 
question  that  in  one  case  they  gathered  up  twelve 
traveling  baskets,  in  the  other  seven  grain  bas- 
kets. It  is  impossible  in  the  face  of  this  testi- 
mony to  believe  that  the  account  of  both  mira- 
cles is  derived  from  the  same  event,  if  we  attach 
any  credence  to  the  Evangelist's  narratives. 


SPORTA.  COPHINUS. 

(Grain  Basket.)  (Traveling  Basket.) 

The  two  accompanying  illustrations  show  the 
dlfiEerence  in  kind  between  the  baskets  used  on 
the  two  occasions.  The  Cophinus  is  taken  from 
an  engraved  gem  ;  the  Sporta  from  the  statue  of 
a  young  fisherman  in  the  Royal  Neapolitan  Mu- 
seum. The  Sporta  was  commonly  used  by  the 
Romans  as  a  provision  basket ;  the  CopMmis  was 
used  by  the  Jews  as  a  kind  of  traveling  basket. 
The  scholars  are  not  agreed  as  to  which  was  the 
larger ;  perhaps  there  was  no  generic  difference 
in  size. 

1 1 .  The  best  critics  give,  by  a  slight  change  in 


Ch.  XVI.] 


MATTHEW. 


199 


13  When  Jesus  came  into  the  coasts  of  Caesarea 
Phlippi,  he  asked  his  disciples,  saying,  Whomydomen 
say  that  I,  the  Son  of  man,  am  ? 


14  And  they  said,^  Some  say  that  thou  art  John  the 
Baptist ;  some,  Elias  ;  and  otliers,  Jeremias,  or  one  ot 
the  prophets. 


y  Mark  8  :  27  ;  Luke  i 


,  etc z  ch.  14  :  2  ;  Luke  9  :  7-9. 


reading  and  punctuation,  a  different  rendering  to 
this  verse,  which  should  read:  "How  is  it 
that  ye  do  not  understand  that  I  spake 
not  to  you  concerning  bread  ?  But  be- 
ware of  the  leaven  of  the  Pharisees  and 
of  the  Sadducees."  Christ  does  not  explain  ; 
but  he  chides  their  dullness,  then  repeats  his 
warning,  and  leaves  them  to  study  out  its  meaning 
for  themselves,  which  they  do. 

13.  But  of  the  teaching  of  the  Phari- 
sees and  of  the  Sadducees.  Not  merely  the 
doctrine,  that  is,  the  things  taught,  but  the  teach- 
ing, which  includes  the  spirit  and  method.  Luke, 
in  his  account  of  Christ's  use  of  the  same  symbol 
on  another  occasion  (Luke  12 : 1),  gives  Christ's  own 
interpretation,  "Beware  ye  of  the  leaven  of  the 
Pharisees,  which  is  hypocrisy,^'' 

In  considering  the  practical  significance  of  this 
teaching,  observe  that  (1)  Christ  rebukes  his  dis- 
ciples, not  for  a  fragrant  dereliction,  but  for  a 
lack  of  spiritual  perception ;  (2)  he  teaches  in 
enigma,  and  requires  them  to  study  out  its  mean- 
ing for  themselves ;  (3)  their  dullness  to  perceive 
the  spiritual  meaning  of  his  teaching  was  akin  to 
that  of  the  Pharisees,  for  which  he  h^d  just  be- 
fore rebuked  them  (verses  1-4),  and  both  spring 
from  the  same  source,  lack  of  spiritual  life  and 
consequently  spiritual  perception;  (4)  false 
teaching  and  pernicious  influences  are  ranked  by 
our  Lord  together  and  compared  to  leaven,  be- 
cause subtle,  unobserved,  and  pervasive  ;  (5)  the 
false  doctrine  of  the  Sadducees,  the  worldly 
spirit  of  the  Herodians,  and  the  religious  form- 
alism of  the  Pharisees  are  classed  together ;  (6) 
the  disciples  are  warned  to  be  on  the  watch 
against  evil  teaching  in  the  very  quarters  where 
the  nation  looked  and  had  a  right  to  look  for  its 
religious,  philosophical,  and  political  leaders. 

Ch.  16  :  1^20.  PETER'S  COOTRSSION  OF  CHRIST.— 
The  false  and  the  tkite  conception  of  Jesus  con- 
trasted :  A  PROPHET  ;  THE  MESSIAH. — ThE  SECRET  OF 
ALL  TRUE   SPIRITUAL  KNOWLEDGE  :    THE  TEACHING  OF 

THE  Spirit  of  God  (1  Cor.  2  :  10).— The  secret  of 

ALL  STABILITY  IN  CHRISTIAN  CHARACTER :  FAITH  IN 
A  LIVING  AND  LIFE-GIVINQ  CHRIST.  ThIS  MAKES 
EVERT  POSSESSOR  A  PeTER. — ThE  FOUNDATION  OF  THE 

Christian  church  :  living  faith  in  a  living  Sav- 
iour.— How  TO  MAKE  THE  CHURCH  STRONG  AGAINST 
THE  GATES  OF  HELL :  A  REVIVAL  OF  THIS  LIVING  FAITH 
BY    RECEIVING    THE   SPIRIT   OF    GOD. — ThE   POWER    OF 

THE  Christian  in  the  Kingdom  of  God  :  power  to 

BIND  and  loose,  i.  e.y  to  walk   in   the   PERFECT   LAW 

OP  Liberty.— Necessity  of  caution  in  preaching 

THE  TRUTH :   PREACH  ONLY  WHAT  THE  PEOPLE  ARE 

truly  prepared  TO  HEAR  (John  16  :  12). 


This  significant  and  solemn  colloquy  is  re- 
corded by  Mark  (s :  27-30)  and  Luke  (9 :  18-21),  though 
less  fully  than  here.  Matthew  alone  gives  the 
blessing  of  Christ  pronounced  on  Peter  in  verses 
IS  and  19,  John,  who  wrote  his  Gospel  to  make 
clear  his  Lord's  divinity  (john  20 :  31),  omits  this  in- 
cident altogether.  The  omission  is  an  indication 
that  he  wrote  with  the  other  Gospels  before  him, 
and  supplied  only  what  they  lacked.  The  time 
is  correctly  indicated  in  the  course  of  the  narra- 
tive here.  It  was  after  Christ  had  closed  his 
public  mmistry  in  Galilee,  and  was  seeking  repose 
with  his  disciples  for  the  purpose  of  imparting  to 
them  especial  instruction  in  the  principles  of  his 
kingdom. 

13.  When  Jesus  came  into  the  region  of 
Caesarea  of  Philippi.  There  were  two  Csesa- 
reas  in  Palestine ;  one  on  the  coast,  midway  be- 
tween Joppa  and  Mount  Carmel,  the  other  north 
of  Galilee  at  the  head  waters  of  the  Jordan,  about 
four  miles  east  of  Dan,  the  northernmost  town 
of  the  Holy  Land  proper  (see  map).  It  was 
termed  Ccemrea  in  honor  of  Augustus  Caesar,  the 
great  patron  of  the  Herodian  family,  to  whom 
the  great  temple  erected  here  by  Herod  was  ded- 
icated, and  Philippi,  i.  e.  of  Philip,  to  distmguish 
it  from  the  other  Caesarea  and  in  honor  of  Herod 
Philip  the  tetrarch  (Matt.  14 : 1,  and  note),  who  made 
it  the  site  of  his  villas  and  palaces.  It  is  probably 
to  be  identified  historically  with  the  Baal-gad 
under  Mount  Hermon,  which  marked  the  north- 
ern boundary  of  Joshua's  conquest  (joshua  11 :  n). 
Here,  subsequently,  was  erected  a  sanctuaiy  to 
the  heathen  god  Pan,  which  gave  to  the  town 
the  new  name  of  Paneas,  which  still  lingers  in  the 
modern  appellation  Banias.  This  sanctuary  of 
Pan  was  constructed  in  a  cave  in  the  rock  {Stan- 
leifs  Sinai  and  Paledine,  p.  390) :  Greek  inscrip- 
tions on  the  face  of  the  rock,  testifying  to  the 
former  existence  of  this  sanctuaiy,  still  remain. 
Above  this  sanctuary,  and  on  the  cliff  itself, 
Herod  built  the  white  marble  temple  in  honor  of 
Augustus.  It  is  conjectured,  not  unreasonably, 
that  Christ's  colloquy  with  his  disciples  took 
place  withm  sight  of  this  temple ;  that  he  referred 
mdirectly  to  the  temple  thus  founded  on  a  rock, 
yet  not  to  abide.  From  this  same  cliff  burst 
forth,  in  rivulets,  which  just  below  unite  in  a 
single  stream,  the  waters  which  constitute  the 
higher  source  of  the  Jordan. 

Asked  his  disciples.  Apparently  the  twelve 
only.  Whom  do  men.  Luke  says,  the  people 
(Greek  "/Aoc),  that  is,  the  common  people,  the 
multitude,  as  distinguished  from  the  Scribes  and 


200 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XVI. 


IS  He  saith  unto  them,  But  whom  say  ye  that  I  am? 
i6  And  Simon  Peter  answered  and   said,"  Thou   art 
the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God. 
17  And  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  him,  Blessed 


art  thou,  Simon  Bar-jona:   for  flesh"  and  blood  hath 
not  revealed  it  unto  thee,  but'  my  Father  which  is  in 
heaven. 
18  And  I  say  also  unto  thee,  That  thou  art  Peter ;"' 


ich.  14:33;  Ps.  2:7;  John  1  :  49  ;  Acts  9  :  20  ;  Heb.  1 :  2,5 bl  Cor.  2  :  10  ;  Gal.  1  :  16  ;  Eph. 


lJohn4  :15;5:20....dJohnl:42. 


the  Pharisaic  leaders.    That  the  Son  of  man 

is.  This  is  the  reading  of  the  best  manuscripts. 
The  Son  of  man  in  the  N.  T.  always  signifies  the 
Messiah.  According  to  one  interpretation,  and 
one  which  the  reading  I  have  given  seems  to  sus- 
tain, the  question  would  be,  what  sort  of  a  per- 
son do  the  public  think  the  expected  Messiah  to 
be.  But  our  English  version  evidently  represents 
the  spirit  of  the  question  more  accurately :  What 
estimate  do  the  public  put  upon  me,  the  Mes- 
siah ?  For  (a)  the  question  is  thus  reported  by 
both  Mark  and  Luke,  where  there  is  no  doubt  as 
to  the  reading,  and  (6)  Christ's  second  question 
to  his  disciples.  Whom  say  ye  that  I  am  ?  shows 
that  he  inquires  not  merely  into  the  commonly 
received  doctrine  respecting  the  Messiah,  but 
into  the  public  opinion,  and  into  his  disciples' 
opinion,  respecting  himself.  Why  does  he  ask 
this  question  ?  To  lead  his  disciples  on  to  a  con- 
fession of  their  own  higher  faith.  If  one  is  un- 
certain respecting  the  divine  character  of  Jesus 
Christ,  let  him,  as  here,  compare  that  with  other 
hypotheses,  and  by  a  comparison  reach  the  truth. 

14.  They  said,  Some,  John  the  Baptist. 
This  was  the  opinion  of  Herod,  who  thought 
John  whom  he  had  beheaded  was  risen  from  the 
dead  (Matt,  u  :  2).  Others,  Elijah.  Malachi 
(4  : 6)  had  prophesied  that  Elijah  the  prophet 
should  come  before  the  great  and  dreadful  day 
of  the  Lord,  a  prophesy  fulfilled  by  the  advent 
of  John  the  Baptist.  See  Matt.  11  :  14,  and  note. 
Some  of  the  people  thought  Jesus  fulfilled  this 
prophecy,  and  looked  forward  to  the  coming  of 
another  Messiah.  And  others,  Jeremiah,  or 
one  of  the  prophets,  %.  e.  "that  one  of  the 
old  prophets  is  risen  agrai«, "  (Luke  9 :  19).  Jeremiah 
is  placed  first,  because  in  Jewish  canon  he  was 
placed  first  among  the  O.  T.  prophets. 

16.  And  Simon  Peter  answered.  His 
original  name  was  Simon  or  Simeon,  The  appel- 
lation Peter  was  given  him  by  our  Lord,  when  he 
first  and  but  temporarily  joined  Jesus  at  the  ford 
of  Bethabara  (johni :  40,41).  Chi^sostom  charac- 
terizes him  as  the  "  mouth  of  the  apostles  and 
the  leader  of  the  apostolic  choir,"  But  there  is 
nothing  to  indicate  here  that  he  spoke  for  them ; 
rather  impulsively  and  ardently,  he  gave  instant 
expression  to  his  own  conviction.  Observe  his 
language  ;  not,  I  say  that  thou  art,  nor.  We  say 
that  thou  art,  but  Thou  art.  He  expresses  not 
an  opinion,  but  an  assured  and  certain  fact. 
Thou  art  the  Christ.  That  is,  the  Messiah, 
literally  the  Anointed.  See  note  on  the  names  of 
Jesus,  p.  21,    The  Son  of  the    living   God. 


Mark  says  simply  Thou  art  the  Christ ;  Luke,  The 
Christ  of  God.  The  phrase  living  God  was  com- 
mon among  the  Jews,  not  merely  to  distinguish 

Jehovah  from  idols  (josh.  3  :  10  ;  Acts  14  :  15  ;  1  These.  1 :  9), 

but  also  to  indicate  his  character  as  a  personal 
Being,  who  enters  into  sympathetic  relations 
with  the  soul  of  man,  and  by  the  warmth  of  his 
own  life  imparts  to  the  needs  of  the  human  soul. 

(Psahn  42  :  2  ;  84  :  2  ;  2  Cor.  3  :  3  ;  1  Tim.  4  :  lo).        It    iS    thUS 

peculiarly  appropriate  as  a  designation  of  Christ, 
who  is  the  highest  manifestation  of  this  personal, 
living,  and  life-giving  character  of  onr  God, 

17.  Happy  art  thou,  Simon,  son  of 
Jonas.  The  meaning  of  Jonas  is  dove.  Some 
of  the  commentators  see  in  this  an  allegorical 
meaning — Simon,  son  of  the  Dove,  that  is,  child 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Others  think  that  it  recalls 
his  earthly  origin  in  contrast  with  the  spiritual 
blessing  conferred  upon  him.  I  should  rather 
regard  it  simply  as  an  emphatic  address,  as  in 
John  21  :  1.5-17,  "Simon,  son  of  Jonas,  lovest 
thou  me. ' '  Such  an  employment  of  the  double 
name  is  common  with  us  in  emphatic  address. 
Why  peculiarly  happy  V  A  similar  confession  of 
faith  had  apparently  been  made  before  ;  by  the 
disciples  when  Jesus  quelled  the  storm  on  the 
lake  of  Galilee  (Matt,  14 :  33),  and  by  Nathaniel  on 
his  first  meeting  with  Christ  (John  1 :  49).  Christ 
himself  answers  the  question.  For  flesh  and 
blood  hath  not  revealed  it  unto  thee, 
but  my  Father  which  is  in  Heaven.  The 
previous  expressions  of  faith  were  produced  by 
wonder,  and  were  founded  on  extraordinary  dis- 
plays of  power  or  knowledge,  which  are  of  them- 
selves very  inadequate  foundations  on  which  to 
build  such  a  faith.  Peter's  language  here  was  the 
expression,  in  calmness,  of  a  settled  conviction, 
which  was  produced  by  a  disclosure  of  the  divine 
character  of  Christ  to  the  spiritual  apprehension 
of  the  disciples,  by  the  direct  influence  of  the 
Spirit  of  God.  True  spiritual  blessedness  con- 
sists not  in  a  merely  intellectual  belief,  but  in  the 
spiritual  apprehension  of  Christ's  divine  charac- 
ter. Compare  Matt.  11 :  27  ;  1  Cor,  2:5;  Gal. 
1  :  15,  16,  Flesh  and  blood  was  a  phrase  in  com- 
mon use  among  the  rabbis  to  designate  man  in 
contradistinction  to  God.  Here,  it  is  equivalent 
to  anything  human,  i.  e.,  Christ  declares.  No 
power  or  faculty  of  man,  in  yourself  or  others, 
has  imparted  this  knowledge  to  you.     Compare 

1  Cor.  15  :  50 ;    Gal.  1  :  16 ;    Ephes.  6  :  12 ;    Heb, 

2  :  14.  Observe  the  implication  of  a  direct  dis- 
closure of  the  truth  by  the  Spirit  of  God  to  the 
soul.    Observe,  too,  that,  whilst  modern  theology 


Ch.  XVL] 


MATTHEW. 


201 


and=  upon  this  rock  I  will  build  my  church ;  and  the 
gatesf  of  hell  shall  not  prevail^  against  it. 


iQ  And  I  will  give  unto  thee  the  keys  of  the  kingdom 
of  heaven;  and  whatsoever  thou""  shalt  bind  on  earth, 


Eph.  2  :  20 ;  Rev.  21  ;  14 f  Pa.  9  :  13 g  laa.  64  :  17 ch.  18  :  18. 


attributes  tlie  work  of  revelation  and  inspiration 
to  the  Holy  Spirit,  it  is  here  attributed  to  the 
Father;  one  of  the  many  indications  that  the 
N.  T.  makes  no  such  clear  philosophical  distinc- 
tion between  the  three  Persons  of  the  Trinity  as 
were  later  made. 

18.  Thou  art  a  rock  and  npon  this  rock. 
There  is  here  a  play  upon  the  words  which  it  is 
impossible  to  preserve  fully  in  the  English.  The 
Greek  word  Peter  signifies  rock,  though  there  is 
a  difference  in  the  form  of  the  word  as  Christ 
uses  it ;  in  the  first  clause  of  the  sentence  he  em- 
ploys the  masculine  form  {TtiTQug,  petros),  in  the 
latter  clause  the  feminine  form  {nirqa,  petra). 
Some  scholars  have  drawn  important  doctrinal 
conclusions  from  this  variation  (see  notes  below) ;  but 
the  grounds  for  so  doing  are  very  slight.  The 
ordicary  form  is  feminine.  In  applying  the  word 
to  a  man,  Jesus  would  naturally  change  it  to  the 
masculine  form. 

I  will  build  my  church.  The  word  (^zzAj/- 
aia)  here  rendered  church,  means,  etyraologically, 
somethinfj  called  together;  it  stands  in  the  Septua- 
gint  or  Greek  version  of  the  0.  T.  for  the  Great 
Congregation,  or  Jewish  House  of  Parliament  or 
Congress,  a  body  half  way  between  a  represen- 
tative gathering  and  a  mass  meeting,  probably 
sometimes  one  and  sometimes  the  other.     (Numb. 

14:1-6,10;   27:18-23;     1  mng8  8:l-5;    1  Chron.   13:1-8;    Psalm 

22:22).  "In  the  N.  T.  it  most  frequently  oc- 
curs in  the  sense  of  an  assemblage  of  Christians 
generally"  (Kitto)  •  and  if  it  ever  signifies 
a  definite  ecclesiastical  organization,  with  officers 
and  spiritual  or  ecclesiastical  powers,  this  is  a 
secondary  meaning,  and  one  which  the  Apostles 
could  not  have  attached  to  it  at  this  time,  ivJien 
no  such  organization  existed.  Here  it  is  simply 
equivalent  to  mij  called,  i.  e.  those  called  out  of 
the  world  to  represent  visibly  among  men  Christ's 
invisible  kingdom ;  in  other  words,  his  entire 
inorganic  body  of  professed  disciples. 

The  gates  of  Hades  shall  not  prevail 
against  it.  On  the  meaning  of  the  word  hell  or 
Hades  (here  «iJi;c),  see  note  on  Matt.  5  :  23.  The 
phrase  gates  of  Hades  may  be  regarded  as  here 
equivalent  to  the  forces  of  the  kingdom  of  death 
sallying  out  from  its  gates,  as  from  a  fortified 
city,  to  attack  the  Kingdom  of  Christ,  represent- 
ed in  its  Great  Congregation ;  or  we  may  con- 
ceive the  metaphor  to  be  drawn  from  the  attempt 
of  an  enemy  to  hold  captives  in  a  walled  city, 
but  without  effect,  the  gates  being  unable  to 
keep  them  in  their  captivity.  Thus  the  gates  of 
Gaza  did  not  prevail  against  Samson  (jud-ea  le :  1-3). 
This  appears  to  me  to  be  the  better  interpreta- 


tion. Thus  the  metaphor  involves  a  promise  of 
immortality,  both  to  the  Christian  and  the 
Church.  Death  seems  to  capture  and  carry  cap- 
tive the  Christian,  and  so  to  destroy  the  Church  ; 
but  the  gates  of  Hades  are  powerless  to  hold  the 
captives,  and  through  the  death  portal  they  that 
seem  to  be  captured  enter  into  the  assembly  and 
church  of  the  first-born  in  heaven  (Hebrews  12 :  22, 23). 
Of  the  fulfillment  of  this  promise,  historical  illus- 
trations are  afforded  by  the  deliverance  of  Peter 
from  death  (Acts  12 :  1-11),  by  the  resurrection  of 
the  Saints  at  the  death  of  Christ  (Matt.  27 :  62),  but 
most  of  all  by  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  himself 
as  a  first-fruits  (1  Cor.  15 :  20). 

The  Found.\tion  op  Christ's  Chubch. 
This  and  the  following  verse  have  given  rise  to 
volumes  of  bitter  controversy.  I  shall  treat 
them  separately,  on  account  both  of  their  diffi- 
culty and  their  importance.  The  principal  inter- 
pretations of  this  verse  are  the  following  : 

I.  Tlie  ordinary  Roman  Catholic  view;  that 
Christ  declares  his  purpose  to  found  a  great  ec- 
clesiastical organization ;  that  this  organization 
was  to  be  built  upon  Peter  and  his  successors  as 
its  true  foundation ;  that  they  were  to  represent 
to  all  time  the  authority  of  God  upon  the  earth, 
being  clothed,  by  virtue  of  their  office,  with  a 
continuous  inspiration,  and  authorized  by  the 
word,  and  fitted  by  the  indwelling  Spirit  of  God, 
to  guide,  direct,  illumine,  and  command  the  dis- 
ciples of  Christ,  with  the  same  force  and  effect 
as  Christ  himself.  This  view  is  untenable  for  the 
following  reasons  :  (a. )  Christ  does  not,  as  we 
have  seen,  refer  to  a  definite  ecclesiastical  organ- 
ization by  the  word  church  {iy.y.lrjolcc),  and  would 
not  be  so  understood  by  his  disciples,  {b. )  Peter 
was  not  by  nature  rock-like  ;  he  was,  on  the  con- 
tary,  characteristically  impulsive  and  unstable. 
(See  note  on  Simon  Peter,  pp.  109,  110.)  There 
must  be,  therefore,  some  other  significance  in  the 
words,  Thou  art  a  rock,  which  the  Romish  inter- 
pretation loses,  (c. )  Neither  he  nor  the  other 
disciples  understood  that  Christ  invested  him 
with  any  such  authority  and  position.  He  did 
not  occupy  any  such  place  in  the  church  while 
he  lived.  In  the  first  council  at  Jerusalem  (acu 
15 :  T-11)  he  was  simply  an  adviser,  the  office  of 
chief,  or  President,  being  apparently  held  by 
James  ;  Paul  withstood  Peter  to  his  face  as  no 
disciple  ever  withstood  Christ,  or  would  have 
withstood  his  acknowledged  representative  (oai. 
2 :  11-14) ;  and  throughout  the  N.  T.  the  apostles 
are  all  treated  as  co-equals  (Matt,  is :  1 ;  19 :  28 ;  23 : 8 ; 
John  15: 1-6;  Rev.  21 ;  14).  (d.)  There  is  neither  here 
nor  anywhere  else  in  the  N.  T.  any  hint  of  the 


202 


appointment  of  a  successor  to  Peter,  or  of  any 
autliority  in  him  to  appoint  a  successor,  or  of  any 
such  authority  vested  in  any  of  the  apostles,  or 
exercised  or  assumed  to  be  exercised  by  any  of 
them,  (e.)  The  N.  T.  throughout,  and  the  0.  T. 
in  all  its  prophecies,  recognizes  Christ  as  the  chief 
corner-stone,  the  foundation  on  which  the  King- 
dom of  God  can  alone  be  built  (i  Cor.  3 :  n  ;  Ephcs. 
2: 20).  (/.)  Mark  and  Luke  omit  from  their  ac- 
count this  utterance  of  Christ ;  if  it  really  desig- 
nated Peter  as  the  foundation  of  the  visible 
church,  and  was  thus  essential  and  not  incidental 
to  the  right  understanding  of  the  whole  incident, 
it  would  not  be  omitted  from  their  accounts. 

II.  Various  Proteaiant  views.  Of  these  the  chief 
are  the  following :  1.  That  the  church  v/as  built 
upon  Peter,  because  he  was  the  first  to  make  it 
known,  as  to  the  Jews  on  the  day  of  Pentecost 
(Acts  2 :  14-26)  and  subsequently  to  the  Gentiles  (Acts, 
ch.  10).  But  this  view  is  untenable  because  (a)  the 
words  are  too  solemnly  spoken,  and  too  significant, 
to  be  reduced  to  a  mere  promise  of  personal  prior- 
ity in  time  in  preaching  the  Gospel ;  (&)  according 
to  this  view  Peter  was  a  builder  of  the  church,  not 
its  foundation ;  and  (f)  even  as  a  builder  he  was 
less  a  founder  than  Paul,  or  perhaps  even  John 
and  James.  2.  That  Christ  does  not  refer  to 
Peter,  but  to  his  declaration,  Thou  art  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  the  living  God,  i.  e.  he  declares  the 
rock  on  which  he  will  build  his  church  is  not 
Peter,  but  the  doctrine  of  the  divinity  of  Jesus 
Christ,  to  which  Peter  has  given  expression.  But 
this  is  untenable  because  («)  it  ignores  Christ's 
play  upon  the  words  Bstros  (tis  rooc),Peter,  a.ndpet}-a 
(.-rtrou),  rock ;  (&)  the  church  is  not  represented 
in  the  N.  T.  as  built  upon  any  doctrine,  but  upon 
livingsouls(seeScripturereferencesbelow,  III,  6); 
(c)  in  fact  churches  which  have  retained  this  doc- 
trine in  their  creed,  the  Roman  Catholic  for  ex- 
ample, have  become  corrupted  and  Christless  in 
their  life.  3.  That  Christ  refers  to  himself,  as 
in  the  prophecy  of  John  2  :  19,  "  Destroy  this 
Temple,  and  in  three  days  I  will  build  it  up." 
Those  who  hold  this  view  assert  that  the  Rock 
is  throughout  the  Bible  a  symbol  of   God  or  of 

Christ  (Deut.  32  :  4,  31 ;  1  Sam.  2:2;  Psalm  92  :  15  ;  Isaiah  26  :  4, 
marg.  ;  44  :  8,  marg.  ;  1  Cor.  10  :  4)  ;   that  the  Change  in  the 

Greek  from  the  masculine  form  Petros  (ttitquc), 
Peter,  to  the  feminine  petra  (Tterna),  rock,  indi- 
cates a  change  in  meaning,  which  Christ  may 
have  further  interpreted  by  pointing  to  himself  ; 
that  the  form  of  his  language  indicates  such  a 
change,  since  he  does  not  say  "upon  ifiee,"  but 
"upon  this  rock."  Thus  they  regard  Christ's 
language  as  equivalent  to.  Thou  art  a  piece  of 
rock,  and  upon  the  Rock  Christ  Jesus,  from 
which  thou  dost  derive  thy  rock-like  character, 
I  will  build  my  church.  I  regard  this  view  un- 
tenable because  {a)  it  fails  fairly  to  interpret  the 
play  upon  the  words  Peter  (;t£t;)oc,  petros)  and 


MATTHEW.  [Ch.  XVI. 


rock  {niTou,  petra) ;  (b)  it  contravenes  the  spirit 
of  the  figure,  in  which  Christ,  by  the  words,  I 
will  build  my  church,  represents  himself  as  the 
builder,  not  as  the  foundation  ;  (c)  it  fails  to  har- 
monize with  the  context,  in  which  Christ  promises 
to  give  to  Peter,  because  of  his  faith  and  his  place 
ui  the  church,  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 
{d.)  A  careful  examination  of  other  passages 
will  indicate  that  Christ  is  represented  as  the  Rock 
on  which  the  church  is  to  be  built,  only  in  so  far 
as  he  is  embodied  in  the  life  and  the  faith  of  his 
disciples. 

III.  T7ie  view  which  I  believe  to  be  the  correct  one 
is  as  follows :  That  which  makes  Simon  to  be  in 
truth  a  Peter  (a  rock)  is  his  vital  faith  in  Jesus 
as  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God.  Every 
one  who  possesses  a  like  faith  is,  according  to 
the  measure  of  his  faith,  a  Peter,  that  is,  a  rock, 
and  Christ  builds  his  church  on  this  rock,  that 
is,  on  this  living  experience  of  faith  in  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  the  living  God,  inspired  in  the  hearts 
of  men  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  If  this  living  faith 
be  wanting,  neither  a  whole  college  of  apostles 
and  their  sviccessors,  nor  the  most  orthodox 
creed,  nor  the  most  unquestioning  belief  in  the 
divinity  of  the  historic  Christ,  can  sustain  the 
church.  Christ's  words,  then,  as  I  understand 
them,  might  be  paraphrased  thus :  Now,  taught 
the  fundamental  truth  of  the  Christian  sys- 
tem, not  by  flesh  and  blood,  but  by  my  Father 
v)hich  is  in  heaven,  thy  nature  is  changed,  thy 
native  instability  is  taken  away,  and  henceforth 
tliof.i  art  Peter,  a  rock;  and  upon  this  rock,  this 
character  thus  divinely  transformed  by  the  re- 
newing of  the  Spirit  (Rom.  12 : 2)  and  made  strong 
by  a  vital  faith  in  the  Son  of  the  living  God,  / 
will  build  my  church,  the  assembly  of  my  disciples, 
whose  faith  is  to  stand,  not  in  the  wisdom  of 
men,  but  in  the  power  of  God.  This  living  faith 
in  Christ,  not  an  ecclesiastical  order,  nor  a  cor- 
rect creed,  nor  natural  strength  of  character, 
shall  be  the  basis  of  my  church,  which  shall  be 
built  out  of  living  men,  and  iqMn  their  living 
faith  in  me,  as  their  Messiah  and  the  Messiah  of 

the   world.      (compare  1  Cor.  1  :  27-31 ;    2:6;    1  Thess.  1:5; 

1  Pet.  2 : 5.)  This  vlew  I  believe  to  be  the  correct 
one,  because  (a)  it  accords  with  the  character  of 
Peter,  who  was  not  stable  by  nature,  but  derived 
all  his  true  strength  from  a  vital  faith  in  Jesus 
Christ ;  ib)  it  accords  with  other  passages  of 
Scripture,  which  represent  the  church  as  built  of 
living  hearts,  and  upon  Christ  as  embodied  in  the 

faith  and  life  of  his  disciples  (Ephes.  2  :  20-22  ;  Cal.  2:9; 

1  Pet.  2  •  4-6 ;  Rev.  21  •  14) ;  (c)  it  accords  with  the  sub- 
sequent historical  fulfillment  of  this  promise, 
which  has  proved  that  the  church  is  strong  and 
stable,  just  in  the  proportion  in  which  its  mem- 
bers possess  a  vital  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  are 
made  Peters  {rochi)  by  this  their  divinely  begot- 
ten faith  in  their  Head ;  (d)  it  embodies  whatever 


Ch.  XVI.] 


MATTHEW. 


203 


shall  be  bound  in  heaven  ;  and  whatsoever  thou  shalt 
loose  on  earth,  shall  be  loosed  in  heaven. 


20  Then'  charged  he  his  disciples,  that  they  should 
tell  no  man  that  he  was  Jesus  the  Christ. 


i  Mark  8  :  SO. 


of  truth  there  is  in  the  other  interpretations ;  the 
superficial  truth  in  the  Roman  Catholic  view, 
which  seizes  the  letter,  but  ignores  the  spirit ; 
and  the  deeper  truth  of  the  more  common  Prot- 
estant view,  which  perceives  correctly  that  the 
doctrine  of  Christ  is  the  foundation  of  Christi- 
anity as  a  system  of  doctrines,  and  Christ  is  the 
foundation  of  his  church  as  a  living  organism, 
but  which  has  failed  to  recognize  the  significance 
of  the  letter,  and  so  has  failed  to  get  Christ's 
full  meaning;  (e)  it  is  incidently  confirmed  by 
Peter's  words  in  1  Pet.  0  :  4-G,  which  indicate  his 
understanding  of  Christ's  teaching  here,  and 
which  certainly  point  not  to  himself,  but  to  a 
vital  faith  in  Christ  as  the  foundation  of  the 
Christian  Church.  In  Lange  on  Matthew,  Dr. 
SchafE's  notes,  the  reader  will  find  a  statement 
of  the  views  of  the  different  commentators.  He 
will  be  interested  to  observe  that  the  fathers, 
Augustine,  Jerome,  Chrysostom,  and  others, 
make  either  Christ  or  Peter's  confession  of  a 
faith  in  Christ,  the  rock,  not  Peter  himself ;  and 
that  the  last  of  the  three  views  I  have  given 
above  is  substantially  sustained,  by  Calvin  and 
by  the  best  modem  scholars.  Among  them 
may  be  mentioned  Lange,  SchafE,  Olshausen,  De 
Wette,  Meyer,  Stier,  and  Brown. 

If  this  interpretation  be  correct,  the  passage 
teaches — (1.)  That  the  only  condition  of  member- 
ship in  the  visible  church  which  Jesus  Christ 
recognized  is  vital  faith  in  himself,  wrought  by 
the  indwelling  Sjjirit  of  God,  neither  moral  life 
nor  doctiinal  belief  being  adequate  without ;  for 
of  those  who  possess  this  faith  he  declares  he 
will  construct  his  Great  Congregation,  his  visible 
church.  (2.)  The  condition  of  true  power  in  the 
church  is  always  vital  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  in 
the  hearts  of  its  members,  without  which  neither 
ecclesiastical  order  nor  doctrinal  accuracy  is  of 
any  eflBcacy.  The  first  step,  therefore,  toward  a 
revival  of  power  in  the  church,  is  always  the  re- 
vival of  this  living  faith  in  the  hearts  of  both 
minister  and  people,  by  seeking  and  receiving  in 
docility  the  teaching  of  the  Spirit  of  God. 

19.  And  I  will  give  unto  thee  the  keys 
of  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  etc.  In  consid- 
ering the  meaning  of  this  confessedly  enigmatical 
and  hotly  contested  passage,  the  candid  student 
must  bear  in  mind  two  canons  of  criticism  :  first, 
in  interpreting  Bible  metaphors,  we  must  ascer- 
tain how  the  hearers  would  have  understood  the 
metaphorical  language;  second,  any  principle 
which  we  find  stated  in  the  Bible  in  enigmatical 
or  ambiguous  language,  we  may  generally  ex- 
pect to  find  stated  elsewhere  in  the  Bible  in  sim- 


pler and  more  perspicuous  language.  For  essen- 
tial truths  do  not  depend  upon  isolated  passages, 
still  less  upon  such  as  are  confessedly  difficult  of 
interpretation.  Applying  the  first  principle,  the 
following  facts  must  be  noted  :  (1.)  This  verse  is 
not  a  gift,  but  a  promise  of  a  gift :  /  will  give. 


ANCIENT  KEY. 

(3.)  The  key,  in  the  East,  was  a  symbol  of  author- 
ity, was  made  long,  with  a  crook  at  one  end,  so 
that  it  could  be  worn  round  the  neck  as  a  badge 
of  office.  To  this  use  of  the  key  reference  is  had 
in  the  phrase,  "The  government  shall  be  upon 
his  shoulder"  (isaiah  9 -. e),  and  in  the  promise  to 
Eliakim,  "The  key  of  the  house  of  David  I  will 
lay  upon  his  shoulder"  (isaiah  a-.  22).  (3.)  The 
phrase  "kingdom  of  heaven"  in  the  Gospels 
never  means  the  visible,  external,  organic  church, 
and  rarely,  if  ever,  the  future  state  in  contrast 
with  the  present,  but  the  reign  of  God  in  the 
individual  soul,  or  in  the  community,  (see  note  on 
Matt.  3 : 2.)  The  "  kcys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven" 
do  not,  then,  symbolize  power  to  admit  or  ex- 
clude from  the  earthly  church,  or  from  heaven, 
but  power  in  the  life  of  allegiance  to  God,  i.  e.  in 
the  Christian  life.  (4.)  The  word  Und  [Siw)  is 
never  used  in  the  N.  T.  as  a  metaphor  for  con- 
demnation, or  fastening  guilt  upon  the  soul,  but 
is  used  metaphorically  for  binding  the  individual 
by  laws,  as  in  Rom.  7  :  2 ;  1  Cor.  7  :  27,  39 ;  and 
the  word  loose  {Ivm)  is  never  used  as  a  symbol  for 
pardon  or  deliverance  from  sin,  but  always, 
either  literally  of  unbinding  or  dissolving,  as  in 
Mark  1  :  7 ;  2  Pet.  3  :  10, 11, 12,  or  metaphoricaUy 
of  the  relaxing  or  dissolving  of  a  law,  as  in  Matt. 
5  :  19  (where,  see  note) ;  John  5 :  18  ;  7 :  23 ;  10 :  35 ; 
1  Cor.  7  :  27.  The  words  "  hind  "  and  "  loose  "  had 
also  this  well  established  significance  among  the 
Jewish  rabbis,  being  nearly  equivalent  to  "  pro- 
hibit ' '  and  ' '  permit. ' '  Lightf  oot  gives  a  number 
of  illustrations;  one  wUl  here  suflice.  "They 
do  not  send  letters  by  the  hand  of  a  heathen 
on  the  Sabbath,  no,  nor  on  the  fifth  day  of  the 
week.  Tea,  the  school  of  Shammai  binds  it  (pro- 
hibits it)  even  on  the  fourth  day  of  the  week ; 
but  the  school  of  Hillel  looseth  it  (permits  it)."  (5.) 
The  declaration  of  Christ  is  not  whomsfoever  thou 
shall  bind  and  loose,  but  whatsoever  (<'>  s  h)  thou 
shall  bind  and  loose.  Applying  these  facts,  this 
verse  will  read  thus  :  I  will  give  thee  authority 


204 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XVI. 


(the  keys)  in  the  Christian  life  (the  kingdom  of 
heaven) ;  and  whatsoever  thou  shalt  prohibit  thy- 
self (bind)  on  earth  shall  be  prohibited  (bound) 
in  heaven  ;  and  whatsoever  thou  shalt  permit  thy- 
self (loose)  on  earth  shall  be  permitted  (loosed) 
in  heaven. 

Two  questions  remain  to  be  asked  and  answered : 
First,  On  whom  is  this  gift  bestowed  ?  Certainly 
not  on  Peter  and  his  successors  in  office,  for 
neither  here  nor  anywhere  else  in  the  N.  T.  is 
there  any  hint  that  he  had  either  office  or  suc- 
cessors. In  Matt.  18  :  18  it  is  conferred  certainly 
on  all  the  twelve  ;  and  since  it  is  there  coupled 
with  instructions  concerning  forgiveness,  and  a 
promise  concerning  prayer,  which  are*of  univer- 
sal application,  it  may  safely  be  regarded  as  not 
confined  to  them,  but  bestowed  on  all  who  pos- 
sess that  divinely  inspired  faith  in  Christ  the  Son 
of  the  living  God,  which  (see  note  on  preceding 
verse)  made  Simon,  son  of  Jona,  a  Peter,  a 
rock.  Second,  Are  there  any  parallel  passages 
to  this  promise,  as  thus  interpreted?  Confessedly 
there  are  none  which  sustain  the  papal  intei-pre- 
tation.  The  supposed  power  of  the  pope  to  admit 
to  and  shut  out  from  heaven  rests  solely  on  this 
one  verse,  though  John  20  :  23  (see  note  there)  is 
cited  in  support  of  his  power  to  remit  or  retain 
sin.  On  the  other  hand,  the  right  of  the  indivi- 
dual Christian  to  rely  daily  upon  the  personal 
help  of  a  living  Saviour,  and  to  be  governed  in  his 
life,  not  by  laws  and  rules  and  regulations,  but 
by  the  in-dwelling  Spirit  of  God,  illuminating 
and  inspiring  his  conscience,  is  abundantly  con- 
firmed by  other  passages  of  Scripture.  See  for 
example  John  8  :  32,  36  ;  Rom.  7 : 6 ;  2  Cor.  3 :  17 ; 
5:7;  Gal.  3  :  25  ;  4  :  7,  31 ;  5  : 1,  16,  IS  ;  Col.  2  : 
14-16,  20-22.  It  may  be  objected  that  this  inter- 
pretation amounts  to  a  repeal  of  all  law,  and  a 
declaration  of  personal  infallibility  in  every  Chris- 
tian. To  which  I  reply  that  the  language  is  not 
more  absolute  in  terms  than  is  that  of  such  prom- 
ises as,  "  Whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  the  Father  in 
my  name  he  will  give  it  you,"  which-,  by  common 
consent,  we  limit  by  other  declarations  of  Scrip- 
ture, common  sense,  and  by  our  own  experience. 
Fairly  interpreted,  the  promise  of  the  keys  gives 
not  license  to  the  individual  to  be  without  law, 
but  it  gives  him  liberty  and  power  in  his  Christian 
life  to  follow  the  guidance  of  the  Spirit  of  God, 
not  sure  that  he  will  make  no  mistakes,  but  sure 
that  there  is  no  condemnation  for  them  that  "walk 
after  the  Spirit  "  (Rom.  8:  i). 

/  tmderstand,  then,  the  promise  of  the  keys  to  be 
made  to  Peter  as  the  possessor  of  a  living  faith  in 
Jesus  as  the  divine  Messiah,  and  through  him  to  all 
who,  by  a  like  faith,  are  endued  with  a  like  strength 
of  character,  not  natural  but  God-given,  and  I 
woidd  paraphrase  it  thus :  To  my  disciples  I  will 
give  authority  in  their  spiritual  life,  so  that  they 
shall  no  longer  be  bound  by  rules  and  regulations  like 


those  of  the  Pharisees  or  of  the  Mosaic  code,  but 
ivhatsoever,  under  the  inspiration  of  a  living  faith 
in  tne,  they  shall  prohibit  themselves,  God  will  pro- 
hibit, and  wiMtsoever,  under  that  inspiration,  they 
shall  permit  t/iemselves,  God  will  permit ;  for  they 
shall  have  the  mind  of  the  Spirit.  If  I  have  read  this 
passage  aright,  it  is  the  spiritual  Magna  Charta  of 
the  disciples  of  Christ,  and  its  conversion  into  an 
engine  of  ecclesiastical  oppression  must  be  ac- 
counted one  of  the  most  notable  among  the  many 
perversions  of  Scripture. 

The  other  principal  interpretations  of  this  verse 
may  be  classified  as  follows  :  1.  Thei^apal;  that 
the  power  of  the  keys  was  given  to  Peter  and  his 
successors  in  office,  and  confers  upon  the  pope, 
and  through  him  upon  the  bishops  and  other 
clergy  deriving  their  power  from  him,  authority 
to  admit  to  or  shut  out  from  the  kingdom  of 
heaven.  2.  Tlie  ecclesiastical ;  that  this  power  is 
given  to  Peter  and  the  twelve,  and  to  their  suc- 
cessors in  office,  the  clergy  of  the  Christian  church, 
and  that  it  confers  upon  the  Christian  ministry, 
or  upon  the  Christian  church  through  the  minis- 
try, the  power  of  the  keys,  whatever  that  may 
be,  some  regarding  it  as  simply  a  power  of  teach- 
ing, and  by  teaching  opening  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  (Lute  n  :  ss),  some  the  jjower  of  discipline, 
of  opening  and  shutting  the  door  of  the  visible 
church  on  earth,  some  of  true  admittance  and 
exclusion  from  the  heavenly  kingdom,  given  to 
the  apostles  but  retained  by  the  modern  ministry, 
"only  conditionally,  viz.,  on  the  supposition  of 
true  repentance  and  living  faith,  which  the  clergy 
cannot  perfectly  discern,  since  the  gift  of  trymg 
the  spirits  has  ceased." — (OlsTmuscn.)  3.  Thehis- 
torical;  that  it  was  given  only  to  Peter  and  his 
co-disciples,  that  it  conferred  on  them  the  power 
of  opening  the  doors  of  the  kingdom  by  their 
preaching,  or  of  bindmg  and  relaxing  the  Jewish 
laws  by  their  inspired  decisions,  or  of  retaining 
and  remitting  sin  ;  and  the  following  passages  are 
cited  among  others  in  illustration  of  its  exercise. 
Acts  2  :  38-41  ;  3  : 1-8  ;  5  :  1-10  ;  8  :  21 ;  10  :  44-48. 

20.  That  they  should  tell  no  man.  Both 
because  they  were  themselves  not  yet  fully  in- 
structed, and  because  the  people  were  not  pre- 
pared to  hear  and  receive  the  truth.  The  Mes- 
siahship  of  Jesus  was  perfected  by  his  death  and 
resurrection,  and  on  the  fact  of  the  resurrection 
the  apostles,  Peter  pre-eminently,  based  their  sub- 
sequent public  proclamation  that  Jesus  was  the 
Christ.    (Acu  2 :  32-36. ) 

16  !  21-28.  CHRIST'S  TEACHING  CONCERAHNG  SELF- 
SACETFIOE.— "From   that   time    forth:"     Christ 

ADAPTS  HIS  teaching  TO  THE  FAITH  OF  HIS  HEARERS  ; 
AFTER  THEIR  DECLARATION  OF  HIS  DIVINITT  COMES  HIS 
rROPHECT  OF  HIS  SUFFERING.— ThE  IMPETUOSITY  OF 
LOVE  MAT  LEAD  INTO  SIN.— ThE  TRANSITION  FROM  THE 

fullness  of  faith  to  worldliness  illustrated  by 
Peter.— The  same  disciple  is  at  one  moment  a  rock. 


Ch.  XVI.] 


MATTHEW. 


305 


21  FromJ  that  time  forth  began  Jesus  to  shew  unto 
his  disciples,  how  that  he  must  go  unto  Jerusalem,  and 
suffer  many  things  of  the  elders  and  chief  priests  and 
scribes,  and  be  killed,  and  be  raised  again  the  third  day. 

22  Then  Peter  took  him,  and  began  to  rebuke  him, 
saying,  Be  it  far  from  thee.  Lord  :  this  shall  not  be  unto 
thee. 


23  But  he  turned,  and  said  unto  Peter,  Get  thee  be- 
hind me,  Satan  ;''  thou  art  an  offence  unto  me  ;'  for 
thou  savourest  not  the  things  that  be  of  God,  but  those 
that  be  of  men. 

24  Then  said  Jesus  unto  his  disciples,  If  any™  inan 
will  come  after  me,  let  him  deny  himself,  and  take  up 
his  cross,  and  follow  me. 


j  Luke  9  :  22;  18  :  31  ;  24  :  6,  7  ;  1  Cor.  15  :  3,4 k  2  Sam.  10  :  23. 


;  34 ;  Luke  9  :  23  ;  14  :  27  j 


AT  THE    NEXT,   A  STONE    OP    STUMBLING.— ThE  CAUSE 

OP  SPIRITUAL  APOSTACT :  "  Thou  regabdest  not  the 
things  that  be  op  god,  but  those  that  be  of  men." 
—Christ  our  model  of  resistance  to  evil  :  instant, 
earnest,  resolute. — cross  taking  and  cross  bear- 
ING ABE  THE  CONDITIONS  OF  FOLLOWING  CHRIST.— ThE 
NATURE  OF  TRUE  CHRISTIAN  SELF-DENIAL.— T WO  IM- 
PORTANT QUESTIONS:  What  profit  in  bartering 
one's  life  for  the  things  that  should  minister  to 
IT  ?  How  can  a  lost  life  be  reclaimed  ? — The  cer- 
taintt  op  coming  judgment  a  warning  to  the  im- 
penitent, AN  inspiration  TO  THE  CHRISTIAN.— OUR 
PRIVILEGE  :   WE  SEE   THE  GLORY  OF  THE  SoN  OF  GOD  IN 

HIS  KINGDOM.— Compare  Luke  10  :  24. 

Given  by  Mark  (s :  3i-3s ;  9 :  i)  and  Luke  (9 :  22-27). 
But  the  latter  says  nothing  of  Peter's  rebuke  and 
Christ's  reply. 

21.  From  that  time  forth  began  Jesus 
to  shew.  This  is  the  first  clear  prophecy,  by 
Christ,  of  his  crucifixion,  though  it  was  intimated 
in  his  sermon  at  Capernaum  on  the  True  Bread 
(John,  ch.  g).  But  the  disciplcs  could  not  receive  the 
doctrine  of  his  death,  and  did  not  until  history 

confirmed  it.  (see  Mark  9  :  32  ;  Luke  9  :  45 ;  18  :  34).  Ob- 
serve the  regular  development  in  his  teaching. 
First,  he  simply  proclaims  "The  kingdom  of 
heaven  is  at  hand  "  (iiatt.  4 :  17) ;  then  he  explains 
the  principles  and  laws  of  that  kingdom  in  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount ;  then  in  the  parables  by 
the  sea  (Matt.  ch.  13),  he  sets  forth  in  figures  the 
nature  of  its  progress  and  the  obstacles  it  will  en- 
counter ;  but  not  untn,  by  no  direct  word  of  his, 
but  by  gradual  acquaintance  with  him,  the  disci- 
ples have  come  to  the  full  faith  that  he  is  the  Mes- 
siah, the  Son  of  God,  does  he  begin  to  foretell  to 
them  his  cross.  He  must  go.  Not  because  he 
could  not  escape,  but  because  it  was  the  way  or- 
dained for  the  fulfilment  of  his  work.  Luke  Si  : 
26 ;  Acts  3  :  18. 

Elders,  Chief  Priests,  and  Scribes.  The 
elders  were  leaders  in  the  Jewish  nation.  Their 
office  dates  from  the  patriarchal  era.  Their  age 
gave  them  their  authority  as  counsellors  and  lead- 
ers ;  hence  their  name.  So  the  modern  term  Shiek 
means  old  man,  and  the  shiek's  age  is  the  ground 
of  his  authority.  These  elders  exercised  certain 
not  very  well  defined  political  functions ;  were 
organized  by  Moses  into  a  body,  somewhat  re- 
sembling our  Senate    (Numb.  11  :  le,  n  ;  compare  Josh.  9  : 

18-21 ;  jer.  26 :  10-16) ;  but  existcd  as  a  recognized 
class  of  men  before  his  time  (Exod.  3 :  le ;  4 :  29) 
From  among  them  were  chosen  the  governors  of 


districts  (Deut.  31 :  28)  and  local  magistrates  (Deut.  10  -. 

12  ;  21  :  3  ;  22  :  15  ;  Ruth  4  :  9,  11  ;  1  Kings  21  :  8).    From  them 

were  selected  certain  representatives  of  the  lay 
element  in  the  Sanhedrim,  the  supreme  court  of 
the  Jewish  nation  in  the  time  of  Christ.  The 
chief  priests  were  the  heads  of  the  priestly 
courses ;  the  scribes  were  the  Jewish  rabbis,  the 
writers  and  teachers  of  the  law.  Christ's  lan- 
guage here  represents  the  Sanhedrim,  which  was 
composed  of  these  three  classes,  laymen,  priests, 
and  teachers  (see  note  on  Matt.  2 : 4),  aiid  constituted 
the  tribunal  before  which  he  was  tried,  and  by 
which  he  was  condemned  to  death  (Matt.  26 :  67, 59). 

22.  Then  Peter  took  him.  Apparently 
one  side.  For  Mark  says  Christ  spoke  that 
saying  openly,  as  though  to  contrast  with  the 
conference  between  Christ  and  Peter  which 
followed ;  and  adds  that  after  Peter's  rebuke 
Christ  turned  about  and  looked  on  his  disci- 
ples. Luther  translates,  Peter  took  him  to  him- 
self.— Rebuked  him.  The  Greek  {iTtinuuoj) 
signifies  literally,  to  adjudge,  hence  to  find  fault 
with.  Peter's  impulse  was  founded  on  a  love  for 
Christ  which  could  not  bear  the  thought  of  his 
rejection  and  crucifixion.  But  it  was  the  disci- 
ple's duty  to  listen  to,  not  to  instruct  the 
Master. 

Be  it  far  from  thee.  Literally,  Ilercy  on 
thee  !  that  is,  God  be  merciful  to  thee,  God  forgive 
thee,  for  this  speech.  It  was  an  exclamation  of 
strong  dissent,  seemingly  of  impatient  dissent. 
Compare  for  its  significance  1  Chron.  11  :  19, 
where  in  the  Septuagint  or  Greek  version  the 
language  is  the  same,  and  would  be  literally 
rendered,  "God  forgive  me  the  doing  of  this 
thing."  This  shall  not  be  to  thee.  Peter 
assumed  that  he  "knew  better  and  could  ensure 
his  Divine  Master  against  such  an  event.  It  is 
this  spirit  of  confident  rejection  of  God's  re- 
vealed purposes  which  the  Lord  so  sharply  re- 
bukes."— {Alford.)  It  is  the  same  spirit  which 
made  the  cross  of  Christ  a  stumbUng-block  to 
the  Jews  and  to  the  Greeks  foolishness  (1  Cor.  1 . 
23),  and  which  leads  modern  philosophy  to  reject 
the  N.  T.  doctrine  of  a  suffering  God ;  and  the 
cause  of  this  rejection  is  always  the  same, 
namely,  regarding  "not  the  things  that  be  of 
God,  but  those  that  be  of  men." 

23.  But  he  turned,  i.e.  away  from  Peter 
and  back  to  the  disciples.  Compare  Mark  8  :  33. 
—Get  thee  behind  me,  Satan.    On  which 


206 


MATTHEW. 


25  For"   whosoever    will  save  his  life    shall  lose  it : 
nd  whosoever  will  lose  his  life  for  my  sake  shall  find 


[Ch.  XVI. 


26  For  what  is  a  man  profited,  if  he  shall  gain  the 
whole  world,  and  lose  his  own  soul  ?  or°  what  shall 
a  man  give  in  exchange  for  his  soul  ? 


n  .'oha  12  :  25  ;  Es.  4  :  14 0  Ps.  49  :  7,  8. 


Gavazzi  says  that  the  church  which  is  founded  on 
Peter  as  its  rock  is  a  Satanic  church.  The  word 
Satan  signifies  adversary.  Peter  was  the  adver- 
sary of  Christ  in  that  he  employed  his  friendship, 
not  to  strengthen  him  for  the  day  of  trial,  but  to 
dissuade  him  from  it.  lie  unconsciously  repeated 
the  temptation  presented  by  the  devil  in  the  wil- 
derness. Observe  here  Christ's  illustration  of 
the  spirit  of  his  teaching  to  the  disciples,  in  ch. 
10  :  33,  37.  Observe,  too,  that  our  best  friend 
becomes  our  worst  enemy  when  he  employs  his 
friendship  to  tempt  us  to  evil,  and  notice  the 
spirit  in  which  Christ  resists  the  solicitations  of 
such  friendship. — An  offence  unto  me.  The 
original  word  (axurduXov)  here  employed,  is  liter- 
ally a  trap  stick,  i.  e.  a  bent  stick  on  which  the  bait 
is  fastened,  and  against  which  the  animal  strikes 
and  springs  the  trap.  Hence  it  is  used  in  the 
N.  T.  as  a  metaphor  to  designate  anything  which 
tends  to  lead  one  into  moral  or  spiritual  ruin. 
See  note  on  ch.  5  :  29.  To  Christ  Peter  is  such 
a  trap-stick,  who  would  be,  if  Christ  yielded 
to  him,  a  baited  lure  to  trap  him  into  sin.  Con- 
trast Peter's  quiet  acceptance  of  this  rebuke  with 
the  resistance  and  anger  of  Judas  Iscariot  in  John 
13  :  47,  with  Lulfe  32  :  3,  4.  Compare  the  spirit 
of  John  and  James  when  rebuked  by  our  Lord. 
Luke  9  :  54-56.     See  Prov.  37  :  6. 

Thou  art  regarding  not  the  things  of 
God,  but  those  of  men.  Contrast  with  verse 
17  above.  In  accepting  Christ,  despite  his  ap- 
parent lowly  origin  and  his  really  humble  career, 
Peter  showed  his  appreciation  of  spiritual  things ; 
in  rejecting  the  idea  of  a  suffering  Messiah  he 
showed  that  he  still  retained  the  earthly  idea  of 
greatness,  aspoioer,  rather  than  the  divine  idea 

of  greatness,  as  love.      (See  Exod.  33  :  is,  19  ;  Psalm  103  :  8, 

marg.).  The  Original  word  rendered  savour- 
ed {(paoriu)  expresses  the  action  of  the  mind, 
heart  and  will ;  it  is  more  than  thinking,  since 
t'jat  involves  only  the  idea  of  intellectual  activ- 
ity. Its  significance  Avill  be  indicated  to  the  Eng- 
lish reader  by  comparing  the  use  of  the  same 
verb  in  Rom.  8  :  5,  Bo  mind  the  things  of  the 
flesh ;  Rom.  13  :  16,  Mind  not  high  things  ;  Phil. 
2  :  5,  Let  this  mind  be  in  you  which  was  also  in 
Christ  Jesus. 

24.  Then  said  Jesus  unto  his  disciples. 
Also  publicly  and  to  the  multitude  (Mark  s :  34). 
The  rebuke  was  private,  the  teaching  public — a 
lesson  to  the  ministry.  Preaching  should  be 
practical,  but  not  personal. — If  any  man  Avills 
to  come  after  me.  That  is,  will  make  this  his 
purpose.— Let  him  renounce  himself.    The 


Greek  verb  here  {anaQvio^iui)  rendered  deny,  is 
used  in  describing  Peter's  denial  of  his  Lord 
(Matt.  26 :  34, 35).  The  Latin  translation  is  dbnego, 
from  which  comes  our  verb  abnegate.  He  must 
renounce  self  as  his  master,  and  accept  Christ  as 
his  master.  Christian  self-denial  consists,  not  in 
self-inflicted  suffering,  nor  in  sacrificing  partic- 
ular interests,  but  in  disowning  self-interest  as  the 
motive  of  life  and  substituting  therefor  the  will  of 
God  and  the  welfare  of  men. — And  take  up 
his  cross.  Luke  adds  daihj  (Luke  o :  23).  Observe, 
his  own  cross,  not  some  other  man's.  Compare 
Heb.  13  :  1,  Let  us  run  with  patience  the  race 
that  is  set  before  us.  Observe  too,  on  the  one 
hand,  that  the  Christian  is  not  merely  to  bear  the 
inevitable  cross  laid  upon  him,  but  to  take  up  the 
cross  voluntarily  ;  and  on  the  other,  that  Chris- 
tian cross-bearing  consists  not  in  assuming  pen- 
ances and  inventing  self-sacrifices  (Coi.  2 :  23),  but 
in  disowning  allegiance  to  one's  self  and  substitu- 
ting therefor  allegiance  to  God,  thus  following 

Christ's  example    (John  5  :  so  ;  6  :  38.     Compare  Gal.  2  :  20  ; 

Col.  3 : 3),  The  self  to  be  disowned  is  interpreted 
by  Rom.  8  :  13.  The  connection  between  this 
and  the  preceding  verse  is  clear:  Not  only 
must  you  accept  the  doctrine  of  a  suffering  Mes- 
siah, if  you  are  to  be  my  disciple  you  must  pos- 
sess my  spirit  of  willing  self-sacrifice  for  love's 
sake. 

25.  Whosoever  is  determined  to  save 
his  life  shall  lose  it ;  but  whosoever  is 
willing  to  lose  his  life  for  my  sake  shall 
find  it.  In  the  original  Greek  there  is  a  differ- 
ence between  the  first  and  second  clause  of  this 
verse  which  the  English  version  does  not  pre- 
serve, but  which  the  above  translation  may  indi- 
cate to  the  English  reader.  On  the  spiritual 
significance  of  this  aphorism  see  note  on  Matt. 
10  :  39. 

26.  For  what  shall  it  profit  a  man  if 
he  shall  acquire  the  ^vhole  world  and 
lose  his  own  life ;  or  what  shall  a  man 
give  as  a  ransom  for  his  life ;  i.  e.  if  it  is 
lost.  The  word  (>/  I'/'i)  here  rendered  soul,  is  the 
same  translated  life  in  the  preceding  verse,  and 
should  be  so  rendered  here.  The  contrast  is  not 
between  gaining  this  world  and  losing  the  next ; 
nor  exactly  between  acquiring  material  and  sac- 
rificing spiritual  interests ;  but  between  gaining 
that  which  is  external  to  one's  self  and  losing  one's 
own  character  and  life  in  the  process.  Luke 
gives  it  more  clearly,  For  what  is  a  man  advantaged 
if  he  gain  the  whole  world  and  lose  himself,  or  be  cast 
away.    This  bargain  is  made  by  every  man  who 


Ch.  XVIL] 


MATTHEW. 


207 


27  ForP  the  Son  of  man  shall  come  in  the  glory  of  his  I 
Father,  with  his  angels,  and""  then  he  shall  reward  every 
man  according  to  h:s  works. 

28  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  There''  be  some  standing 
nere,  which  shall  not  taste'  of  death,  till  they  see  the 
Son  of  man  coming  in  his  kingdom. 


CHAPTER     XVIL 


AND  after'  six  days  Jesus  taketh  Peter,  James,  and 
John   his  brother,  and  bringeth  them  up  into  an 
high  mountain  apart, 
2  And  was  transtjgured  before  them :   and  his  face 


p  Dan.  7  :  9,  10  ;  Zech.  14  :  5  ;  Judc  14. .  .  .q  Rev.  22  :  12 r  Mark  9:1 5  Heb.  2  :  9. . .  .t  Mark  9  :  2,  etc. ;  Luke  9  :  28, 


barters  physical  health  for  luxuries  he  cannot 
enjoy,  or  intellectual  culture  for  means  to  pur- 
chase books  and  pictures  which  he  cannot  appre- 
ciate, or  affection  for  money  to  buy  everything  for 
wife  and  children  but  love,  or  worst  bargain  of  all, 
epiritual  life  for  earthly  prosperity.  Compare 
Luke  13  :  16-21 ;  1  Tim.  6  : 9-13,  andEccles.,  espe- 
cially chaps.  1  and  3.  The  second  clause  of  the 
verse  is  not,  as  it  appears  to  be  in  our  version, 
a  repetition  of  the  flrst  clause  ;  it  enforces  the 
argument  by  a  consideration  of  the  irreparable 
loss  when  the  life  of  the  soul  is  lost.  When  a 
man's  life  has  been  spent,  what  can  he  give  as  a 
ransom  or  price  to  get  its  return?  is  Christ's 
question.  See  Psalm  49  :  7.  All  other  loss  can 
be  repaired ;  a  lost  life  can  never  be  regained. 

27.  The  connection  is  this  :  The  self-denial  of 
the  present  is  but  temporary,  and  works  out  a 
far  more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of  glory 
(2  Cor.  4 :  n).  The  reference  in  this  verse  is  cer- 
tainly not  to  the  transfiguration  which  follows, 
nor  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  nor  to  the 
spiritual  coming  at  Pentecost,  for  neither  of 
these  were  the  coming  of  Christ  with  his  angels, 
nor  ill  the  glorg  of  his  Father.  These  phrases 
point  distinctly  to  the  last  judgment.  Not  less 
do  the  words  which  Mark  here  adds,  "Whoso- 
ever therefore  shall  be  ashamed  of  me  and  of 
my  words,  in  this  adulterous  and  sinful  genera- 
tion, of  him  also  shall  the  Son  of  man  be  ashamed 
when  he  cometh  in  the  glory  of  his  Father  with 
his  angels"  (Mark  8  :  as). — According  to  his 
works.  Greek  (ttqu it?) praxis,  from  which  comes 
our  word  practical.  It  is  here  rather  \eorlcing  than 
works.  The  character  is  judged,  but  by  the  con- 
duct. For  illustration  of  this  declaration  see 
Matt.  7 :  21 ;  25  :  31-46 ;  Rev.  21 :  8.  And  observe 
that  men  are  never  represented  in  the  N.  T.  as 
judged  at  the  last  day  according  to  their  opinions, 
but  according  to  their  lives. 

28.  The  transition  between  this  and  the  pre- 
ceding verse  is  more  noticeable  in  both  Mark  and 
Luke  than  here.  Compare  the  phraseology  there. 
There  is  a  contrast  between  the  commg,  referred 
to  in  V.  27,  in  the  glory  of  the  Father,  when  Christ 
win  become  subject  to  the  Father  (i  Cor.  i5 :  28),  and 
the  coming  in  his  own  kingdom,  referred  to  in  v.  28. 
That  the  reference  in  this  latter  verse  is  not  to  the 
final  judgment  is  evident  (a)  because  Christ  did 
not  know  when  that  event  would  take  place  (Mark 
13 :  32) ;  and  (6)  because  he  seems  to  imply  that 
those  who  saw  it  should  taste  death  after  that 


coming.  The  reference  is  to  the  spiritual  coming 
to  establish  his  kingdom  in  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  at  the  day  of  Pentecost.  See  this  position 
fully  stated  in  note  on  chapter  10  :  23,  where  the 
different  interpretations  are  given. 

Ch.  17  !  1-9.    THE  TRANSPIGURATION.-The  divinb 

TESTrMONT  TO  THE  DIVINE  NATURE  OF  JeSUS  CHEIST. 

— The  beaxitt  and  character  op  the  Spirit  world. 
— The  transient  and  the  permanent  in  Christian 
experience. — See  thoughts  below. 

The  account  of  this  event  is  given  also  by  Mark 
(9 :  2-8)  and  Luke  (9 :  28-36).  It  is  referred  to  dis- 
tinctly and  directly  by  Peter  (2  Peter  1 :  le-is)  and 
perhaps  by  John  (John  1 :  14).  The  place  is  uncer- 
tain. Not  Mount  Tabor,  the  legendary  site,  for 
a  fortified  town  occupied  its  top.  Probably  not 
Mount  Hermon,  which  has  been  suggested,  for 
the  scene  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  the  follow- 
ing day  indicates  that  Christ  and  the  twelve  were 
in  a  Jewish,  not  a  heathen  neighborhood,     (see 

verse  17,  and  the  reference  to  the  Scribes  in  Mark  9  :  14).         The 

most  probable  supposition  assigns  as  the  site  of 
the  transfiguration,  one  of  the  hUls  environing 
the  Sea  of  Galilee.  Tlie  time :  after  Christ's  Gal- 
ilean ministry  had  come  to  an  end.  He  had  pro- 
nounced the  woes  against  the  cities  by  the  sea 
(Matt.  11 :  20-24),  had  withdra^vu  with  his  disciples 
to  the  coasts  of  Tyre  and  Sidon,  and  thence  to 
Caesarea  Philippi  (Matt.  15 :  21 ;  16:  13),  had  received 
from  them  their  recognition  of  his  divine  charac- 
ter and  mission,  and  had  foretold  to  them  his  ap- 
proaching death  (Matt.  16 :  w-as).  Then,  to  strength- 
en their  faith,  he  gives  them  a  glimpse  of  his  glo- 
ry. Observe  that  this  is  not  afforded  to  the  mul- 
titude, nor  even  to  all  the  twelve,  nor  even  to  the 
three  most  intimate  disciples  until  after  their 
faith  in  him  has  been  established  and  declared. 
For  he  will  not  have  their  faith  rest  on  external 
evidence ;  though  he  will  by  it  support  and 
strengthen  them.  So  our  clearest  experiences  of 
Christ's  spiritual  glory  come,  not  in  our  first  ac- 
quaintance with  him,  but  after  living  with  him 
as  our  Saviour.  Thehmir:  the  night.  For  he 
had  gone  up  into  the  mountain  to  pray  (Luke  9 :  28) 
as  he  was  accustomed  to  do  by  night  (Matt,  u :  23, 24 ; 
Luke  6: 12;  21: 37;  22: 39);  the  apostlcs  Were  hcavy 
with  sleep  (Luke  9 :  32),  and  did  not  descend  until 
the  next  day  (Luke  9 :  37).  Moreover,  the  transfig- 
uration, especially  as  Luke  describes  it,  would 
hardly  have  beeu  recognizable,  certainly  not  so 
marked,  by  day. 


208 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XVII. 


did  shine  as  the  sun,"  and  his  raiment  was  white  as  the 
light. 

3  And,  behold,  there  appeared  unto  them  Moses  and 
Elias,  talking  with  him. 


4  Then  answered  Peter,  and  said  unto  Jesus,  Lord, 
it  is  good  for  us  to  be  here :  if  thou  wilt,  let  us  make 
here  three  tabernacles ;  one  for  thee,  and  one  for 
Moses,  and  one  lor  Elias. 


1.  After  six  days.  That  is,  subsequent  to 
the  prophecies  of  Christ's  death  recorded  in  the 
previous  chapter.  All  the  evangelists  give  this 
note  of  time.  Luke  says,  about  an  eight  days: 
possibly  he  includes  both  the  last  day  of  the  pre- 
ceding conversation,  and  the  day  of  the  transfig- 
uration ;  or  his  language  about  {wod)  may  be 
taken  to  indicate  that  he  is  not  and  does  not 
claim  to  be  definite.  —  Peter,  James,  and 
John  his  brother.  They  were  Christ's  only 
companions  in  Gethsemane  (Mark  u :  32-42),  and 
there,  as  here,  they  were  heavy  with  sleep.  They 
alone  witnessed  the  resurrection  of  Jairus'  daugh- 
ter   (Mark  5  :  37  ;  Luke  8  :  6l).      Why  WaS  thiS  privUegC 

accorded  to  them  above  the  others  V  We  can 
only  answer,  because  it  seemed  good  in  their 

Lord's     sight.       (compare  John  21  :  22  ;  Rom.  9  :  n).        All 

Christ's  disciples  do  not  now  share  the  same  ex- 
perience of  his  glory.— High  mountain.  The 
site  is  wholly  unknown.  See  above.  He  went 
up  to  pray  and  as  lie  prayed  was  transfigured  (Luke 
9 :  28).  So  at  his  baptism  the  heavens  opened  and 
the  dove  descended,  as  he  was  praying  (Luke  3 :  21 ; 

compare  Acts  7  :  65,  56 ;  Rev.  1 :  lo). 

2.  And  was   transfigured  before   them. 

The  nature  of  the  transfiguration  is  indicated  by 
the  description  which  follows,  and  yet  more  de- 
finitely by  the  accounts  of  Mark  and  Luke.  His 
face  shone  as  the  sun;  his  garments  became 
white  "  as  the  light "  (Matt.),  i.  e.  lummously  white, 
"  as  no  fuller  on  earth  can  ivhite  them  "  (Mark),  i.  e. 
with  a  supernatural  whiteness;  ^^  white  and  glis- 
tering^^ (Luke),  i.e.  flashing.  The  same  Greek 
word  {itaarouTtTLo)  m  Luke  rendered  glistering,  is 
used  in  Nahum  3  :  3  to  describe  spears  glittering 
in  the  sun,  and  in  Ezek.  1  :  7  to  describe  the 
brightness  of  the  living  creatures  who  "  sparkled 
like  the  colour  of  burnished  brass."  The  trans- 
figuration then  consisted,  apparently,  in  a  lumi- 
nous appearance  which  pervaded  the  whole  face 
and  figure  of  Jesus  (compare  Exod.  S4 :  29, 30).  As 
Christ  took  on  him  human  nature  and  condition 
for  converse  with  man,  so  here,  it  appears  to  me, 
he  is  represented  as  taking  on  the  form  and  con- 
dition of  the  spirits,  for  the  purpose  of  commu- 
nion with  the  spiritual  world.  Observe  that  it 
took  place  before  them,  i.  e.  the  disciples,  not  dur- 
ing their  sleep.  They  saw,  not  only  Christ  after 
he  was  transfigured,  but  also  the  process  of  the 
change,  as  it  came  over  him.  It  is  true,  Luke's 
account,  in  our  English  version,  implies  that  they 
were  asleep,  and  were  wakened  out  of  it  to 
behold  the  glory  (Luke  9: 32).    But  the  original 


does  not  justify  this  interpretation.    See  notes 
there. 

3.  There  appeared  unto  them.  That  is, 
to  the  disciples.  The  implication  is,  that  they 
not  only  saw  the  appearance,  but  recognized,  in 
the  persons,  Moses  and  Elijah.  How  this  recog- 
nition was  afforded,  is  not  stated  ;  perhaps  by  a 
subtle  spiritual  power  of  recognition.  We  often 
appear  to  ourselves  to  recognize  in  dreams  per- 
sons we  have  never  seen  ;  why  may  not  the  soul, 
in  special  spiritual  conditions,  possess  a  similar 
power  of  recognizing,  in  reality,  unknown  per- 
sons ?  That  Moses  and  Elijah  were  recognized, 
at  the  time,  by  the  apostles,  is  evident  from  Pe- 
ter's proposition  (verse  4). — Talking  with  him. 
Luke  gives  the  subject  of  the  conversation : 
"  His  decease  which  he  should  accomplish  at  Je- 
rusalem." It  is  worthy  of  note  that  Elijah  did 
not  die,  but  was  translated,  and  that  Moses' 
death  was  shrouded  in  peculiar  mystery  (2  Kings  2: 
11;  Deut.  34:6).  Dr.  Brown's  commcut  here  is  im- 
portant :  "  They  speak  not  of  his  miracles,  nor  of 
his  teaching,  nor  of  the  honor  which  he  put  upon 
their  Scriptures,  nor  of  the  unreasonable  opposi- 
tion to  him,  and  his  patient  endurance  of  it. 
They  speak  not  of  the  glory  they  were  them- 
selves enshrouded  in,  and  the  glory  which  he  was 
so  soon  to  reach.  Their  one  subject  of  talk  is 
his  decease  which  he  was  going  to  accomplish  at 
Jerusalem.  One  fancies  that  he  might  hear  them 
say.  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  is  to  be  slain." 

4.  Then  ansAvered  Peter.  The  foremost 
to  speak ;  awe  silences  the  rest,  but  not  him. 
Compare  with  his  characteristic  impetuosity  here, 
the  incidents  recorded  in  John  20  :  5,  6 ;  21  :  7. 
Luke  gives  the  explanation  of  his  speaking.  He 
spake  "as  they  (i.  e.  Moses  and  Elijah)  were  de- 
parting," evidently  to  hinder  their  departure, 
and  induce  them  to  remain. — It  is  good  for  us 
to  be  here.  It  often  appears  to  the  Christian 
to  be  good  to  abide  with  Christ  in  spiritual  ex- 
altation. But  such  hours  are  rare,  and  meant  to 
be.  It  is  better  to  descend  and  go  about  with 
Christ  doing  good.  The  one  is  often  our  wish, 
the  other  is  his  will.— Ijct  us  make.  The  bet- 
ter reading  appears  to  be  I  ivill  make.  It  is,  at  all 
events,  an  offer  of  service  for  the  honor  of  Christ. 
— Three  tabernacles.  Rather  booths,  i.  e. 
huts  of  the  branches  of  the  trees,  such  as  Jacob 
made  for  his  cattle  (oen.  33 :  17),  and  Jonah  for  a 
temporary  shelter  (jonah  4 : 5).  At  the  feast  of  the 
tabernacles,  the  Jews  dwelt  for  a  time  in  such 
booths,  to  remind  them  of  their  sojourn  in  the 


Ch.  XVIL] 


MATTHEW. 


209 


5  While  he  yet  spake,  behold,  a  bright  cloud  over- 
shadowed them  :  and,  behold,  a  voice"  out  of  the  cloud, 
which  said,  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom"  I  am 
well  pleased  ;  hear"  ye  him. 

6  And  when  the  disciples  heard  zV,  they  fell  on  their 
face,  and  were  sore  afraid. 

7  And  Jesus  came  and  touchedy  them,  and  said,  Arise, 
and  be  not  afraid. 


8  And  when  they  had  lifted  up  their  eyes,  they  saw 
no  man,  save  Jesus  only. 

9  And  as  they  came  down  from  the  mountain, 
Jesus  charged  them,  saying.  Tell  the  vision  to  no 
man,  until  the  Son  of  man  be  risen  again  from  the 
dead. 

10  And  his  disciples  asked  him,  saying,  Why^  then 
say  the  scribes  that  Elias  must  first  come  ? 


ch.  3:  17:  Mark  ! 


2,  23  ;  Heb.  1:1,2;  2  ;  1-3. 


wilderness    (Lev.    23:42;    Neh.    8:15,16).       LukC     SayS 

that  Peter  spake  '■'■not  knowing  what  he  said,"  and 
Mark  gives  the  explanation  *  'for  they  were  sore 
afraid.''''  In  other  words,  his  was  not  a  well-con- 
sidered proposition,  to  retain  the  spirits  in  earth- 
ly tabernacles,  but  an  ardent  expression  inspired 
by  awe  and  spiritual  ecstasy  commingled. 

5.  Behold,  a  bright  cloud  overshadow- 
ed them.  The  language  of  the  English  version 
in  Luke  would  leave  the  impression  that  all,  in- 
cluding the  disciples,  entered  this  cloud ;  but 
such  is  not  the  significance  of  the  original  (see  Lute 
9 :  34,  and  note).  Christ,  Moses,  and  Elijah  are  alone 
represented  as  entering  into  the  cloud,  which 
separated  them  from  the  disciples'  sight,  and  out 
of  this  cloud  the  voice  spake  to  the  disciples. 
By  the  disciples  such  a  luminous  cloud  would  be 
instantly  accepted  as  a  symbol  of  the  divine 
presence.  It  is  represented  in  the  Scripture  as 
the   habitation   or   chariot  of  God  (Psaims  97 : 2 ; 

104  :  3 ;  Isaiah  19:1;  compare  1  Tim.  6  :  16).     A  bright  ClOUd, 

the  Shechinah,  is  throughout  the  0.  T.  dispen- 
sation employed  as  a  symbol  of  God's  presence, 
being  very  generally  entitled  "the  glory,"  or 
"the  glory  of  the  Lord."  It  appeared  first  to 
Moses  in  the  bush,  burning  but  not  consumed 
(Exod.  3:2);  led  Israel  through  the  wilderness 
(Exod.  13 :  21, 22) ;  rested  on  Mount  Sinai  when  Moses 
went  up  for  conference  with  God  (Eiod.  19 : 9,  is ; 
24:16);  filled  the  tabernacle  on  its  completion 
(Exod.  40 :  34, 35) ;  appeared  from  time  to  time  as  an 
accompaniment  of  special  communion  with  God 

(Eiod.  16  :  7,  10;  33  :  7-11;   Numb.   14:10;   16:19,42;   20:6). 

After  the  death  of  Moses,  just  previous  to  which 
it  is  seen  (oeut.  si :  is),  it  disappears  from  Jewish 
history  to  reappear  at  the  dedication  of  Solo- 
mon's temple  (i  Kings  8 :  lo).  Ezekicl  describes  its 
solemn  departure  from  Israel  (Ezek.  lo :  4,  with  ii :  23), 
but  prophecies  its  return  (Ezek.  43 : 2, 4),  to  which 
also  there  appear  to  be  references  in  the  other 
prophets  (isaiah  4:5;  Zech.  2  :  lo).  This  symbol 
of  the  "glory  of  the  Lord"  appeared  to  the 
shepherds  at  the  time  of  Christ's  birth  (Luke  2 : 9), 
and  received  Christ  at  his  ascension  (Acts  1 : 9). 
Since  then  it  has  disappeared  again  from  earth, 
but  will  surround  him  at  his  second  coming  (Matt. 

S4  :  30 ;  26  :  64 ;  Mark  13  :  26  ;  14  :  62 ;  Luke  21  :  27  ;  Rev.  1  :  7  ;  14  :  14), 

and  will  receive  the  ascending  saints  (i  Thess.  4 :  n ; 

Rev.  11  :  12,  compare  Rev.  10  :  l). — A   VOicC    OUt   of  the 

clond.     A  voice  directly  communicating  the 


divine  will  was  a  common  accompaniment  of  the 
appearance  of  the  Shechinah.  See  Exod.  33  :  9, 
and  other  references  above. 

This  is  my  beloved  Son.  Thus  a  triple 
testimony  confirms  the  faith  of  Peter  and  the 
disciples  declared  in  the  previous  chapter — Moses, 
the  lawgiver,  Elijah,  the  prophet,  and  the  ap- 
pearance and  voice  of  God.  The  phrase  "be- 
loved Son"  is  applied  to  no  one  in  the  N.  T.  but 
to  Jesus.  Compare  Matt.  3  :  17,  and  note.  Ob- 
serve also  the  implied  contrast  between  Moses 
and  Elijah  the  servants,  and  Christ  the  Son  of 
God. — Hear  ye  him.  A  gentle  rebuke  to  Peter. 
There  are  times  when  the  highest  duty  is  not  to 
speak,  even  in  praise  of  Christ,  but  simply  to  be 
stUl  and  know  the  Lord.  See  Psalms  4 : 4 ;  46  :  10 ; 
Luke  10  :  39^3.  Observe  the  implication  that 
the  law  and  the  prophets  both  point  to  and  pre- 
pare for  Christ.  The  sum  of  their  teaching  to  us 
is,  Hear  ye  Him. 

6,  7.  Peculiar  to  Matthew.  Observe  that 
fear  is  the  common  effect  in  the  human  mind 
of  any  experience  which  brings  near  to  us 
the  invisible  world  (judges  i3 :  20 ;  Ezek.  1 :  28),  and 
that    Christ's    reassuring    message    is.    Be   not 

afraid  (Luke  2  :  9,  10  ;  Matthew  14  ;  27 ;  28  :  4,  5 ;  Rev.  1  :  n). 

8.  They  saw  no  man  save  Jesus  only. 

Moses,  the  representative  of  the  law,  and  Eli- 
jah, of  the  prophets,  depart ;  Christ  the  Son, 
abides.     Compare  Hebrews  3  :  5,  6. 

9.  Vision  (Greek  u^d^ia).  This  word  is  some- 
times simply  equivalent  to  sight  or  things  seen 
(Acts  7 :  3i),  sometimes  it  indicates  a  spiritual  ec- 
stasy or  trance,  or  rather  that  which  appears  in 
the  trance  state  (Acts  lo :  3 ;  lo,  n),  sometimes  an  ex- 
perience which  may  have  been  wrought  through 
a  dream  (Acts  i6 : 9;  is :  9).  Here  Christ's  direction 
is  simply  equivalent  to.  Tell  what  you  have  seen 
to  no  man.  It  leaves  the  question  whether  the 
sight  had  been  afforded  in  a  dream,  a  trance,  or 
a  natural  condition,  to  be  determined  by  other 
considerations.  Luke  states  that  "they  (the  dis- 
ciples) kept  it  close  and  told  no  man  in  those 
days ;"  but  he  does  not  give  the  reason  for  their 
silence.  Mark  adds  that  they  questioned  one 
with  another  "what  the  rising  from  the  dead 
should  mean,"  one  of  the  many  indications  in  the 
N.  T.  that  they  did  not  understand,  or  at  least 
did  not  accept,  his  prophecies  of  his  death,  nor 
comprehend  his  prophecies  of  his  resurrection. 


210 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XVII. 


11  And  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  them,  Elias 
truly  shall  first  come,  and  restore  all  things. 

12  But  I  say  unto  you,  That  Elias  is  come  already, 
and  they  knew  him  not,  but  have  done  unto  him  what- 


soever they  listed.    Likewise  shall  also  the  Son  of  man 
suffer"  of  them. 

13  Then  the  disciples  understood  that  he  spake  unto 
them  of  John  the  Baptist. 


Both  events,  though  foretold,  were  entirely  un- 
expected to  them.     Compare  Luke  18  :  34. 

Lessons  of  the  Transfiguration.  Many 
attempts  have  been  made  to  explain  away  this 
incident ;  as  that  it  is  a  legend  growing  out  of 
the  glory  of  Christ's  person  and  teachmg,  or  a 
dream  of  Peter,  induced  by  a  thunder-storm,  the 
cloud  or  mist  pervaded  by  electric  light  being 
mistaken  by  the  half-wakened  disciple  for  the 
Shechinah,  or  that  it  narrates  an  experience  in  a 
trance,  analogous  to  that  of  Peter  described  in 
Acts,  ch.  10.  No  one,  however,  can  doubt  that 
the  writers  intended  to  be  understood  as  narrat- 
ing a  real  occurrence.  That  it  could  not  have 
been  a  dream  is  evident,  because  it  was  expe- 
rienced simultaneously  by  three,  and  whUe  they 
were  fully  awake  (Lute  9 :  32,  and  note).  There  is  no 
incident  in  the  Bible  of  a  trance  experienced  by 
three  simultaneously ;  but  we  know  too  little  of 
what  a  trance  is  to  speak  definitely  on  that  hypo- 
thesis. The  reality  of  the  conversation  of  Jesus 
with  Moses  and  Elias  is  assured  ;  that,  in  order 
to  become  cognizant  of  it,  the  disciples  were 
thrown  into  a  trance  is  possible,  but  is  nowhere 
indicated  in  the  narrative.  These  quasi  explana- 
tions grow  out  of  the  assumption  either  tliat 
there  is  no  spirit-world,  or  that  it  can  never  hold 
communion  with  this  world,  two  errors  which  it 
is  the  express  purpose  of  this  incident  to  cor- 
rect. 

It  appears  to  me  to  teach  the  following  lessons : 
Directly  (1)  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of 
the  living  God.  It  follows  the  testimony  of  Peter 
to  his  Lord's  divinity  ;  confirms  that  faith  ;  gives 
it  directly  the  divine  sanction ;  implies  the  sanc- 
tion of  the  law  and  the  prophets.  (2.)  The  reaUty 
and  something  of  the  nature  of  the  spirit  world. 
I  hesitate  to  interpret  its  teachings  concerning 
the  nature  of  an  existence  which  is  necessarily 
beyond  our  clear  apprehension.  This  incident, 
however,  appears  to  me  to  indicate  that  the  state 
intermediate  death  and  the  judgment  is  not  one 
of  unconscious  existence ;  that  the  departed 
dwell  in  glorified  bodies  (though  Paul  appears  in 
1  Cor.  15  :  M,  51-53,  to  imply  that  the  glorified 
body  is  raised  up  at  the  general  resurrection) ; 
that  they  are,  like  the  angels,  ministering  spirits 
(Heb.  1:7);  that  communication  between  the  other 
world  and  this  is  possible,  though  exceptional ; 
that  the  immortal  life  is  not  exclusively  future, 
but  has  already  commenced.  Indirectly  it  teaches 
the  relation  between  high  ecstatic  experience  and 
practical  piety.   The  former  are  occasional,  excep- 


tional, transient,  confined  to  the  few  ;  the  latter 
is  for  all  times,  for  all  places,  for  all  persons. 
But  three  ascend  the  mountam  with  Christ,  and 
they  cannot  abide  there ;  the  many  throng  him  in 
the  valley,  and  none  are  denied  his  presence. 

Ch.  17  !  10-13.  QUESTION  CONCERNING  ELIJAH.— 
The  message  and  messenqeb  of  God  ake  often 
uneecognized. 

Elias  is  the  Greek  form  of  the  word  Elijah. 
Alford  gives  the  connection  of  the  discii^les' 
question  with  the  preceding  incident.  "The  oc- 
casion of  this  inquiry  was  that  they  had  just  seen 
Elijah  withdraw  from  their  eyes,  and  were  en- 
joined not  to  tell  the  vision.  How  should  this 
be  ?  If  this  was  not  the  coming  of  Elijah,  was 
he  yet  to  come  ?  If  it  was,  how  was  it  so  secret 
and  so  short?"  The  prophecy  of  Elijah's  com- 
ing, as  a  forerunner  to  the  Messiah,  is  in  Mai. 
4:5.  On  this  prophecy  and  its  fulfillment  by 
John  the  Baptist,  see  note  on  Matt.  11  :  14. 

11.  Elijah  indeed  cometh.  Not  shall  first 
co9ne,  but  is  coming — the  tense  is  present,  not 
future. — And  shall  restore  all  things.  Ob- 
serve, it  is  of  a  restoration^  not  of  a  7iew  creation^ 
Christ  speaks.  John  the  Baptist  attempted  a  ref- 
ormation of  Judaism,  and  he  was  himself  a  res- 
toration of  the  extinct  order  of  prophets  and 
the  last  of  that  order.  This  reformation  of  Ju- 
daism was  the  preparation  for  Christianity.  Cer- 
tain of  the  commentators  look  for  a  second  com- 
ing of  Elijah,  personally,  as  a  preliminary  to  the 
second  coming  of  Christ.  Do  they  also  expect  a 
second  restoration  of  Judaism  ?  But  this  would 
involve  the  undoing  of  what  has  been  done,  in  the 
establishment  of  the  larger  and  freer  religion  of 
Jesus  Christ.  Old  things  are  passed  away,  and 
are  not  to  be  restored ;  all  things  are  become 
new.  I  do  not  here  consider  the  vexed  question 
of  Christ's  second  coming.  But  it  seems  to  me 
that  the  language  here,  and  in  the  succeeding 
verse,  gives  no  countenance  to  and  is  scarcely 
reconcilable  with  the  second  coming  of  Elijah. 
However,  on  all  unfulfilled  prophecies  I  speak 
with  difildence. 

13.  Elijah  is  come  already.  James  Mor- 
ison  renders  Tlie  coming  of  Elijah  is  already  past. 
And  they  knew  him  not.  They  did  not  rec- 
ognize in  John  the  Baptist  the  fulfilment  of  the 
prophecy  of  the  coming  of  Elijah. — But  have 
done  unto  him  Avhatsoever  they  listed. 
The  account  of  his  martyrdom  is  given  in  Matt. 
14  :  0-12,  Mark  6  :  21-29.     The  murder  was  per- 


Ch.  XVIL] 


MATTHEW. 


211 


14  And''  when  they  were  come  to  the  multitude,  there 
came  to  mm  a  certain  man,  kneeling  down  to  him,  and 
saying, 

15  Lord,  have  merer  on  my  son  ;  for  he  is  lunatic, 
and  sore  vexed  :  for  ofttimes  he  falleth  into  the  fire,  and 
oft  into  the  water. 

16  And  I  brought  him  to  thy  disciples,  and  they 
could  not  cure  him. 

17  Then  Jesus  answered  and  said,  O  faithless  and 
perverse  generation  !  how  long  shall  I  be  with  you  ! 
how  long  shall  I  suffer  you  ?  bring  him  hither  to 
me. 

18  And  Jesus  rebuked  the  devil,  and  he  departed 
out  of  him :  and  the  child  was  cured  from  that  very 
hour. 

19  Then  came  the  disciples  to  Jesus  apart,  and  said, 
Why  could  not  we  cast  him  out  ? 

20  And  Jesus  said  unto  them,  Because  of  your  un- 
belief :=  for  verily  I  say  unto  you.  If''  ye  have  faith  as  a 
grain  of  mustard  seed,  ye  shall  say  unto  this  mountain. 
Remove  hence  to  yonder  place,  and  it  shall  remove  ; 
and  nothing  shall  be  impossible  unto  you. 


21  Howbeit,  this  kind  goeth  not  out,  but  by  prayer 
and  fasting. 

22  And  while=  they  abode  in  Galilee,  Jesus  said  unto 
them,  The  Son  of  man  shall  be  betrayed  into  the  hands 
of  men ; 

23  And  "they  shall  kill  him,  and  the  third  day  he  shall 
be  raised  again.     And  they  were  exceeding  sorry. 

24  And  when  they  were  come  to  Capernaum,  they 
that  received  tribute  money  came  to  Peter,  and  said, 
Doth  not  your  master  pay  tribute  ? 

25  He  saith,  Yes.  And  when  he  was  come  into  the 
house,  Jesus  prevented  him,  saying,  What  thinkest 
thou,  Simon  ?  of  whom  do  the  kings  of  the  earth  take 
custom  or  tribute  ?  of  their  own  children,  or  of  stran- 
gers? 

26  Peter  saith  unto  him.  Of  strangers.  Jesus  said 
unto  him.  Then  are  the  children  free. 

27  Notwithstanding,  lest  we  should  offend'  them,  go 
thou  to  the  sea,  and  cast  an  hook,  and  take  up  the  fish 
that  first  cometh  up  ;  and  when  thou  hast  opened  his 
mouth,  thou  shalt  find  a  piece  of  money ;  that  take,  and 
give  unto  them,  for  me  and  thee. 


petratecl  bj'  Herod.  Here  it  is  imputed  to  the 
Scribes  and  Pharisees,  because  their  influence 
was  adverse  to  John,  and  perhaps  because,  if 
they  had  recognized  and  received  him,  Herod, 
who  feared  the  people,  would  have  feared  to  per- 
petrate the  murder. 

14-21.  Healing  of  the  Demoniac  Bot. 
Recorded  also  in  Mark  9  :  14-29,  and  Luke  9  :  37 
-43.  The  account  is  fullest  in  Mark.  See  notes 
there.  But  observe  the  transition  from  the 
scene  of  glory  to  the  scene  of  suffering,  and  the 
reason  why  it  would  not  have  been  good  for 
Christ  and  the  three  disciples  to  have  remained 
above  in  tabernacles,  on  the  mountain ;  because 
so  they  would  have  left  the  sufiering  uncared 
for. 

22,  23.  Christ's  Prophecies  of  his  Death. 
Recorded  also  in  Mark  9  :  30-33 ;  Luke  9  :  43-45. 
See  note  on  ch.  16 :  31. 

Ch.  17  :  24-27.  DEMAND  0I-"  TRIBUTE,  AND  CHRIST'S 
REPLY.— The  chiirch  of  Christ  is  a  free  church. 

It  13  SUPPORTED  BY  VOLUNTARY  OFFERINGS,  NOT  BY 
COMPULSORY  TAXATION.— It  IS  BETTER  TO  SUBMIT  TO 
AN  UNJUST  DEMAND,  THAN,  BY  RESISTING,  TO  DO  AN 
ACT  OF  SEEMING  WRONG. 

Peculiar  to  Matthew.  Whether  this  incident 
occurred  at  the  time  indicated  by  its  place  in  this 
chapter  is  uncertain.  The  temple  tribute,  here 
referred  to,  was  generally  paid  at  the  time  of  the 
Passover,  and  that  leads  to  the  hypothesis  that 
Matthew  has  inserted  it  here,  out  of  its  place, 
because  of  its  connection  with  the  other  teach- 
ings of  Christ,  in  these  chapters,  concerning  him- 
self as  the  Son  of  God,  and  the  Church  as  the 
representative  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  But  the 
tax  was  not  always  promptly  paid.  Payment 
•was  indeed  so  irregular,  that  Lightfoot  says  that 
the  receivers  of  the  tribute  had  before  them  two 
chests  placed,  one  of  which  received  the  tax  of 


the  current  year,  the  other  the  tax  of  the  year 
past. 

24.  Capernaum.  The  demand  was  made  at 
Capernaum,  because  it  was  the  residence  of  both 
Jesus  and  Peter.  The  wanderuig  life  of  our 
Lord  and  his  disciples  had  perhaps  prevented 
the  demand  from  having  been  made  before. 
— Tribute.  A  mistranslation,  and  an  unfortu- 
nate one  ;  for  it  at  once  conveys  the  idea  of  a  tax 
to  the  Roman  government.  The  true  rendering 
is.  Both  not  your  master  pay  the  didrachm  (two 
drachmas),  or  half  shekel,  a  sum  equivalent  to 
about  thirty  cents  of  our  money.  This  was  a 
tax  levied  annually  on  all  Israelites,  for  the  sup- 
port of  the  Temple,  the  morning  and  evening 
sacrifice,  the  incense,  wood,  shew-bread,  scape- 
goat, &c. 

25.  Jesus  anticipated  him.  That  is,  Je- 
sus, knowing  what  had  passed  between  Peter  and 
the  tribute  takers,  spoke,  before  Peter  had  op- 
portunity to  speak  to  him  on  the  subject. — Of 
Avhom  do  the  kings  of  the  earth  take 
custom  {taxes  oti  goods)  or  tribute  {tJie  poll  tax)? 
of  their  own  sons  or  of  other  men  ?  The 
contrast  is  not  between  the  citizens  of  the  State 
and  foreigners  or  strangers,  for  taxes  were  paid  by 
all  citizens,  but  between  the  children  of  the  royal 
family,  who  were  exempt  from  taxation,  and  the 
rest  of  the  people.  For  significance  of  the  word 
here  rendered  strangers,  see  Luke  16  :  13 ;  Romans 
14  :  4 ;  15  :  20,  where  it  is  rendered  another  man. 

26.  This  is  not  a  mere  re-statement  of  Peter's 
declaration,  equivalent  to  Then  are  the  children  of 
the  kings  free ;  but  an  application  of  the  principle 
to  the  question  of  paying  the  Temple  tax,  and  is 
equivalent  to,  On  this  principle,  the  children 
of  God  are  free  from  taxes  for  the  support  of  his 
kingdom. 

27.  Lest  we  should  scandalize  them; 
by  refusing  to  pay  the  tax,  an  act  liable  to  be  to- 


213 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XVIL 


tally  misunderstood,  and  charged  to  impiety  or 
religious  indifference. — And  when  thou  hast 
opened  his  mouth,  thou  shalt  find.     But 

not  necessaiily  in  his  mouth,  perhaps  in  the  stom- 
ach where  valuables  are  often  discovered  by  fish- 
ermen.— A  piece  of  money.  Literally  a  te- 
tradrachm  (four  drachmas)  or  stater  (Greek 
azar/iQ).    The  language  of  our  Lord  defines  the 


TETADEACHM   OR   STATER. 

coin  which  should  be  discovered,  and  which 
would  be  of  exactly  the  right  amount  to  pay  the 
tax  for  the  two.  The  stater,  which  answered  to 
the  Hebrew  shekel,  was  equivalent  to  about  sixty 
cents  of  our  money.  For  me  and  thee.  It  is 
a  noticeable  fact  that  Christ  never  ranks  himself 
with  his  disciples.  His  language  here  is  not  for 
us,  but  for  me  and  thee,  as  elsewhere  it  is  not  Our 
Father,  but  "my  Father  and  your  Father,  my 
God  and  your  God  "  (john  20 :  n). 

Significance  of  this  Incident.  The  first 
tabernacle  was  constructed  wholly  by  voluntary 
offerings  (Exod.  35 : 5).  Subsequently,  the  amount 
to  be  paid  yearly  by  each  one  for  the  Tabernacle 
or  Temple  was  fixed  at  a  half  shekel  (Exod.  so :  12 
-15),  which  was  accepted  as  a  ransom,  for  the  soul 
of  the  giver,  unto  the  Lord.  Still  no  provision 
was  made  for  compelling  payment,  if  it  were  re- 
fused, and  it  seems  to  have  remained  in  the  na- 
ture of  a  voluntary  gift.  But  in  subsequent  his- 
tory there  was  a  bitter  conflict  between  the  Sad- 
ducees  and  the  Pharisees,  upon  the  question 
whether  this  should  be  regarded  as  a  free-wUl 
offering  or  made  compulsory.  The  Pharisees, 
who  advocated  the  latter  position,  carried  their 
point ;  and  so  great  was  the  conflict  and  their 
triumph,  that  they  kept  the  anniversary  as  a  kind 
of  half  festival.  After  the  destruction  of  Jeru- 
salem the  tax  was  continued  by  Vespasian,  but 
was  applied  to  the  uses  of  the  Temple  of  the  Cap- 
itoline  Jupiter  (josephus'  wars,  7 : 6,  §  6).  This  temple 
tax  was  called  for  by  the  temple  tax-gatherer, 
from  Jesus.  He  is  uncertain  whether  this  new 
Rabbi  will  acknowledge  or  repudiate  the  tax,  will 
class  himself  with  the  Pharisees  or  Sadducees. 
Peter,  knowing  his  Lord's  principle  to  fulfill  all 
the  obligations  of  the  law  (Matt. 3 :  15 ;  s-.n-,  23 : 3), 
answers  at  once  that  his  Master  will  pay  it. 
Christ  replies :  The  children  of  a  king  are  not 
liable  to  compulsory  taxation  for  their  father's 
support.  My  followers  are  children  of  the  Great 
King.    They  are  not,  therefore,  to  be  compelled  to 


pay  a  specified  sum  for  the  support  of  his  house 
and  worship.  Their  offerings  must  be  free-will 
offerings.  Thus  Christ  stamps  with  his  disap- 
proval all  systems  which  make  the  church  of 
Christ  depend  for  support  on  ecclesiastical  taxa- 
tion of  any  kind,  and  declares  that  it  must  be 
supported  by  the  free-will  offerings  of  the  chil- 
dren of  God.  This  he  has  declared  before  by  im- 
plication (Matt.  10 :  10,  and  note).  This  is  the  basis  on 
which  the  church  was  subsequently  placed  by  the 

apostles    (Acts    2:45;    4:34;    1  Cor.  16:1,2;    2  Cor.  9  :  1,  7). 

The  incident  has  been  misinterpreted  by  soifte  of 
the  older  commentators,  who  mistook  the  tribute 
referred  to  for  the  tax  payable  to  the  Roman 
government — an  error  which  is  refuted,  both  by 
the  original  Greek,  and  by  the  general  scope  of 
the  incident.  It  has  been  misunderstood  by 
many  of  the  English  and  the  continental  com- 
mentators, who  have  been  generally  committed 
to  a  State  church,  and  averse  to  see  in  the  N.  T, 
anything  inconsistent  with  the  support  of  such  a 
church  by  church  rates.  They  have  accordingly 
generally  regarded  it  as  simply  a  personal  claim 
by  Christ  to  be  free,  because  he  is  the  Son  of 
God.  But  that  he  signifies  the  freedom  of  aU 
his  followers  from  ecclesiastical  tax,  and  the 
support  of  his  church  by  free-will  offerings,  is 
evident  because  (a)  he  declares  not.  Then  am  I 
the  Son  of  God  free,  but  then  are  the  children 
free  ;  (6)  he  emphasizes  this  declaration  by  pro- 
viding payment  for  Peter  as  well  as  for  himself ; 
(c)  this  accords  (see  references  above)  with  other 
parallel  teachings  of  the  N.  T. ;  (d)  it  accords 
with  the  fact  that  a  half  shekel  tax  was  a  ransom 
paid  for  the  soul  (Exod.  30 :  12),  and  that  the  souls 
of  the  children  of  God  are  ransomed  once  for  all 
by  Christ.  Trench  says,  "This  (liberty)  plainly 
is  not  true  concerning  dues  owing  to  God  ;  none 
are  so  bound  to  render  them  as  his  ^so)is.''  "  But 
this  is  an  exact  begging  of  the  question,  or  rather 
a  direct  repudiation  of  the  teaching  of  Christ  and 
the  apostles,  which  is,  that  all  the  law  is  included 
in  love,  and  that  no  compulsory  dues  can  take  the 
place  of  a  free-will  offering.  For  a  fuller  state- 
ment of  this  interpretation  see  E.  H.  Plumptre  in 
SmWi's  Bible  Bictionary,  article  Tribute.  The 
Lord  provides  the  money,  however,  "lest  we 
should  scandalize  them.''''  James  Morison  gives  the 
explanation  well ;  "leading  them  to  think,  per- 
haps, that  he  was  opposed  to  the  temple-service, 
or  that  he  was  churlish  in  his  disposition,  or  that 
in  his  heart,  the  true  state  of  which  is  often  re- 
vealed by  money  transactions,  he  was  irreverent 
toward  God."  And  Plumptre  draws  aright  the 
lesson  from  his  compliance.  "  It  is  better  to  com- 
ply with  the  payment,  than  to  startle  the  weak 
brethren,  or  run  counter  to  feelings  that  deserve 
respect,  or  lay  an  undue  stress  on  a  matter  of 
little  moment." 


Ch.  XVIIL] 


MATTHEW. 


213 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

ATs  the  same  time  came  the  disciples  unto  Jesus, 
saying,   Who  is  the  greatest  in  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  ? 


2  And  Jesus  called  a  little  child  unto  him,  and  set  him 
in  the  midst  of  them, 

3  And  said,  Verily  I  say  unto  you.  Except  ye  be  con- 
verted,'' and  become  as  little  children,'  ye  shall  not  en- 
ter into  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 


g  Mark  9  :  33,  etc. ;  Luke  9  :  40, 


Pb.  61  :  10-13  ;  John  3  :  3. 


1  Cor.  14  :  20  : 


Ch.  18  :  1-14.  DISCOURSE  CONCERNING  GREATNESS 
IN  THE  KINGDOM  OF  HEAVEN.— Chbist's  use  of  ob- 
ject TEACHING  (v.  2). — Lessons  to  be  miaened  from 
A  little  child. — Conversion  illustrated  (v.  3). — 
HuMiLiTT  illustrated  (v.  4).— To  receive  Christ, 

RECEIVE   one   of   HIS  LITTLE   ONES   (v.  5).— To  OFFEND 

Christ,  tempt  one  op  his  little  ones  (vs.  6-9). — The 

NEEDY  ARE  NEAREST  TO  GoD'S  THRONE  (V.  10).— Kfi- 
DEEMING  LOVE  ILLUSTRATED  (VS.  11-14). 

Preliminaky  Note.  This  eighteenth  chapter 
of  Matthew  contains  instructions  concerning  the 
Kingdom  of  God,  which  were  given  to  the 
twelve  alone.  It  may  be  divided  into  three  sec- 
tions. In  the  first  (verses  1-14)  Christ  warns  his  dis- 
ciples against  ambition  and  self-seeking,  and 
counsels  them  against  leading  astray  humbler 
and  feebler  disciples ;  in  the  second  (verses  16-20)  he 
tells  them  what  course  the  disciple  is  to  pursue 
toward  the  wrong-doer ;  in  the  third  (verses  21-35) 
he  illustrates  and  enforces  the  duty  of  personal 
forgiveness.  The  conference  appears  to  have 
taken  place  at  Capernaum  and  ia  the  house  (Mark 
9 :  33),  possibly  the  house  vOf  Peter,  who  resided 
there.  Verses  1-9  have  their  parallel  in  Mark  9  : 
33-50,  and  Luke  9 :  46-50.  The  rest  of  this  chapter 
is  peculiar  to  Matthew.  Some  of  the  aphorisms 
contained  in  it  are,  however,  found  elsewhere  in 
Christ's  teaching,  and  some  points  here  hinted 
at  are  more  fully  treated  by  our  Lord  at  other 
times  (see  notes  below).  Matthew  connects  the 
instructions  given  in  this  chapter  by  the  par- 
ticles "moreover"  (verse  is)  and  "then"  (verse  21); 
but  these  do  not  always,  in  N.  T.  usage,  indicate 
a  close  chronological  connection ;  and  though  it 
is  not  improbable  that  this  chapter  constituted 
one  discourse,  delivered  to  the  disciples  at  one 
time,  it  is  by  no  means  certain  that  Matthew  has 
not  gathered  here  instructions  imparted  at  differ- 
ent times,  but  all  during  the  same  general 
period  of  Christ's  ministry,  and  relating  to  the 
same  general  theme. 

1.  At  the  same  time.  Literally,  In  the  same 
hour.  That  is,  apparently,  immediately  subse- 
quent to  the  incident  narrated  in  the  previous 
chapter.  According  to  this  account  the  disciples 
came  to  Christ  with  the  question,  Who  is  the 
greatest?  According  to  Mark  (9:33)  they  had 
engaged  in  a  dispute  who  should  be  the  greatest," 
t,  e.,  who  should  hold  the  chief  offices  in  the 
political  kingdom  which  they  supposed  Christ 
had  come  to  establish.  Christ  asked  them  the 
subject  of  their  controversy,  and  they  held  their 
peace,   being  probably  ashamed  of  it.     Town- 


send' s  explanation  of  the  seeming  inconsistency 
is  reasonable.  This  is,  that  certain  of  the  dis- 
ciples had  claimed  pre-eminence,  as  James  and 
John  did  later,  that  Jesus  asked  them  of  their 
dispute,  that  they  were  ashamed  to  reply,  and 
that  then  the  other  disciples  preferred  the  ques- 
tion. Who  is  the  greatest  ?  Matthew  has  given 
only  this  question  and  Christ's  answer;  Mark 
has  narrated  the  circumstances  which  led  to  it. 
Similar  disputes  continued,  in  spite  of  the  teach- 
ing given  here,   down   almost  to  the  time  of 

Christ's  death.    (Matt.  20  :  20,  21,  24 ;  Luke  22  :  24.) — WhO 

is  the  greatest.  Literally,  greater,  i.  e.,  than 
the  rest.  The  language  is  in  the  original,  as  iu 
the  English,  in  the  present  tense  ;  but  the  ques- 
tion probably  had  a  future  meanrag.  Their 
question  was  not.  What  elements  of  character 
make  true  greatness?  who  of  us  is  greatest? 
but.  Who  of  us  shall  occupy  the  highest  place  in 
your  coming  kingdom  ?  It  was  the  question  of 
the  ecclesiastic,  not  of  the  true  Christian  dis- 
ciple. "Peter  was  always  the  chief  speaker,  and 
already  had  the  keys  given  him ;  he  expects  to 
be  lord  chancellor,  or  lord  chamberlain  of  the 
household,  and  so  to  be  the  greatest.  Judas  had 
a  bag,  and  therefore  he  expects  to  be  lord  treas- 
urer, which,  though  now  he  comes  last,  he  hopes 
wUl  then  dominate  him  the  greatest.  Simon  and 
Jude  are  nearly  related  to  Christ  (but  query  as 
to  this  statement,  see  pp.  Ill,  112),  and  they  hope 
to  take  the  place  of  all  the  great  officers  of  state, 
as  princes  of  the  blood.  John  is  the  beloved  dis- 
ciple, the  favorite  of  the  Prince,  and  therefore 
hopes  to  be  the  greatest.  Andrew  was  first 
called,  and  why  should  not  he  be  first  prefer- 
red ?  " — {Matthew  Henry.) 

2.  And  Jesus  called  a  little  child  to 
him.  Evidently,  from  the  language  employed 
(the  Greek  is  nuidlov,  the  diminutive),  it  was  a 
young  child  ;  evidently  from  his  calling  it,  not  a 
mere  infant.— And  set  him  in  the  midst  of 
them.  A  striking  illustration  and  an  incidental 
endorsement  of  object  teaching  in  morals.  The 
0.  T.  prophets,  Ezekiel  especially,  often  em- 
ployed the  same  method. 

3.  Except  ye  he  converted.  For  the 
meaning  of  the  word  {citqt(pw)  here  rendered 
converted,  see  Luke  7  :  9,  Jesus  '■'turned  him 
about,'"  i.  e.,  he  was  going  in  one  direction  and 
turned  about  so  as  to  face  in  the  other  direction. 
Acts  7  :  39,  "our  fathers  *  *  *  in  their 
hearts  turned  back  again  into  Egypt,"  i.  e.,  from 
following  and  serving  Jehovah  turned  back  to 


214 


MATTHEW. 


4  Whosoever  therefore  shall  humble  himself  J  as  this 
little  child,  the  same  is  greatest  in  the  kingdom  of 
heaven. 


[Ch.  XVIII. 


5  And  whoso  shall  receive  one  such  little  child''  in 
my  name,  receiveth  me. 

6  But  whoso  shall  offend'  one  of    these  little   ones 


j  Luke  14  :  11  ;  Jas.  4  :  10.  .  .  .k  ch.  10  :  42 1  Mark  9  :  42  ;  Luke  17  :  1,  2. 


worship  the  golden  calf  which  was  an  image  of 
the  Egyptian  bull,  Acts  13  :  46,  "seeing  ye  judge 
yourselves  unworthy  of  everlasting  life,  we  turn 
to  the  Gentiles."  These  passages  indicate  the 
meaning  to  be  attached  to  the  word  here  rendered 
convert  (aT'jeipui),  which  always  signifies  a  radical 
and  complete  change,  in  method,  sjjirit,  or 
course.  Here  it  is,  Unless  you  be  turned  entirely 
away  from  this  spirit  of  self-seeking  you  cannot 
enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  much  less'  be 
greatest  in  it.  The  verb  is  in  the  passive  mood ; 
it  is  not,  Except  ye  turn,  but.  Except  ye  be 
turned,  thus  indicating  that  the  turning  of  the 
disciples,  to  be  effectual,  must  be  by  a  higher 
power  than  their  own. 

[The  Greek  student  should  also  observe  that 
the  tense  here  is  not  the  future,  but  the  aorist, 
and  represents  neither  an  act  completed  in  the 
past  time,  i.  e.,  it  is  not  equivalent  to,  Except  ye 
had  been  converted,  nor  one  to  be  effected  in  the 
future,  Except  ye  shall  be  converted,  but  one 
past  and  continuing^  Except  ye  be  continually 
turned  back  from  this  spirit  of  self-seeking,  and 
continually  take  on  the  spirit  of  a  little  child. 
Parallel  is  John  15  :  6,  If  a  man  abide  not  in  me 
he  is  cast  forth,  neither  has  been  nor  will  be,  but 
is  in  the  state  of  a  branch  broken  from  the  vine. 
See  Buttmann's  N.  T.  Gr.  §  137,  p.  l'J8 ;  Wmer's 
N.  T.  Greek,  §  40,  5,  b,  p.  277.J 

And  become  as  little  children.  "Not 
foolish  (i  Cor.  14 :  2o),  uor  fickle  (Eph.  4 :  u),  nor  play- 
ful, but  childlike  (Matt,  ii :  le) ;  as  children  we 
must  desire  the  sincere  milk  of  the  word  (i  Pet. 
2:2);  be  careful  for  nothing,  but  leave  it  to  our 
heavenly  Father  to  care  for  us  (Matt,  o :  si) ;  be 
harmless  and  inoffensive,  and  void  of  malice 
(i  Cor.  14 :  2o) ;  govcrnablc  and  under  command  (oai. 
4:2);  and  what  is  here  chiefly  intended,  we  must 
be  humble  as  little  children." — {Matthew  Henry.) 
See  also  1  Pet.  1  :  14.  (See  note  on  next  verse.) 
Observe  that  elsewhere  manhood  is  set  before  us 
as  our  aim  (Ephes.  4 :  is).  The  sense  in  which  child- 
hood is  a  pattern  to  us  is  well  given  by  Chrysos- 
tom.  "  For  such  a  little  child  is  free  from  pride, 
and  the  mad  desire  of  glory,  and  envy,  and  con- 
tentiousness, and  all  such  passions,  and  havmg 
many  virtues, — simplicity,  humility,  unworldli- 
ness, — prides  itself  on  none  of  them ;  having  a 
twofold  severity  of  goodness ;  to  have  these 
things  and  not  to  be  puffed  up  about  them." 

4.  Whosoever  therefore  shall  humble 
himself  as  this  little  child.  This  interprets 
the  preceding  verse,  and  points  out  the  respect 
In  which  we  are  to  become  as  little  children  ;  and 


it  is  in  turn  further  interpreted  by  the  addition  in 
Luke  (9 :  48),  He  that  is  least  among  you  all,  i.  e. 
who  is  willing  to  be  least  in  rank  and  dignity,  the 
same  shall  be  great.  Humility  is  not  thinldng 
meanly  of  one's  self,  but  being  willing,  even  with 
great  powers,  to  take  a  lowly  office  and  perform 
seemingly  menial  and  insignificant  and  not  hon- 
ored service.  The  first  Is  not  characteristic  of 
childhood,  the  latter  is.  Christ's  own  example  is 
the  best  interpretation  of  his  teaching  ;  for  an 
mterpretation  of  this  precept,  therefore,  see  Phil, 
3  :  5-8.  Compare  Phil.  4  : 1:3,  and  Christ's  sym- 
bolic repetition  of  this  teaching  in  the  washing 
of  the  disciples'  feet,  John  13  :  3-5,  12-15. 

5.  And  whoso  shall  receive  one  such 
little  child.  These  words  are  to  be  taken  in 
their  most  natural  signification.  He  who,  for 
Christ's  sake,  receives  a  little  child  to  his  heart, 
receives  Christ,  and  that  irrespective  of  any  faith 
in  or  love  for  Christ  in  the  child's  experience. 
Compare  Matt.  10  :  40-43. — In  my  name.  Lit- 
erally, upon  my  name,  i.  e.  upon  the  ground  of  my 
name,  out  of  consideration  to  me,  and  for  my 
sake. — Receiveth  me.  Observe  that  the  true 
way  to  receive  Christ  is  to  receive,  into  our  hearts, 
for  Christ's  sake,  those  who  need  the  hospitality 
of  our  sympathies,  as  the  way  to  serve  Christ  is 
by  serving  the  needy  and  suffering  (Matt.  25 :  40). 

At  this  point  in  Christ's  instructions  occurred  a 
significant  interruption  and  Chrisfs  response,  for 
account  of  which  see  Mark  9  :  38-41  and  notes 
there.  On  the  passage  up  to  this  point  Calvin 
observes  that  the  disciples  were  guilty  of  a 
double  fault,  first  in  laying  aside  anxiety  about 
their  present  warfare  to  discuss  future  reward,  a 
fault  allied  to  the  vain  curiosity  of  those  who 
now  neglect  terrestrial  duties  for  celestial  specu- 
lations, whose  condition  is  as  if  a  man  who  was 
about  to  commence  a  journey  made  enquiries 
where  a  lodging-place  was  situated,  but  did  not 
move  a  step  ;  the  second  in  striving  with  wicked 
ambition  to  excel  each  other,  instead  of  rendeiing 
mutual  assistance.  Matthew  Henry  observes 
that  if  Christ  ever  intended  to  teach  the  primacy 
of  Peter,  the  occasion  was  afforded  by  the  dis- 
ciples' question,  Who  is  the  greatest  ?  whereas  his 
answer  emphatically  disallows  any  primacy.  And 
Chrysostom,  with  characteristic  quaintness,  says, 
"We  are  not  able  to  attain  so  much  as  unto  their 
faults,  neither  do  we  ask  v)ho  is  greatest  in  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  ;  but  who  is  greatest  in  the  earthly 
kingdom,  who  is  wealthiest,  who  most  powerful." 

6.  Btit  whoso  shall  offend.  Cause  to 
stumble  or  fall  into  sin.    See  note  on  Matt.  5  :  29. 


Ch.  XVIIL] 


MATTHEW. 


211 


which  believe  in  me,  it  were  better  for  him  that  a  mill- 
stone were  hangred  about  his  neck,  and  i/tai  he  were 
drowoed  in  the  depth  of  the  sea. 

7  Woe  unto  the  world  because  of  offences !  for™  it 
must  needs  be  that  offences  come  ;  but  woe"  to  tliat 
man  by  whom  the  oflFence  cometh  ! 

8  Wlierefbre,"  if  thy  hand  or  thy  foot  oflFend  thee, 
cut  them  off,  and  cast  i/tem  from  thee  :  it  is  better  for 


thee  to  enter  into  life  halt  or  maimed,  rather  than, 
having  two  hands  or  two  feet,  to  be  cast  into  everlast- 
ing fire. 

9  And  if  thine  eye  offend  thee,  pluck  it  out,  and  cast 
z'i  from  thee  :  it  is  better  for  thee  to  enterP  into  life  with 
one  eye,  rather  than,  having  two  eyes,'  to  be  cast  into 
hell  fire. 

10  Take  heed  that  ye  despise  not  one  of  these  little 


m  1  Cor.  11  :  19  ;  Jude  4 n  Jude  11 o  ch.  5  :  29,  30 ;  Mark  9  :  43,  45 p  Heb.  4:11 q  Luie  9  :  ! 


— Which  believe  in  me.  The  Greek  prepo- 
sition (si?)  in,  when  employed,  as  here,  respecting 
the  feeUngs,  signifies  the  end  or  aim  towards 
which  they  reach.  Here  the  meaning  is,  Whose 
faith  reaches  out  after  me  as  its  chief  good. 
For  experience  indicated  by  the  phrase,  compare 
Phil.  3  :  13,  14.  In  the  N.  T.  we  are  said  to  be- 
lieve in  (elc)  Jesus  Christ,  but  never  to  believe  in 
(sic)  any  prophet,  apostle  or  other  human  teacher, 
one  of  the  numerous  minor  indications  of  Christ's 
superhuman  character.  "  We  beheve  Paul,  but 
we  do  not  believe  in  Paul." — {Augustine.) — A 
millstone.  Literally,  an  ass'  millstone.  The 
larger  mills  were  turned  by  asses,  the  smaller 
ones  by  hand.  The  Greek  here  {i.ivh>g  ovixng)  sig- 
nifies the  former  kind  of  stone. — Cast  into  the 
depth  of  the  sea,  i.  e.  the  open  or  deep  sea, 
remote  from  land.  This  method  of  capital  pun- 
ishment was  practised  by  the  Egyptians,  Greeks, 
and  Romans,  and  possibly  occasionally  by  the 
Jews. 

7.  Woe  unto  the  world.  The  language 
may  be  read  as  that  either  of  lamentation  or  of 
denunciation.  Compare  Matt.  23  :  15,  IG,  with 
Mark  13  :  17.  Perhaps  the  feeling  here  represent- 
ed is  a  commingled  one. — Because  of  temp- 
tations. Literally,  tmjis.  See  note  on  Matt.  5  : 
39 ;  16  :  23.— For  it  must  needs  be  that 
temptations  come.  This  truth  is  set  forth  as 
an  additional  warning.  The  disciple  must  not 
forget  that  there  is  no  possibility  of  avoiding 
temptation,  and  must  therefore  always  be  on  his 
guard  both  for  himself  and  others.  The  lan- 
guage might  imply  nothing  more  than  that,  as 
life  is  constituted,  temptations  are  unavoidable. 
Compare  for  use  of  the  same  word  rendered 
here  needs  he  (uiii/xj;),  Luke  14  :  18  ;  23  :  17,  where 
no  absolute  compulsion  is  indicated.  But  in  an- 
other place  (Luke  n  :  1),  Christ  uses  even  stronger 
language  :  It  is  impossible  hut  that  offences  will 
come.  The  question  at  once  occurs.  Why  is  it 
impossible  ?  This  question  carries  the  mind 
directly  back  to  the  origin  of  evil ;  it  belongs  to 
philosophy,  not  to  biblical  interpretation.  Christ 
makes  no  attempt  to  answer  it  here,  or  elsewhere. 
Personally,  I  count  it  one  of  the  insoluble  prob- 
lems of  the  universe. — But  woe  to  that  man 
by  whom  the  temptation  cometh.  But  if 
temptations  be  a  necessity,  why  is  he  blame- 
worthy who  produces  them  ?  This  is  a  question 
which  the  commentators  and  theologians  discuss ; 


Christ  does  not,  either  here  or  elsewhere.  He 
simply  sets  the  two  facts  side  by  side  ;  the  inevi- 
tableness  of  temptation ;  the  personal  responsi- 
bility and  sin  of  the  tempter.  The  one  is  ratified 
by  our  observation  ;  the  other  by  our  personal 
consciousness.  It  is  observable  that  Christ's 
method  here  is  in  general  the  bibUcal  method, 
which  frequently  sets  forth  seemingly  conflicting 
truths  in  strong  terms,  and  often  in  close  juxtapo- 
sition, but  nowhere  offers  explanations  to  harmo- 
nize them.  See,  for  examples.  Acts  2  :  23 ;  Rom.  9  : 
14-23  ;  Phil.  2  :  12, 13  ;  2  Pet.  1  :  4,  5,  10. 

8-9.  The  connection  is  this.  So  great  is  the 
evil  of  becoming  a  cause  of  temptation  to  others 
or  to  yourself,  that  it  is  better  to  cut  off  the 
most  innocent  or  even  useful  exercise  of  a  God- 
given  power,  than  so  to  use  it  as  to  lead  yourself 
or  others  into  sin.  See  the  same  aphorism,  with 
a  slighty  different  connection,  in  Matt.  5  :  29,  30, 
and  note  there.  In  the  original  the  use  of  the 
article  makes  stronger  the  contrast  than  in  our 
version,  which  should  read,  "  Enter  into  the  Ufe 
*  *  *  than  be  cast  into  the  fire  everlasting."  On 
the  phrase  hell-fire  (verse  9),  see  note  on  Matt.  5  : 
22.  Mark  adds  a  description  of  it  in  the  words, 
"Where  their  worm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire  is  not 
quenched  "  (Mark  9 :  4s).  He  also  adds  two  verses 
not  given  by  Matthew  or  Luke.  See  Mark  9  :  49, 50. 

10.  Take  heed,  (o^utu.)  A  word  of  caution 
of  frequent  use  in  the  N.  T.,  and  indicatmg  a 
subtle  temptation  against  which  the  Christian 
must  watch.  Compare  Matt.  10  :  6  ;  Luke  12  : 
15 ;  1  Thess.  5  :  15.— That  ye  despise  not 
one  of  these  little  ones.  Not  merely  one  of 
these  children,  but  one  of  these  little  ones;  i.  e.  any 
one  who  is  insignificant  and  unimportant.  Com- 
pare Matt.  10  :  42  ;  11  :  11.  The  caution  is  ad- 
ministered to  the  spirit  that  seeks  a  high  place  in 
the  church,  a  caution  not  to  look  down  with  con- 
tempt upon  the  weak  in  faith,  the  poor  in  know- 
ledge, or  in  grace,  or  in  station.  Compare  for 
the  application  of  the  principle,  Rom.  14 : 1-3, 13, 
15.  The  word  here  rendered  despise  {xutucpooriw) 
is  literally  to  think  down  upon,  or  as  we  should 
say,  look  down  upon. 

For  I  say  unto  you  that  their  angels, 
i.  e.  their  guardian  angels.  With  possibly  two  ex- 
ceptions (Acts  12 :  15 ;  Rev.  22 : 8, 9)  ths  term  angel 
(uyYeXXoi;)  is  never  used  in  the  N.  T.  to  designate 
a  departed  spirit,  which  is  always  rendered  by 
another  word  {nvn'^u  or  ^dytuofiu).    In  some  in- 


216 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XVIII. 


ones  ;  for  I  say  uuto  you,  That  in  heaven  their  angels' 
do  always  behold"  the  face  of  my  Father  which  is  in 
heaven. 

11  For  the  Son  of  man  is  come  to  save  that'  which 
was  lost. 

12  How  think  ye  ?  If"  a  man  have  an  hundred 
sheep,  and  one  of  them  be  gone  astray,  doth  he  not 
leave  the  ninety  and  nine,  and  goeth  mto  the  moun- 
tains, and  seelieth  that  which  is  gone  astray  ? 


13  And  if  so  be  that  he  find  it,  verily  I  say  unto  you, 
he  rejoiceth  more  of  that  sheep^  than  of  the  ninety  and 
nine  which  went  not  astray. 

14  Even  so  it  is  not  the  will  of  your  Father  which  is 
in  heaven,  that  one"  of  these  little  ones  should  perish. 

15  Moreover,  if  thy"  brother  shall  trespass  against 
thee,  go  and  tell  him  his  fault  between  thee  and  him 
alone :  if  he''  shall  hear  thee,  thou  hast  gained  thy 
brother. 


Acts  12:  15... 


stances  both  angel  {ayytlloi)  and  spirit  {nv%vp.a) 
are  used  in  such  connection  as  to  indicate  very 
clearly  that  they  are  not  synonymous  (Acts  23 : 8, 9). 
Etymologically  the  word  means  messenger,  and  it 
is  sometimes  so  rendered  in  the  N.  T.  (Matt.  11 :  lO; 
Luke  7 :  24, 27).  Usually  it  is  employed  to  designate 
celestial  beings,  who  are  represented  as  the  mes- 
sengers of  God  (2  Kings  19  ;  31 :  Psalm  91:11,12;  Heb.  1  :  13, 

u).  Here  are  intended  the  celestial  messengers 
who  are  allotted  as  the  special  guardians  of 
God's  children.  Not  their  departed  spirits  after 
death,  but  their  guardian  angels  while  they  live 
are  represented  as  nearest  the  throne. 

Do  always  behold  the  face  of  my 
Father.  That  is,  they  always  have  direct  and 
immediate  access  to  God.  The  picture  is  inter- 
preted by  the  usage  of  courts,  where  certain 
special  favorite  officers  always  have  access  to  the 

throne  (l  Kings  10  :  8  ;  Esther  1  :  14 ;  Jer.  62  :  25).  With- 
out pressing  the  language,  which  is  seemingly 
metaphorical,  as  all  language  descriptive  of  the 
spiritual  world  must  be,  it  evidently  implies  (1) 
the  doctrine  of  guardian  angels,  i.  e.  that  angels 
are  not  only  in  general  the  ministering  servants 
of  God,  but  that  special  angels  are  allotted  as  the 
special  guardians  and  attendants  of  individuals 

(compare  Psalm  91 :  11,  12  ;  Acts  27  :  23)  ;     and    (3)   that    the 

weakest  and  feeblest  of  God's  flock,  not  merely 
the  children,  but  the  little  ones,  in  intellectual 
and  spiritual  power  and  in  ecclesiastical  position 
and  eartihly  honor,  have  the  readiest  and  nearest 
access  to  God ;  in  other  words,  that  weakness 
and  want,  not  greatness,  constitute  the  strongest 
appeal  to  him.  And  with  this  idea  consorts  the 
entire  passage.  Stier's  note,  though  somewhat 
fanciful,  is  beautiful :  "  Here  is  Jacob's  ladder 
planted  before  our  eyes :  beneath  are  the  little 
ones ;  then  their  angels ;  then  the  Son  of  man 
in  heaven,  in  whom  alone  man  is  exalted  above 
the  angels,  who,  as  the  Great  Angel  of  the  cov- 
enant, Cometh  from  the  Presence  and  Bosom  of 
the  Father;  and  above  Him  again  the  Father 
Himself  and  His  good  pleasure." 

11.  For,  the  Sou  of  man  is  come  to 
save  that  which  was  lost ;  i.  e.,  the  celes- 
tial messengers  of  the  weak  are  always  before  the 
face  of  God,  because  the  very  office  of  redeeming  love 
is  to  save  the  lost,  those  that  cannot  save  them- 
selves. Observe  the  implication  (1)  that  the 
world  is  lost,  undone,  beyond  all  human  help ; 


(3)  that  the  object  of  Christ's  coming  was  not  to 
teach  or  to  legislate,  but  to  save.  Compare  John 
1  :  13  ;  3  :  14r-17.  This  verse  is  wanting  in  the 
Vatican  and  Sinaitic  MSS.,  and  is  omitted  by 
Griesbach,  Lachmann,  Tischendorf  and  Tregelles. 
But  it  is  found  in  the  great  body  of  MSS.  both 
uncial  and  cursive,  and  in  all  the  old  versions, 
the  Vulgate,  Syriac,  Armenian  and  Ethiopic.  Al- 
ford  retains  it.  It  is  found  also  in  Luke  19  :  10, 
where  its  authenticity  is  undoubted. 

12,  13.  This  parable  is  expanded  in  Luke 
15  :  4-6.  See  notes  there.  The  proper  rendering 
of  verse  13  is,  Doth  he  not  leave  the  ninety -nine  upon 
the  mountain?  It  is  not  the  strong  and  safe  that 
need  care,  but  the  weak  and  feeble.  The  strong 
expression  of  verse  13  is  not  to  be  Aveakened  by 
any  such  modification  as  that  of  James  Morrison, 
"In  the  calm  depth  of  his  soul  there  is  a  settled 
satisfaction  in  the  possession  of  the  99,  which  is 
ninety-nine  times  deeper  than  the  emotion  which 
is  stirred  into  activity  by  the  recovery  of  the 
one."  The  words  of  Christ  are  not  to  be  thus 
shorn  of  their  meaning. .  The  highest  joy,  recog- 
nized in  the  Bible,  as  existing  in  heaven  or  on 
earth,  is  the  joy,  not  of  possessing,  but  of  saving 
a  soul.  Compare  Isaiah  53  :  11 ;  Luke  15  :  7,  10 ; 
Heb.  13  :  3  ;  Psalm  147  :  11 ;  Micah  7  :  18 ;  Zeph. 
3:17. 

14.  The  language  of  the  original  appears  to  me 
to  be  even  stronger  than  that  of  our  version. — 
So  there  is  not  a  will  in  the  presence  of 
your  Father  in  heaven  that  one  of  these 
little  ones  should  perish.  Not  only  it  is  not 
his  will ;  but  he  wiU  not  permit  such  a  will  in  his 
presence.  This  verse  alone  ought  to  be  sufficient 
as  a  refutation  of  the  doctrine  that  God  chooses 
some  souls  for  destruction,  in  order  to  show  forth 
his  glory. 

Ch.  18  :  15-20.-CHRIST'S  PRECEPTS  FOR  THE  SET- 
TLEMENT  OF  QUARRELS.-THE  POWER  OF  UNITED 
CHRISTIAN  FAITH. 

15.  Moreover.  This  conjunction  connects 
what  follows  with  what  proceeds.  Christ  has  be- 
fore warned  us  from  offending  against  others ; 
he  now  tells  us  what  we  are  to  do  when  others 
sin  against  us.  Calvin  traces  the  connection 
clearly  and  well.  "  Christ  enjoins  his  disciples  to 
forgive  one  another,  but  to  do  so  in  such  a  man- 
ner as  to  endeavor  to  correct  their  faults.    It  is 


Ch.  XVIII.] 


MATTHEW. 


217 


i6  But  if  he  will  not  hear  thee^  then  take  with  thee 
one  or  two  more,  that  in  the  mouth  of  two  or  three 
witnesses?  every  word  may  be  established. 


17  And  if  he  shall  neglect  to  hear  them,  tell  it  unto 
the  church :  but  if  he  neglect  to  hear  the  church,  let 
him»  be  unto  thee  as  an  heathen  man  and  a  publican. 


Deut.  19  :  15  ;  2  Cor.  13  : 


Rom.  16  :  17  ;  1  Cor.  5:3-5;  2  Tliess.  3  :  6,  14. 


necessary  that  this  be  wisely  observed ;  for  noth- 
ing is  more  diflScult  than  to  exercise  forbearance 
toward  men,  and  at  the  same  time  not  to  neglect 
the  freedom  necessary  in  reproving  them." — 
If  thy  brother.  Not  merely  fellow- Christian, 
Since  God  is  the  Father  of  the  whole  human  race, 
it  is  treated  in  Scripture  as  one  family,  and  all 
men  as  brethren.  Compare  Matt.  5  :  22-24 ;  7  : 
S^ ;  Hebrews  8  :  11 ;  James  2  :  15  ;  1  John  2 :  10. 
Evidently,  from  these  and  parallel  passages  the 
instructions  here  are  not  necessarily  limited  to 
the  case  of  church  members  who  ofEend. — Shall 
trespass  against  thee.  Christ  does  not  tell 
the  church  how  it  is  to  treat  one  who  aposta- 
tizes from  the  faith  or  from  a  holy  life  ;  but  the 
individual  Christian  how  he  is  to  treat  one  who 
has  personally  sinned  against  him.  True,  some 
MSS.,  including  the  Sinaitic  and  the  Vatican, 
omit  against  thee,  as  does  Tischendorf  and  Lach- 
mann,  but  the  ordinary  reading  is  the  better  one. 
The  omission  was  probably  for  the  purpose  of 
giving  an  ecclesiastical  meaning  to  the  passage. 
— Go  and  convince  him  between  thee 
and  him  alone.  Privately  as  possible,  that 
you  may  not  have  his  pride  arrayed  against  you. 
For  the  spirit  in  which  this  should  be  done  com- 
pare Gal.  6:1.  In  how  many  cases  should  we  be 
ashamed  of  having  taken  offence,  in  the  very 
attempt  to  speak  of  it ;  in  how  many  more,  would 
such  a  kindly  conference  end  all  trouble. — If  he 
shall  hear  thee.  Not,  as  Chrysostom,  "  if  he 
should  be  persuaded  that  he  has  done  wrong ;' ' 
but,  literally,  "(/"  he  shall  hear  thee,^''  i.  e.  if,  as  we 
say,  he  is  willing  to  listen  to  reason ;  if  he  is 
ready  for  a  Christian  conference  and  mutual  ex- 
planations.— Thou  hast  gained  thy  brother. 
Brotherliness  is  represented  as  something  too 
valuable  to  be  easily  cast  away.  The  idea  is  not, 
thou  hast  saved  a  brother  from  sin  and  death, 
but  thou  hast  personally  gained  his  brotherly 
affection.  The  original  verb  (xeQ^alvoi)  always 
carries  with  it  the  idea  of  a  personal  gain.  Com- 
pare Matt.  16  :  26 ;  25  :  17,  20,  22 ;  Phil.  3  :  7. 

16.  But  if  he  will  not  hear.  Observe, 
not,  if  you  cannot  convince,  but,  if  ?ie  will  not 
hear,  i,  e.,  if  he  refuses  to  enter  into  confer- 
ence, in  the  spirit  of  concession  and  concilia- 
tion, so  that  you  cannot  thus  gain  your  brother. 
— Then  take  with  thee  one  or  two. 
"If  possible,"  says  Wesley,  wisely,  "men  whom 
he  esteems  and  loves." — That  upon  the 
mouth  of  two  or  three  witnesses  every 
word,  i.  e.  between  you  and  him,  in  your  en- 
deavors for  a  reconciliation, — may  be  estab- 
lished.    Observe  the  object  of  this  second  going. 


It  is  not,  primarily,  that  they  may  convince  him, 
but  that  there  may  be  no  room  to  doubt  after- 
wards which  of  3'ou  sought  reconciliation  and 
which  of  you  resisted  it.  Observe,  too,  that  this 
proceeding  is  not  as  a  foundation  for  inflicting 
punishment,  but  for  the  sake  of  the  offender's 
amendment  and  a  restoration  of  fellowship. 

17.  And  if  he  shall  refuse  to  hear 
them.  Still  observe  the  condition ;  not,  if  he 
refuse  to  yield  to  them,  but  if  he  refuse  to  hear, 
i.  e.  to  enter  cordially  into  their  and  your  spii'it 
of  reconciliation.  The  same  word  in  the  Septua- 
gint  in  Esther  3:3,  is  rendered  transgress.  It 
carries  with  it  the  idea  of  a  contemptuous  disre- 
gard.—Tell  it  to  the  church.  That  is,  to 
the  assembly  of  Christ  in  which  you  are  in 
fellowship,  that  they  may  understand  and  justify 
your  position.  On  the  meaning  of  the  word 
{iy.y.li]a'la)  here  rendered  church,  see  note  below, 
and  notes  on  Matt.  16  :  18. — But  if  he  refuse 
to  hear  the  church.  If  he  resists  their 
endeavors  for  a  mutual  reconciliation  between 
the  two. — Let  him  be  unto  thee.  Unto  thee, 
not  unto  the  church.  There  is  nothing  said  here, 
and  nothing  implied,  as  to  any  withdrawal  of 
fellowship  by  the  church.  It  is  not  even  im- 
plied that  the  offender  is  in  the  church. — As  a 
heathen  man  and  a  publican.    With  whom 

the    Jews     had    no    intercourse     (Acta  lO  :  28 ;  compare 

John  4 : 9).  There  is  no  suggestion  of  proceedings 
for  punishment,  either  by  the  individual  or  the 
church.  The  direction  is  simply  tantamount  to 
this  :  If,  after  all  your  efforts,  you  cannot  secure 
reconciliation,  then  you  may  have  nothing  more  to 
do  with  him.  That  Christ  does  not  justify  the 
feeling  of  scorn  and  hate  with  which  the  Jews 
generally  regarded  the  heathen  and  publican  is 
clear  from  the  parable  which  follows  (vs.  21-35). 
But  he  does  recognize  the  fact  that  exigencies 
in  life  sometimes  arise  which  call  for  a  complete 
separation  from  wilful  wrong-doers. 

Of  dealing  with  an  offending  bkother. 
These  verses  are  frequently  referred  to  as  con- 
taining "  the  general  principles  on  which  church 
discipline  should  be  carried  on."  Is  this  inter- 
pretation correct  ?  I  think  not,  for  the  following 
reasons :  (a.)  At  the  time  these  directions  were 
given  no  Christian  church  was  organized,  and  the 
disciples  did  not  anticipate  the  organization  of 
one.  They  believed  that  Christ  was  about  to  set 
up  a  temporal  kingdom  in  which  they  were  to 
share.  They  could  not,  therefore,  have  under- 
stood this  to  be  a  rule  of  ecclesiastical  discipline. 
(&.)  The  word  (exxktinUt)  here  rendered  church, 
etymologically  signifies  that  which  is  called  out,  and 


218 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XVIII. 


i8  Verilv  I  say  unto  you,  Whatsoever*  ye  shall 
bind  on  earth,  shall  be  bound  in  heaven  ;  and  what- 
soever ye  shall  loose  on  earth,  shall  be  " 
heaven. 


19  Again  I  say  unto  you,  That  if  two  of  you  shall 
agree  on  earth  as  touching  any  thin^  that  they  shall 
ask,  it!"  shall  be  done  for  them  of  my  f"  ather  which  is  in 
heaven. 


ch.  10  :  19  ;  John  20  :  23 ;  Acts  15  :  23-Dl ;  2  Cor.  2  :  10 b  Mark  11  :  24 ;  John  16  :  21 ;  1  John  6  :  15. 


SO  an  assembhj,  and  is  so  sometimes  rendered  in 
our  version  (s=e  Acts  19 :  32, 39, 41).  In  the  0.  T. 
(Septuagint  or  Greek  version)  it  represents  the 
Great  Congress  or  Jewish  Parliament  (see  note  on 
Matt.  16:18).  In  the  N.  T.  "the  word  most  fre- 
quently occurs  in  the  Christian  sense  of  an 
assemblage  of  Christians  generally,  1  Cor.  11 ;  18," 
{Kitto's  Bib.  Cijc.) ;  see  also,  Rom.  10  :  5  ;  1  Cor. 
IG  :  19.  Here,  certainly,  it  indicates  not  an 
ecclesiastical  organization,  still  less  the  rulers  or 
authorities  in  such  an  organization,  but  an  as- 
semblage of  the  people  of  God,  and  is  defined  by 
verse  20.  See  note  there,  (c.)  Nowhere  else  does 
Christ  give  any  rules  for  the  conduct  of  eccle- 
siastical affairs ;  nothing  respecting  the  number 
or  nature  of  church  officers,  the  mode  of  their 
appointment  or  election ;  their  length  of  service  ; 
their  authority.  It  must  be  regarded  as  remark- 
able if,  leaving  all  other  ecclesiastical  questions 
to  be  determined  by  his  followers,  he  should  give 
particular  rules  for  the  determination  of  disci- 
plinary proceedings  in  the  church,  (d.)  The 
context  relates  wholly  to  personal  relations  and 
personal  duties ;  the  preceding  verses  are  a 
warning  against  tempting  the  weak  and  feeble 
into  sin ;  the  following  verses  are  an  exposition 
of  the  duty  of  personal  forgiveness.  We  should 
not  naturally  look  in  such  connection  for  rules 
of  ecclesiastical  procedure,  (c.)  The  language 
throughout  is  inconsistent  with  the  ecclesiastical 
interpretation.  The  direction  is  given,  not  to  the 
church,  but  to  the  individual.  "If  t7iy  brother 
shall  trespass  against  thee  f  the  "one  or  two" 
are  to  be  taken,  as  witnesses  that  the  individual 
has  done  all  in  his  pov/er  to  procure  a  reconcilia- 
tion ;  and  the  final  result,  in  the  case  of  one 
obstinate  in  refusing  reconciliation,  is  not  church 
action  of  any  kind,  but  only  this,  that  he  is  to  be 
^'■untotliee,''  i.  e.  to  the  person  with  whom  he 
refuses  to  be  reconciled,  as  a  heathen  and  a  pub- 
lican. (/.)  The  heathen  and  publicans  were  sub- 
jected to  no  penalties  of  any  sort  in  Judea ; 
religious  persecution  was  utterly  foreign  to  the 
spirit  of  their  institutions.  The  Jews  simply  had 
no  intercourse  with  them.  The  command.  Let 
him  be  unto  tJiee  as  a  heathen  and  a  publican, 
does  not  therefore  justify  civil  penalties  or  disa- 
bilities of  any  description,  nor  call  for  exclusion 
from  the  privileges  and  fellowship  of  the  church, 
nor  for  any  public  condemnation  or  general 
obloquy,  nor  for  any  formal  act  of  excommuni- 
cation, or  any  ecclesiastical  pains  or  penalties. 
It  simply  justifies  the  individual  Christian  in 
ceasing  to  maintain  friendly  and  personal  rela- 


tions with  one  who,  after  this  triple  endeavor,  re- 
fuses to  live  in  friendly  relations  with  him.  The 
readerwill  not  understand  me  as  denying  the  right 
of  the  church  to  discipline  members,  nor  the 
propriety  of  i^ursuing  the  method  here  indicated 
in  the  case  of  church  discipline  ;  but  this  passage 
has  not  in  my  judgment,  any  direct  bearing  on 
ecclesiastical  proceedings,  and  certainly  does  not 
constitute  a  law  for  their  conduct.  But  the 
reader  ought  to  be  advised  that  most  commen- 
tators take  a  different  view,  and  regard  these 
precepts  as  directions  for  the  administration  of 
ecclesiastical  discipline.  Lightfoot  and  Alford 
might  perhaps  be  regarded  as  exceptions, 
though  their  views  are  not  very  clear.  "The 
business  here  is  not  so  much  concerning  the  cen- 
sure of  the  person  sinning  as  concerning  the 
vindication  of  the  person  reproving." — (Lighlfoot.) 
"That  the  church  {ti<-^?.iii>lu)  cannot  mean  the 
church  as  represented  by  her  rulers,  appears  by 
verses  19,  20,  where  any  collection  of  believers  is 
gifted  with  the  power  of  deciding  in  such  cases. 
Nothing  could  be  further  from  the  spirit  of  our 
Lord's  command  than  proceedings  in  what  were 
oddly  enough  called  'ecclesiastical'  courts." — 
(Alfonl) 

I  understand  then  Christ's  directions  here  to 
be  simply  this :  If  a  brother  man  has  wronged 
you,  do  not  give  up  his  brotherly  love  at  once. 
First,  try  by  personal  conference  to  secure  recon- 
ciliation ;  if  he  will  not  be  reconciled,  take  a 
friend  or  two  to  witness  that  you  have  done  what 
you  can  to  be  reconciled ;  if  he  refuses  to  listen 
to  them,  tell  your  Christian  brethren  of  the  dif- 
ficulty ;  and  if  their  intervention  is  in  vain,  then 
and  only  then  are  you  justified  in  having  nothing 
to  do  with  him.  In  our  ordinary  mtercourse 
with  each  other,  how  often  we  reverse  these  di- 
rections, say  of  one  who  has  offended  us,  I  owe 
him  no  grudge,  but  I  want  nothing  more  to  do 
with  him,  and  after  our  decision  tell  the  church 
and  the  neighbors  our  version  of  the  quarrel  as 
our  justification.  "If,"  says  John  Wesley,  speak- 
ing of  Christ's  directions  here,  "if  this  be  the 
way  to  take,  in  what  land  do  the  Christians  live  ?" 
Compare  ynth  this  passage  Matt.  5  :  31-20. 

18.  Observe  that  here  the  power  of  the  keys 
(what  that  is  I  have  considered  in  note  on  Matt. 
15  :  19,  which  see)  is  conferred  on  all  the  disciples, 
for  there  is  nothing  whatever  to  indicate  that  the 
promise  is  not  as  universally  applicable  as  the  di- 
rections given  in  the  preceding  verse,  and  the 
promise  in  the  verses  which  follow.  The  term 
heaven  here  is  used  as  in  Matt.  21  :  25,   and  is 


Ch.  XVIIL] 


MATTHEW. 


219 


20  For  where  two  or  three  are  gathered  together<=  in 
my  name,  there  am  I  in  the  midst  of  them. 

21  Then  came  Peter  to  him,  and  said.  Lord,  how  oft 
shall  my  brother  sin  against  me,  and  I  forgive^  him  ? 
till  seven  times  ? 


22  Jesus  saith  unto  him,  I  say  not  unto  thee.  Until 
seven  times  ;  but,  Until  seventy  times  seven. 

23  Therefore  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven  likened  unto 
a  certain  king,  which  would  take  account'  oi'  his 
servants. 


John  20  ,  19 ;  1  Cor.  5:4 d  Mark  11  :  25  ;  Luke  11:4;  Col.  3:13 e  Rom.  14  :  12. 


used  in  the  same  sense  as  in  that  passage,  and  in 
Matt.  10  :  19,  loosed  in  heaven  being  nearly  equiva- 
lent to  loosed  by  God.  The  promise  may  be  para- 
phrased thus  :  Whatever,  under  the  guidance  of 
the  Spirit  of  God,  you  do,  shaU  be  ratified  by 
your  Father  in  heaven. 

19.  Again  I  say  unto  you  that  if  two 
of  you  shall  agree.  Literally,  shall  sympho- 
nize  or  sound  together.  The  original  Greek  verb 
{avuipuivita)  is  One  from  which  comes  our  word 
symphony,  and  carries  with  it  a  concealed  meta- 
phor :  Shall  accord  as  musical  instruments  in 
symphony.— Concerning  anything  that 
they  shall  ask.  Language  could  hardly  be 
stronger.  The  Greek  is,  Concerning  everything 
whatsoever  ye  shall  ask. — It  shall  be  done 
for  them  by  my  Father.  It  is  impossible  to 
reconcile  this  promise  with  any  theory  of  prayer 
which  denies  that  prayer  is  really  influential  with 
God.  Compare  with  it  Matt.  21  :  23  ;  Mark  11  : 
21 ;  John  14  :  13,  14  ;  15  :  7,  16  ;  16  :23,  24,  which 
indicate  the  condition  of  such  prayer  as  may  claim 
this  promise.  Illustrations  of  the  fulfillment  of 
the  promise  in  this  and  the  succeeding  verse  are 
afforded  by  Acts  1 :  14  with  2  : 1-4,  and  Acts  12  : 
5,  12.  An  illustration  of  a  misapprehension  of 
Christ's  meaning  and  of  his  refusal  of  a  request 
presented  by  two  of  the  apostles,  who  were 
agreed,  is  afforded  by  Mark  10  :  35.  Comparing 
these  passages,  and  I  have  purposely  referred 
only  to  the  words  of  Jesus,  it  is  evident  that  his 
promise  is  not  absolute  and  unconditional,  but 
that  the  fundamental  condition  of  the  spirit  of 
all  true  prayer,  is  implied,  viz.,  trust  in  and  sub- 
mission to  the  higher  will  and  wisdom  of  our 
heavenly  Father.  And  indeed  this  is  hinted  at 
by  the  language  of  this  verse.  Anything  that  they 
shall  ask,  since  asking  always  implies  a  recogni- 
tion of  the  right  to  refuse  ;  and  still  more  is  this 
implied  in  the  verse  which  follows,  which  gives 
the  reason  for  the  promise.  Why  shall  such 
power  be  given  to  the  disciples  ?  Because  where 
two  or  three  are  gathered  in  Christ's  name  he  is 
in  their  midst  to  inspire  and  direct  their  petitions. 
Compare  Rom.  8  :  26. 

20.  For  where  two  or  three  are  gath- 
ered together  in  my  name.  "Not  collecting 
themselves  promiscuously  in  their  own  name, 
or  according  to  their  own  devices,  or  for  their 
own  glory,  much  less  in  a  spirit  of  strife  and 
division  ;  but  with  yearnings  of  love  to  me  and 
of  union  with  me  ;  in  the  manner  appointed  by 
m3.  in  the  unity  of  my  church,  and  in  obedience 


to  my  law,  and  for  the  furtherance  of  my  glory." — 
(  Wordsworth.)  For  the  meaning  of  ' '  in  my  name  ' ' 
compare  John  14  :  13  ;  15  :  7.  Chrysostom's  note 
on  the  connection  of  the  19th  and  20th  verses 
with  what  precedes  is  important.  "Having  de- 
clared the  evils  consequent  on  strife,  he  now  dis- 
plays the  blessings  of  unity.  They  who  are  of 
one  accord  do  prevail  with  the  Father  as  touch- 
ing the  things  they  ask,  and  they  have  Christ  in 
the  midst  of  them." — There  am  I  in  the 
midst  of  them.  Compare  Matt.  28  :  20.  Later 
theology  has  contrived  no  better  definition  of  a 
church  than  this  verse  affords  :  The  gathering  of 
Christ's  disciples,  united  in  Christ,  and  with  him  in 
their  midst.  Observe  that  neither  here,  nor  any- 
where else  in  the  Gospels,  is  there  any  implication 
that  his  being  in  the  midst  of  such  an  assembly, 
bringing  with  him  the  powers  conferred  here  in 
verse  18,  and  in  Matt.  28  :  19,  20,  to  baptize  and 
preach,  is  dependent  upon  any  church  order,  or- 
dained ministry,  apostolic  successors,  special 
rites,  ceremonies,  or  creeds,  or  anything  of  the 
kind.  It  seems  also  to  me  that  wherever  Christ 
is,  there  by  a  reasonable  implication  is  the  right 
to  proclaim  him,  whether  by  words,  as  in  preach- 
ing, or  by  rites  and  symbols,  as  by  baptism  and 
the  Lord's  Supper. 

Ch.  18  :  21-35.  PARABLE  OF  THE  UNMERCIFUL 
SERVANT.— The  duty  of  torgiteness  ;  the  katurb 
op  forgiveness;  the  motive  of  forgiveness.— See 
Thoughts  below. 

21-22.  Then  came  Peter  to  him.    For 

further  instruction  as  to  the  duty  of  forgiveness 
inculcated  in  the  preceding  verses.  He  wanted  a 
specific  rule  limiting  the  obligation  of  forgiveness. 
The  Rabbis  limited  it  to  three  repetitions  of  an 
offence.  Peter,  with  a  glimmering  idea  that  the 
rule  should  be  enlarged,  proposed  seven  as  the 
limit.  Christ's  reply  "seventy  times  seven" 
(not  as  James  Morison,  and  some  others,  seventy- 
seven)  refuses  to  assign  any  limit.  Living  in  a 
kingdom  of  grace,  we  are  to  exercise  it  as  we  de- 
pend upon  it,  without  limitation.  On  the  mean- 
ing of  the  word  forgive  [uipttjui),  see  note  on 
Matt.  6  :  12. 

23.  Therefore  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
likened.  Therefore,  i.  e.  because  it  is  a  kmgdom 
of  forgiveness,  founded  on  the  forgiveness  of 
God  to  us,  the  unforgiving  cannot  abide  in  it. 
"  As  certainly  as  there  is  no  kingdom  of  God 
without  the  forgiveness  which  we  receive,  so  cer- 
tainly there  is  no  kingdom  of  God  without  the 


220 

24  And  when  he  had  begun  to  reckon,  one  was 
brought  unto  him,  which  owed  him  ten  thousand  tal- 
ents' : 

25  But  forasmuch  as  he  had  not  to  pay,  his  lord  com- 
manded him  to  be  sold,'  and  his  wife,  and  children,  and 
all  that  he  had,  and  payment  to  be  made. 


MATTHEW.  [Ch.  XVIII. 

26  The  servant  therefore  fell  down,  and  worshipped 
him,  saying.  Lord,  have  patience  with  me,  and  1  will 
pay  thee  all. 

27  Then  the  lord  of  that  servant  was  moved  with 
compassion,^  and  loosed  him,  and  forgave  him  the  debt. 

28  But  the  same  servant  went  out,  and  found  one  of 


f  3  Kings  4:1;  Isa.  60  :  I g  Ps.  78  :  38. 


forgiveness  which  we  bestow." — {Drdseke.) — 
Unto  a  certain  king.  Literally,  a  man,  a  king. 
And  because  any  comparison  of  the  divine  king- 
dom with  the  human  kingdom  is  and  must  be 
imperfect,  this  parable  must  not  be  pressed  in 
details,  as  has  been  done  by  some  commentators. 
— Which  would  take  account  of  his  ser- 
vants. The  Greek  {d<jv/.og)  signifies  primarily 
slaves,  but  not  so  here,  for  the  debtor  was  to  be 
sold  into  slavery  to  pay  the  debt.  In  an  Oriental 
despotism  the  subordinates  of  a  king  are  in  fact, 
though  not  in  form,  his  slaves,  their  property  and 
life  being  subject  to  his  will.  By  the  servant  men- 
tioned in  the  next  verse  Christ  depicts,  I  judge, 
the  chief  of  some  province,  who  has  defaulted  in 
his  accounts.  The  account-taking  does  not  an- 
swer to  the  last  judgment,  for  after  that  there  is 
no  opportunity  for  the  condemned  to  exercise  or 
abstain  from  mercy  to  his  fellows.  Arnot  gives 
the  true  interpretation  well :  "  So  the  King  Eter- 
nal in  various  ways,  and  at  various  periods,  takes 
account  of  feen,  especially  of  those  who  know 
his  word,  and  belong  externally  to  his  church,"  as 
by  "  a  commercial  crisis,  a  personal  affliction,  a 
revival,"  or,  let  me  add,  those  heart-searchings 
that  come  without  explicable  cause  on  almost  all 
men  at  some  period  in  their  life. 

24.  One  Avas  brought  to  him.  He  did 
not  come  willingly. — Which  owed  him  ten 
thousand  talents.  The  talent  was  a  weight, 
not  a  coin ;  the  value  it  represented  would  there- 
fore necessarily  depend  upon  the  purity  of  the 
coinage.  The  Hebrew  (silver)  talent  is  variously 
estimated  from  $1500  to  $2350,  the  gold  talent  as 
high  as  $55,000.  Ten  thousand  is  used  in  the 
N.  T.  as  a  general  expression  for  a  great  number 
(i  Cor.  4 :  16;  14 :  19).  The  Original  might  be  rendered 
here  innumerable.  The  Sinaitic  M8S.  has  simply 
"many"  (noXvg).  Trench  affords  illustrations  of 
the  amount  indicated,  by  comparing  it  with  other 
sums  mentioned  in  the  Scripture  and  in  secular 
history.  10,000  talents  is  the  amount  which  Ha- 
man  estimated  would  be  derived  from  the  de- 
struction of  the  whole  Jewish  people  (Esther  3 : 9). 
In  the  construction  of  the  tabernacle  29  talents 
of  gold  were  used  (Exod.  38 :  24) ;  David  prepared 
for  the  temple  3000  talents  of  gold,  and  the 
princes  .5000  (1  chron.  29:4-?);  the  queen  of  Sheba 
presented  to  Solomon  120  talents  (1  Kinjis  io:io); 
the  king  of  Assyria  laid  upon  Hezekiah  30  talents 
of  gold  (2  Kings  IS :  u) ;  and  in  the  extreme  impover- 
ishment to  which  the  land  was  brought  at  the 


last,  1  talent  of  gold  was  laid  upon  it  by  the  king 
of  Egypt  (2  chron.  36 : 3).  Harpalus,  satrap  of  Ba- 
bylonia and  Syria,  carried  off  with  him  5000  tal- 
ents when  he  fled  to  Athens  from  the  wrath  of 
Alexander.  With  10,000  talents  Darius  sought 
to  buy  off  Alexander  from  prosecuting  his  cam- 
paign in  Asia.  The  same  sum  was  imposed  as  a 
fine  by  the  Romans  on  Antiochus  the  Great  after 
his  defeat.  Alexander  the  Great,  at  Susa,  paid 
the  debts  of  the  whole  Macedonian  army  with 
20,000  talents.  The  amount  here  represents  the 
magnitude  of  the  debt  which  the  sinner  owes  to 
God,  and  the  hopelessness  of  ever  paying  it. 
For  interpretation  of  the  metaphor  of  debt,  here 
and  elsewhere  in  N.  T.  employed,  see  Matt.  6  : 
12,  and  note. 

25.  Had  not  to  pay.  Equivalent  to,  had 
nothing  iviih  which  to  pay.  Compare  Luke  7  :  42. 
The  implication  is  plain ;  man  has  nothing  with 
M-hich  to  make  good  his  accounts  with  God. — 
His  Lord  commanded  him  to  be  sold. 
Apparently  the  debtor  could  be  sold  for  debt 
under  Jewish  law  (Lev.  26 :  39)  and  perhaps  his 

family  with  him  (verse  41 ;  compare  2  Kings  4:1;  Neh.  5  :  7, 

8 ;  Isaiah  60 : 1 ;  Amos  2:6;  8:6).  Under  the  denun- 
ciations of  the  practice  by  the  later  prophets  this 
selling  of  debtors  disappeared  from  Judea.  The 
imagery  of  the  parable  is  probably  taken  from 
Oriental  despotisms,  where  the  rights  of  the  indi- 
vidual are  utterly  ignored.  It  cannot  be  spirit- 
ually applied.  We  sell  ourselves  to  sin,  but  are 
ransomed  from  the  voluntary  servitude  by  God 

(Rom.  6  :  16-18). 

26.  Worshipped  him.  Did  him  revei-ence. 
See  Matt.  2  : 2,  and  8  : 2  and  notes.  Observe,  how- 
ever, that  it  is  not  said  that  the  other  servant 
worshipped  his  feUow-servant.— Lord,  have 
patience  with  me  and  I  will  pay  thee 
all.  A  promise  impossible  of  fulfilment.  Luther 
explains  this  as  the  voice  of  mistaken  self-right- 
eousness. Trench  regards  it  simply  as  "  charac- 
teristic of  the  extreme  fear  and  anguish  of  the 
moment."  Observe,  there  is  no  confession  of 
wrong,  no  appeal  for  help.  The  experience 
typified  is  not  that  of  penitence,  but  only  of  fear. 
It  is  interpreted  by  the  histories  of  Pharaoh 

(Exod.  9  :  27,  28  ;    10  :  16,  17,  etc.),    Saul    (l  Sam.  15  :  24,  25,  30), 

Ahab  (i  Kings  21 :  27),  Bclshazzar  (Dan.  5 : 9),  and  FeUx 

(Acts  24  :  25). 

27.  Observe,  how  much  greater  the  gift  than 
the  request.  Compare  Ephes.  3  :  20.  The  fact  that 
the  king  grants  a  remission  of  the  debt,  yet  sub- 


Ch.  XVIIL] 


MATTHEW. 


231 


his  fellowservants  which  owed  him  an  hundred  pence  ; 
and  he  laid  hands  on  him,  and  took  him  by  the  tliroat, 
saying,  Pay  me  that  thou  owest. 

29  And  his  fellovvservant  fell  down  at  his  feet,  and 
besought  him,  saying,  Have''  patience  with  me,  and  I 
will  pay  thee  all. 

30  And  he  would  not ;  but  went  and  cast  him  into 
prison,  till  he  should  pay  the  debt. 

31  So  when  his  fellowservants  saw  what  was  done, 
they  were  very  sorry,  and  came  and  told  unto  their 
lord  all  that  was  done. 


32  Then  his  lord,  after  that  he  had  called  him,  said 
unto  him,  O  thou  wicked  servant,'  I  forgave  thee  all 
that  debt,  because  thou  desiredst  me : 

33  Shouldest  not  thou  also  have  had  compassion  on 
thy  fellowservant,  even  as  I  had  pity  on  thee? 

34  And  his  lord  was  wroth,  and  dehvered  him  to  the 
tormentors,  till  he  should  pay  all  that  was  due  unto 
him. 

35  SoJ  likewise  shall  my  heavenly  Father  do  also 
unto  you,  it  ye  from  your  hearts  forgive  not  every  one 
his  brother  their  trespasses. 


t  verse  26. . .  .i  Luke  19  :  22. . .  .j  ch.  6:12;  Prov.  21  :  13  :  Jas.  2  :  13. 


sequently  enforces  its  payment  (verse  34),  has  occa- 
sioned the  commentators  some  perplexity.  But 
this  accords  with  Oriental  despotism,  which 
would  recogni2:e  in  such  a  remission  nothing  that 
could  not  be  revoked  at  will ;  and  it  accords  with 
the  divine  pardon,  which  is  offered  to  all  the 
world,  but  is  effectual  only  to  such  as  accept  it. 
And  he  who  refuses  to  bestow  grace  refuses  hy 
that  act  to  enter  the  kingdom  of  grace.  The  very 
object  of  this  parable  is  to  show  that  every  man 
must  choose  between  mercy  and  justice. 

38.  Went  out.  "He  is  said  to  go  out, 
because  in  the  actual  presence  of  his  lord  he 
could  scarcely  have  ventured  on  the  outrage 
which  follows." — {Trench.)  Arnot  gives  the  spir- 
itual interpretation  well.  "  The  moment  of  close 
dealing  between  God  and  the  soul  has  passed. 
The  man  goes  out  from  that  solemn  and  searching 
communion.  He  has  not  been  converted ;  he  has 
only  been  frightened." — A  hundred  pence, 
i.  e.  denarii^  a  small  silver  coin  equal  to  about  18 
cents.  The  debt,  therefore,  was  equal  to  $18. 
The  contrast  intended  between  our  sins  against 
God  and  our  neighbors'  sins  against  us  is  clear. 
"Though  thou  continually  pardon  thy  neighbor 
absolutely,  for  all  his  sins,  as  a  drop  of  water  to 
an  endless  sea,  so  much,  or  rather  much  more, 
doth  thy  love  to  man  come  short  in  comparison 
with  the  boundless  goodness  of  God,  of  which 
thou  standest  in  need." — {Chrysostom.) — Laid 
hands  on  him  and  took  him  by  the 
throat,  saying,  Pay  me  if  thou  owest 
anything.  This  (si  ti  not  0  n)  is  the  proper 
reading.  It  does  not  intimate  a  doubt  whether 
anything  be  due,  but  is  the  strong  expression 
of  one  who  exacts  to  the  utmost  every  debt. 
The  picture  is  realized  daily  in  the  hardness  of 
professing  Christians  to  the  unfortunate  as  well 
as  the  guilty.  "Those  who  get  most  mercy  give 
the  least ;  and  cruelty  is  hatched  under  the 
wings  of  tenderness." — (Drdseke.) 

39,  30.  "The  one  besought  for  10,000 
talents,  the  other  for  100  pence ;  the  one  his 
fellow-servant,  the  other  his  lord;  the  one  re- 
ceived entire  forgiveness,  the  other  asked  for 
delay,  and  not  so  much  as  this  did  he  give 
him." — (Chrysostom.)  This  creditor's  sin  we 
repeat  when  we   hold   resentment   against   an 


offender  untU  he  makes  atonement  and  repara- 
tion. What  is  this  but  demanding  that  he  pay 
the  debt  ? 

31.  Were  very  sorry.  But  the  lord  was 
laroth  (verse  34).  In  us  sin  should  awaken,  predom- 
inantly, sorrow,  which  in  God  awakens  indigna- 
tion.— And  came  and  told  their  lord  all. 
The  first  resort  of  the  Christian  against  oppression 

is  prayer  (Eiod.  3:7;  James  5  :  4). 

33.  33.  The  lord  now  calls  him  "wicked 
servant,"  and  is  "wroth "with  him;  but  not 
before.  Observe  the  ground  on  which  Christ 
bases  our  duty  of  forgiveness :  I  forgave  thee  all 
that  debt.  "  The  sin  with  which  he  (the  servant) 
is  charged  is,  not  that  needing  mercy  he  refused 
to  show  it,  but  that  having  received  mercy  he 
remains  unmerciful  still." — {Trench.) 

34.  The  picture  is  interpreted  by  the  usages  of 
the  East,  where  torture  is  used,  even  at  the 
present  day,  to  compel  debtors  to  confess  to 
acquisitions  which  they  are  suspected  of  hiding. 
In  both  Greece  and  Rome  torture  was  used  as  a 
punishment  and  as  a  means  of  compelling  con- 
fession, but  apparently  not  in  prosecutions  for 
debt. — Till  he  should  pay  all.  This  cer- 
tainly does  not  imply,  it  rather  negatives,  the 
idea  of  a  future  restoration.  "When  the  Pho- 
cseans,  abandoning  their  city,  swore  that  they 
would  not  return  tiU  the  mass  of  iron  which  they 
plunged  into  the  sea,  returned  once  more  upon 
the  surface,  this  was  the  most  emphatic  form 
they  could  devise  of  declaring  that  they  would 
never  return ;  such  an  emphatic  declaration  is 
the  present." — {Trench.)  Similarly  Alford :  "The 
condition  would  amount,  in  the  case  of  the  sum 
in  the  parable,  to  perpetual  imprisonment ;"  and 
Chrysostom : '  "  That  is  forever ;  for  he  wiU  never 
repay." 

35.  Their  trespasses,  is  omitted  from  the 
best  manuscripts.  On  the  verse,  see  note  on 
Matt.  6  :  13. 

Thoughts  on  the  Parable.  I.  The  parallel. 
The  Eternal  King  constantly  calls  us  to  account 
(Luke  16 : 2),  in  providcnces  and  heart-searchings, 
which  compel  us  to  confess  our  inability  to  meet 

his    just    demands   (job  25  :  4  ;  Psalm  130  :  3  ;  143  :  2  ;  Rom. 

3 :  23).  On  our  cry  for  forbearance  he  proclaims 
the  Gospel  of  full  and  free  forgiveness  (uom.  7 :  24, 


222 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XIX. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


AND  it  came  to  pass,  that  when  Jesus  had  finished 
these  saying,  he  departed''  from  Galilee,  and  came 
into  the  coasts  ot  Judsea  beyond  Jordan  : 

2  And  great  multitudes  followed  him  ;  and  he  healed 
them  there. 

3  The  Pharisees  also  came  unto  him,  tempting  him. 


and  saying  unto  him.  Is  it  lawful  for  a  man  to  put  away 
his  wife  for  every  cause  ? 

4  And  he  answered  and  said  unto  them,  Have  ye  not 
read,  that  he'  which  made  them  at  the  beginning,  made 
them  male  and  female, 

5  And  said,  For""  this  cause  shall  a  man  leave  father 
and  mother,  and  shall  cleave  to  his  wife;  and  they 
twain  shall  be  one  flesh  ? 


:  27  ;  6:2;  Mai.  2:15.. 


Gen.  2  :  24 ;  Eph.  6  :  31. 


28 ;  1  John  1 : 8, 9) ;  SO  sooD  as  wc  go  out  f rom  the 
consciousness  of  the  divine  examination  we  forget 
that  we  depend  on  mercy,  and  become  inexorable 
and  exacting  to  our  fellow-men.  Thus  we  prove 
ourselves  no  citizens  of  the  kingdom  of  grace, 
and  call  down  upon  ourselves  the  same  justice 
we  have  meted  out  to  others.  II.  The  lessons. 
The  parable  teaches  directly:  (1)  the  duty  of 
consideration  and  forbearance  toward  honest  but 
unfortunate  debtors,  one  generally  overlooked ; 
(2) .  the  duty  of  forgiveness,  which  must  be  con- 
tinuous and  long-suflering  (verse  22),  full  and  free, 

like  the  Lord' S  (verse  27  ;  compare  Ephes.  4  :  32,  and  Matt.  6:12 

and  note),  and  f  rom  the  heart  (verse  35) ;  but  is  con- 
sistent with  rebuking  and  convincing  of  sin  (verse 
15),  even  as  the  Lord  rebukes  and  convinces  us  ; 
for  verses  15-17  and  this  parable  interpret  each 
other,  and  are  to  be  taken  together ;  and  (3)  the 
Incentive  to  forgiveness,  viz.,  the  fact  that  God 
has  forgiven  us  (verse  33).  Indirectly,  it  teaches 
the  accountability  of  every  soul  to  God  (verse  23 ; 
compare  John  3 :  is) ;  the  hopelcssness  of  accounting 
to  him  and  our  dependence  on  his  forgiving  love  ; 
the  fulness  and  freeness  of  his  forgiveness  (verse 
2i) ;  the  smallness  of  all  transgressions  against  us 
compared  with  ours  against  God  (verse  24  with  verse  28); 
the  feeling  which  aU  uncharitableness  should 
awaken  in  our  hearts — sorrow  ;  the  first  step  we 
should  take  to  redress  it — prayer  (verse  31)  ;  and 
consequently  patience  and  self-restraint  toward 
the  wrong-doer ;  and  the  finality  of  the  last  judg- 
ment, and  the  hopelessness  of  a  future  restoration 
for  those  who,  by  their  conduct  in  this  life,  have 
cast  away  God's  mercy  (verse  34).  More  than  this 
it  appears  to  me  cannot  be  fairly  deduced  from 
the  parable.  Its  great  lesson  is  well  summed  up 
by  Chrysostom  :  "  Two  things  doth  Christ  require 
here  ;  both  to  condemn  ourselves  for  our  sins 
and  to  forgive  others ;  and  the  former  for  the 
sake  of  the  latter." 

Ch.  19  :  1,  2.  Mission  in  Perea.  The 
harmony  of  the  three  Gospels,  at  this  point,  be- 
comes peculiarly  difficult.  The  most  probable 
opinion  appears  to  be  this  :  Christ  left  Galilee 
and  went  up  to  Jerusalem,  where  he  prosecuted 
the  ministry  described  in  John,  chaps.  7 — 10  ;  from 
the  mob  at  Jerusalem  he  escaped  to  Perea,  that 
part  of  the  Holy  Land  east  of  the  Jordan,  whose 
ministry  is  described  in  general  terms  by  these 
two  verses,  and  by  the  parallel  ones  in  Mark  10  : 


1,  and  10  :  40-43.  Of  this  ministry,  Luke  gives 
the  only  full  account,  in  chaps.  14 — 18  ;  but  the  in- 
cidents and  instructions  here,  and  in  the  next 
chapter  to  verse  16,  probably  belong  to  the 
Perean  ministry.  See  Harmony  in  Introduction. 
If  this  opinion  be  correct,  a  number  of  months 
elapsed  between  the  close  of  the  last  chapter 
and  the  beginning  of  this. 

Ch.  19  :  3-12.    CHRIST'S   LAW  OP  MARRIAGE  AND 
DIVORCE.— The  origin  op  marriage— divine  ;    the 

NATURE  OF  MARRIAGE— ONE  LIFE  IN  THE  FLESH  ;  THE 
DURATION  OP  MARRIAGE — THE  LIFETIME  ;  FOR  WHOM 
MARRIAGE  IS  INTENDED— THE  WHOLE  HUMAN  RACE; 
THE  THREE  EXCEPTIONS  TO  THE  GENERAL  LAW  OP  MAR- 
RIAGE—(1)  THOSE  CONGENITALLT  INCAPACITATED;  (2) 
THOSE  AFFLICTED  WITH  INCAPACITY  ;  (3)  THOSE  PRAC- 
TISING VOLUNTARr  CONTINENCE  TOR  EELIGI0D3  REA- 
SONS. 

3.  Tempting    him.    Our  Lord  was  in  the 

dominion  of  Herod  Antipas,  who  had  slain  John 
the  Baptist  for  publicly  condemning  the  tetrarch's 
illegal  divorce  and  illicit  marriage.  See  notes 
on  Matt.  14  :  1-13.  Perhaps  they  hoped  to 
secure  Christ's  arrest  by  Herod.  It  was  possibly 
in  this  connection  that,  under  pretense  of  friend- 
ship, they  warned  him  to  flee  from  Herod  (Luke 
i3;3i). — For  every  cause.  In  Greece,  the  hus- 
band might  dismiss  his  wife  without  ceremony  ; 
in  Rome,  either  party  could  dissolve  the  marriage 
tie  at  pleasure.  No  judicial  decree,  and  no  inter- 
ference of  any  public  authority,  was  required 
{Smit/i^s  Dictionary  of  Antiquity,  art.  Divortium). 
Cicero  dismissed  Terentia  after  thirty  years  of 
married  life.  Cato  the  younger  divorced  his  wife 
that  he  might  give  her  to  a  friend.  The  laws  of 
Moses  (Deut.  24 :  1-4)  provided  that  the  husband 
might  divorce  his  wife,  "  because  he  hath  "found 
some  uncleanness  in  her,"  by  giving  a  biU  of  di- 
vorce setting  forth  the  reason.  This  must  be  in 
writing  and  given  in  the  presence  of  witnesses 
(see  note  on  Matt.  1 :  19).  Gravc  discussions  had  taken 
place  among  the  Rabbis  as  to  the  proper  inter- 
pretation of  this  statute.  The  school  of  Sham- 
mai  denied  the  right  of  divorce  except  for  adul- 
tery ;  the  school  of  Hillel  asserted  the  utmost 
latitude  of  divorce.  The  latter  appears  to  have 
been  the  prevalent  view.  "  He  that  desires  to  be 
divorced  from  his  wife  for  any  cause  whatsoever, ' ' 
says  Josephus,  "and  many  such  cases  arise 
among  men,  let  him  in  writing  give  assurance  that 
he  will  never  use  her  as  his  wife  any  more,  for 


Ch.  XIX.] 


MATTHEW. 


233 


6  Wherefore  they  are  no  more  twain,  but  one  flesh. 
What"  therefore  God  hath  joined  together,  let  not  man 
put  asunder. 

7  They  say  unto  him,  Why°  did  Moses  then  com- 
m-ind  to  give  a  writing  of  divorcement,  and  to  put  lier 
away  ? 

8  He  saith  unto  them,  Moses,  because  of  the  hard- 
ness of  your  hearts,  suffered  you  to  put  away  your 
wives  :  but  from  the  beginning  it  was  not  so. 


9  And  I  say  unto  you,  WhosoeverP  shall  put  away 
his  wife,  except  it  be  for  fornication,  and  shall  marry 
another,  committeth  adultery  :  and  whoso  marrieth  her 
which  is  put  away  doth  commit  adultery. 

10  His  disciples  say  unto  him,  If  the  case  of  a  man 
be  so  with  his  wife,  it  is  not  good  to  marry .i 

11  But  he  said  unto  tliem.  All  men  cannot  receive 
this  saying,  save  they  to  whom  it  is  given. 

12  For  there  are  some  eunuchs,  which  were  so  born 


n  1  Cor.  7  :  10. . 


Isa.  60  :  1 p  ch.  5  :  32  ;  Luke  16  : 


,  .q  ProT.  19  :  13 ; 


by  these  means  she  will  be  at  liberty  to  marry 
another  husband."— (yln<.  IV  :  8,  §  23.) 

4-6.  Mark  says  he  first  asked  them,  What  did 
Moses  command  you  ?  they  replied  by  a  refer- 
ence to  Deut.  24  : 1-4 ;  he  then  quoted  the  ac- 
count of  the  creation  and  the  contemporaneous 
institution  of  marriage.  The  two  versions  are 
not  inconsistent.  Thus  we  may  suppose  that 
Christ  referred  them  to  Moses'  la\y,  meaning  the 
original  law  given  in  Genesis  ;  they  rei^lied  by  re- 
ferring to  the  later  statute  in  Deuteronomy  ;  he 
then  explained  his  original  question,  What  did 
Moses  command  you  ?  by  referring  them  distinct- 
ly to  Genesis  ;  whereupon,  as  represented  here 
(verse  ?),  they  asked  his  explanation  of  Deut.  24  : 
1-4.  For  the  intespretation  of  Christ's  argument, 
see  note  below.  Observe,  however,  here,  how 
he  who  came  to  fulfill  the  law  (Matt.  5 :  17),  in  this 
case  goes  back  of  the  permission  of  the  civil  law, 
enacted  because  of  the  hardness  of  the  people's 
hearts,  to  the  original  and  divine  intent  of  mar- 
riage, as  interpreted  in  the  very  act  of  creation. 

Made  them  male  and  female,  i.  e.,  in  the 
very  act  of  creation,  God  embodied  the  idea  of 
marriage.  Observe  how  the  unity  of  the  two  is 
implied  in  the  language  of  Genesis.  "In  the  image 
of  God  created  he  him  ;  male  and  female  created 
he  them"  (oen.  1 :  27).  And  again,  "Male  and 
female  created  he  them  ;  and  blessed  them,  and 
called  their  name  Adam  (oen.  s :  2). — And  said 
(Gen.  2 :  24).  Thls  was  Said  uot  by  Adam,  as  Alford, 
but  by  the  inspired  histoiian,  and  is  his  divinely 
inspired  conclusion  from  the  whole  account  of 
creation. — Shall  be  one  flesh.  That  is,  as 
Stier,  "  one  within  the  limits  of  their  united  life 
in  the  flesh,  for  this  world  ;  beyond  this  limit  the 
marriage  is  broken  by  the  death  of  the  flesh." 
The  Greek  and  Roman  idea  of  marriage,  was  a 
union  of  feeling  and  affection ;  hence  it  was  dis- 
soluble at  the  will  of  the  parties,  when  that  union 
Avas  8(vered  by  incompatibility  or  contention. 
And  this  philosophy  underlies  the  modern  free 
divorce  idea,  miscalled  free-love.  According  to 
Scripture,  however,  marriage  consists  not  in  the 
unity  of  the  spirit  and  soul,  but  in  the  fact  that 
the  vedded  pair  become  one  flesh,  i.  e.  one  in  their 
eart/ ly  relations  and  life.  Bienee  marriage  ceases 
at  death  (Matt.  22 :  30),  though  the  spiritual  union 
does  not ;  hence,  too,  the  earthly  relation  may  be 
formed  where  there  is  no  union  of  soul,  as  with 


a  harlot  (1  Cor.  6 :  le).  Hence  it  is  not  dissoluble  by 
a  mere  cessation  of  mutual  sympathy,  any  more 
than  the  blood  relations  of  brother  and  sister,  or 
father  and  child,  can  be  so  dissolved.  The  one 
relation  is  as  permanent  as  the  other,  though  one 
is  formed  voluntarily,  the  other  involuntarily. — 
What  therefore  God  has  joined  together 
let  not  man  put  asunder.  This  is  not,  as 
often  quoted,  equivalent  to  TJiose  whom,  by  his 
blessing  on  the  marriage,  God  has  joined  to- 
gether, but,  as  the  context  shows,  Since  God,  in 
the  very  act  of  creation,  showed  the  divine  pur- 
pose to  be  the  joining  in  one  earthly  life  of  male 
and  female,  let  not  man,  by  his  act,  break  or 
loosen  the  bond. 

7-8.  See  note  on  verse  3  above.  The  reference 
is  to  Deut.  24  :  1^.  For  other  O.  T.  laws  bear- 
ing on  this  subject  see  Deut.  22  :  31-23  ;  Numb, 
ch.  5  ;  compare  note  on  Matt.  1 :  19.  Observe  the 
difference  between  the  Pharisees'  language  and 
Christ's.  They  ask,  Why  then  did  Moses  com- 
mand ?  He  replies,  Moses  suffered.  The  original 
Greek  verb  (^;r(rpE7rw), rendered  stf^CT-ecZ.is literally 
"throw  upon,"  i.  e.  he  throws  upon  you  the  re- 
sponsibility of  breaking  the  divine  bond,  because 
the  hardness  of  your  hearts  I'endered  it  impossi- 
ble to  enforce  it  by  civil  legislation.  This  verse  is 
a  key  to  much  of  the  Mosaic  legislation,  which 
did  not  reflect  the  divine  will  concerning  human 
character  and  condition,  but  only  so  much  of  the 
divine  will  as  could  be  enforced  by  civil  govern- 
ment. Some  commentators  regard  the  phrase, 
hardness  of  your  hearts,  equivalent  to  harshness  in 
the  marriage  relations.  The  more  general  sense 
of  sinfulness  appears  preferable.  The  Greek 
compound  word  {<T/.h]qoy.aQi)la)  occurs  only  here 
and  in  Mark  10  :  5,  and  16  :  14. 

9.  These  words  were  uttered  by  Christ  to  his 
disciples  alone  in  the  house  (Mark  10 :  10-12).  They 
are  so  explicit  that  it  appears  amazing  that  any 
who  accept  Christ's  authority  should  have  at- 
tempted to  explain  them  away.  Fornication 
{nonvtiu)  is  properly  not  merely  adulteiy,  but 
harlotry.  So  Milton ;  and  his  labored  attempt  to 
prove  that  any  ineradicable  incompatibility  is  a 
just  cause  of  divorce  renders  his  testimony  all 
the  more  important :  "In  the  Greek  and  Latin 
sense,  by  fornication  is  meant  the  common  pros- 
titution of  the  body  for  sale."  The  word  forni- 
cation (Lsiiin  fornication)  is  derived  ivoxa.  fornix,  a 


224 


MATTHEW 


[Ch.  XIX. 


from  their  mother's  womb  :   and  there  are  some  eu-     the  kingdom  of  heaven's  sake/    He  that  is  able  to  re- 

nuchs,  which  were  made  eunuchs  of  men :   and  there     ceive  it,  let  him  receive  it. 

be  eunuchs,  which  have  made  themselves  eunuchs  for        13  Then  were  there  brought  unto  him  little  children, 


harlot,  primarily  a  cell  or  vault,  such  being  the 
customary  abodes  of  the  harlots  of  Rome.  That 
the  Greek  word  {noiivUtf)  signifies  properly  har- 
lotry is  equally  evident  from  its  derivative  {nofjvti) 
a  harlot,  and  that  it  is  not  merely  synonymous 
with  adultery  {udl/iIu)  is  clear  from  its  use  in 
conjunction  with  that  word  in  the  N.  T.  (e.g. 
Matt.  15 :  19 ;  Mark  7 :  2i).  I  would  uot  prcss  this  dif- 
ference here  except  to  point  out  that  Christ  in 
giving  the  law,  which  is  not  for  the  state  but  for 
t/ie  individual  disciple,  does  not  in  words  even 
recognize  adultery,  except  in  its  grossest  forms, 
as  a  ground  adequate  for  dissolving  the  marriage 
tie.  Milton  refers  to  the  metaphorical  use  of 
fornication  in  the  Scripture  to  designate  unfaith- 
fulness toward  God  (Numbers  15  :  39  ;  Psalm  73  :  26,  27 ;  Jer. 

3:6-13),  as  an  evidence  that  wilful  disobedience 
or  distrust  or  "  intractable  carriage  of  the  wife  to 
the  husband  "  is  a  Scriptural  cause  of  separation. 
Rather  it  stamps  on  all  alienation  from  God,  and 
joining  to  idols  or  the  world,  God's  severest  con- 
demnation. But  Milton's  tracts  on  this  subject 
are  marvels  of  theological  special  pleading.  I 
should  rather  draw  from  Jer.  3  :  14  a  lesson  of 
the  duty  of  husband  or  wife,  to  endeavor  at  first 
to  reclaim  even  an  unfaithful  spouse,  before 
seeking  divorce.  To  suppose  that  lustful  imagi- 
nations, which  are  defined  by  Christ  in  Matt.  5  : 
28  as  adultery  in  the  heart,  is  included  ui  the  for- 
nication here  indicated  as  a  ground  of  divorce,  is 
to  take  away  from  this  passage  all  significance. 
How  can  we  judge  of  the  imaginations  of  anoth- 
er's heart  ? 

And  whoso  marrieth  the  divorced  doth 
commit  adultery.  There  is  some  doubt 
whether  these  words  have  not  been  added. 
Tischendorf  omits  them;  Alford  retains  them. 
The  same  principle  is  however  enunciated  in 
Matt.  5  :  32  and  Luke  16  :  18,  where  the  reading 
is  undoubted.  Does  this  forbid  the  marriage  of 
the  innocent  party  after  separation  on  account  of 
fornication?  The  Roman  Catholic  church  for- 
bids such  marriage ;  the  Protestant  and  Greek 
churches  allow  it.  Christ  appears  to  me  to 
condemn  only  (1)  marriage  to  any  one  who  has 
been  divorced  for  any  other  reason  than  fornica- 
tion ;  or  (2)  divorced  for  his  or  her  own  infidelity. 
The  principle,  and  indeed  the  language,  applies 
equally  to  either  sex. 

10.  If  marriage  is  truly  for  better  for  worse, 
if  from  it  there  is  no  release,  then  the  disciples 
think  one  had  better  not  take  the  hazard  of  it. 
They  express  in  words  what  some  express  by 
their  lives. 


11.  Not  all  can  receive  this  saying,  i.  e., 

your  saying,  It  is  not  good  to  marry. — Save 
to  whom  it  has  been  given.  The  tense  in- 
dicates not  a  gift  to  be  bestowed,  but  that  has 
been  bestowed  ;  and  the  reference  is  not  to  spir- 
itual grace  of  self-restraint,  to  be  given  to  the 
saint  in  answer  to  prayer,  but  to  a  native  consti- 
tutional character  belonging  to  the  few,  who 
therefore  are  not  impelled  to  marriage. 

12.  The  Lord  distinguishes  three  classes  who 
would  receive  this  saying,  and  would  abstain 
from  marriage :  (1)  those  incapacitated  from 
birth  for  the  marriage  relation ;  (2)  those  inca- 
pacitated by  subsequent  action  of  men;  this 
incapacity  being  in  the  East  inflicted,  sometimes 
as  a  punishment,  sometimes  on  servants,  who 
were  in  consequence  admitted  to  the  harem, 
from  which  all  other  men  were  excluded ;  (3) 
those  who,  in  order  to  better  perform  special 
work  in  the  kingdom  of  God,  voiuntarUy  practise 
absolute  continence.  For  it  is  impossible  to 
believe  that  Christ  means  that  a  literal  self-muti- 
lation can  ever  be  a  religious  act ;  though  Origen 
is  said  to  have  so  understood  the  passage,  and  in 
his  youth  to  have  "committed  the  unnatural 
deed  which  forever  disqualified  him  for  mar- 
riage." {Schaff  in  Lange  on  Matt.  19 :12.)  The 
passage  certainly  does  imply  that  celibacy  may  be  in 
certain  exigencies  and  certain  individuals  a  virtue, 
practised  for  good  reason  for  the  sake  of  better 
serving  in  the  kingdom  of  God;  it  as  certainly 
does  not  imply  any  general  duty  of  celibacy  in  any 
class,  or  that  the  celibate's  spiritual  condition  is, 
by  reason  of  his  celibacy,  higher  than  that  of 
others.  On  the  contrary,  it  implies  that  marriage 
is  the  rule  and  celibacy  is  the  exception.  The 
priests  of  the  O.  T.  married ;  Peter  certainly, 
other  of  the  apostles  probably,  were  married; 
marriage  is  employed  in  both  O.  T.  and  N.  T.  as 
the  type  of  God's  union  with  his  people  ;  and 
forbidding  to  marry  is  declared  to  be  character- 
istic of  the  apostacy  of  later  times.  The  student 
may  consult  to  advantage  the  foUowmg  passages 
as  bearing  on  this  subject :  Lev.  21  :  14 ;  Matt. 
8  :  14 ;  Acts  21  :  8,  9 ;  1  Cor.  7  :  1,  2 ;  9  :  5 ;  1  Tim. 
3  :  2  ;  4  :  3 ;  Heb.  13  :  4. 

Of  Christ's  Law  of  Divorce.  In  conside  ing 
the  significance  of  this  passage  it  must  be  re- 
membered that  Christ,  neither  here  nor  any- 
where else,  propounds  laws  for  the  state,  but,  in 
contrast  with  the  laws  of  Moses,  principles  for 

the    individual    disciple     (see  notes  on  Matt.  6  :  n,  37,  42). 

Only  by  implication  can  any  rules  for  incorpora- 
tion in  civil  legislation  be  deduced  from  this 


Ch.  XIX.] 


MATTHEW. 


225 


that  he  should  put  his  hands  on  them,  and  pray :  and 
the  disciples  rebuked  them. 

14  But  Jesus  said,  SuflFer^  little  children,  and  forbid 
them  not,  to  come  unto  me  ;  for  of  such'  is  the  kingdom 
of  heaven. 


15  And  he  laid  his  hands  on  them,  and  departed 
thence. 

16  And  behold,  one  came,  and  said  unto  him,  Good 
Master,  what  good"  thing  shall  I  do,  that  I  may  have 
eternal  life  ? 


Mark  10  :  14  i  Luke  18  :  16,  ( 


.t  ch.  18  :  3 u  Mark  10  :  17  ;  Luke  10  :  25  ;  18:1 


passage.  Bearing  this  in  mind  the  course  of 
Christ's  argument  may  be  thus  summed  up : 
God  instituted  marriage  in  the  act  and  by  the 
very  fact  of  creation,  in  that  he  made  man  male 
and  female,  and  ordained  tliem  to  live  together 
as  one  flesh,  i.  e.  in  one  confluent  earthly  life. 
This  ideal  was  never  realized ;  and  Moses,  adapt- 
ing his  civil  laws  to  the  actual  condition  of  the 
Jews,  did  not  attempt  by  civil  penalties  to  pro- 
hibit the  dissolution  of  the  marriage  tie,  but 
threw  on  them  the  responsibility  of  dissolving  it, 
subject  to  certain  conditions,  enacted  for  the 
better  protection  of  the  wife.  This  civil  law  does 
not  modify  the  obligation  of  the  original  divine 
institution,  which  forbids  any  child  of  God  from 
sundering  the  marriage  tie  except  for  the  one 
crime  of  adultery.  For  most  marriage  is  desira- 
ble ;  the  only  exceptions  being  those  who  are  by 
nature  or  by  subsequent  maltreatment  incapaci- 
tated, or  who  practise  celibacy  for  special  reli- 
gious reasons.  Modern  legislation  may  perha23S, 
' '  because  of  the  hardness  of  men' s  hearts, ' '  permit 
a  legal  separation  for  other  causes  than  adultery ; 
for  it  is  the  primary  function  of  the  State  not  to 
make  men  conform  to  the  divine  ideal,  but  to 
restrain  them  in  so  far  as  is  necessaiy  for  mutual 
protection  ;  but  the  true  Christian  can  never  per- 
mit it  for  himself.  His  duty  is  always  patience, 
gentleness,  forbearance. 

Ch.  19  :  13-15.  CHRIST  BLESSES  LITTLE  CHILDREX. 
— Chbist's  love  fob  children.— The  childrek's 
LOVE  FOR  Christ  (Mark  10 :  16).— The  right  of  bring- 
ing CHILDREN  TO  Christ. — The  sin  of  hindering 

THEIR  COMING,  BY  WORD  OR  EXAMPLE.- ThE  CONDITION 
OF  ENTERING  THE  KINGDOM  OF  HEAVEN  :   A  CHILD-LIKE 

SPIRIT  (Mark  10  :  15). 

Mark  10  :  L3-16,  and  Luke  18  :  15-17  give  some 
additinn  a  particulars.  Compare  with  this  inci- 
dent Matt.  18  :  1^  and  notes  there.  It  is  a  sug- 
gestive if  not  a  significant  fact  that  this  blessing 
of  little  children  follows  immediately  after  the 
above  discussion  concerning  marriage. 

13.  Little  children.  Luke  says  Infants. 
The  English  reader  will  get  the  true  significance 
by  compuring  the  following  passages,  where  the 
same  Greek  word  {^qiipog)  is  used,  as  that  ren- 
dered infants  in  Luke  :  Luke  2  :  13,  16  ;  Acts  7  : 
19 ;  2  T-m.  3  :  15 ;  1  Pet.  2:2.  It  is  evident  from 
a  comp'ariRon  of  these  passages  that  children  too 
young  to  receive  instruction,  or  to  understand 
what  was  being  done  for  them,  were  included 
among  the  "  little  children  "  brought  to  Jesus. 


There  is  not  the  least  reason  to  suppose  that  they 
were  brought  to  be  healed.  Lauge  says  that  it 
was  customary  for  children  to  be  brought  to  the 
presidents  of  the  synagogues  for  blessing.  To 
the  disciples  this  seemed  a  superstitious  fancy, 
and  an  intrusion  on  the  more  serious  labors  of 
our  Lord. 

14.  But  Jesus  said.  Mark  adds  that  he 
loas  much  displeased. — Let  the  little  children 
alone,  and  hinder  them  not  from  com- 
ing to  me.  The  language  of  'rebuke  in  the 
original  is  stronger  than  in  our  version.  The 
above  rendering  may  help  to  give  to  the  English 
reader  its  tone.  For  the  meaning  of  the  word  here 
rendered  scoffer  (acpnitu),  the  student  may  advan- 
tageously compare  Mark  14  :  6 ;  15  :  36  ;  John 
12  :  7,  where  the  verb  is  the  same. — For  of  such 
is  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Not  merely  of 
those  who  possess  a  child-like  disposition,  though 
this  is  included,  and  is  expressly  stated  in 
Mark  and  Luke,  "Whosoever  shall  not  receive 
the  kingdom  of  God  as  a  little  child  shall  not 
enter  therein;"  but  of  such  little  children,  both 
because  out  of  them  grow  up  the  citizens  of  that 
kingdom,  and  because  they  are  themselves,  in 
their  childhood,  members  of  it.  —  Kingdom  of 
God  is  certainly  not  here  equivalent  to  church, 
as  Mr.  Barnes  asserts,  if  by  that  he  means  the 
ecclesiastical  organization.  Does  Christ  mean, 
by  his  next  sentence,  as  reported  in  Mark  10  :  15, 
that  the  adult  must  receive  the  church  as  a 
little  chUd  in  order  to  be  received  into  it? 
Christ's  meaning  is  mterpreted  by  his  language 
in  Matt.  12  :  30  (see  note  there).  There  are  two 
kingdoms,  one  of  darkness  the  other  of  light,  one 
of  good  the  other  of  evil,  one  of  Satan  the  other 
of  God,  in  which  every  person  is  of  necessity  ;  for 
there  is  no  third  kingdom.  The  children  belong 
in  the  Lord's  kingdom,  until  they  voluntarily  de- 
part from  it,  to  enter,  by  deliberate  sin,  the 
kingdom  of  Satan. 

15.  Laid  hands  on  them.  This  was  a 
common  mode  of  benediction  among  the  Jews. 
Gen.  48  :  14 ;  Numb.  27  :  18 ;  Deut.  34  :  9 ;  Acta 
8  :  17 ;  19  :  6. 

Note  on  Cheist's  blessing  of  the  chtl- 
DKEN,  This  passage  is  fragrant  with  the  love  of 
Christ  for  little  children,  see  Mark  10  :  14,  "he 
was  much  displeased ;"  and  their  love  for  him, 
see  Mark  10:16,  "he  took  them  up  in  his 
arms;"  for  little  children  do  not  willingly  go  to 
every  stranger.  It  teaches  (1)  his  sympathy  for 
and  with  children ;  (2)  our  right  to  bring  children 


226 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XIX. 


17  And  he  said  unto  him,  Why  callest  thou  me  good  ? 
there  is  none  good  but  one,  thai  is,  God :  but  if  thou 
wilt  enter  into  life,  keep  the  commandments. 


18  He  saith  unto  him,  Which?  Jesus  said.  Thou, 
shalt"  do  no  murder.  Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery. 
Thou  shalt  not  steal.  Thou  shalt  not  bear  false  witness ; 


i.  20  :  13 ;  Deut.  6  :  17,  < 


to  him  for  blessing,  and  this  before  they  can  un- 
derstand anything  concerning  him  or  his  truth ; 
(3)  that  they  are  members  of  Christ's  kingdom, 
are  so  regarded  by  him,  and  are  to  be  so  regarded 
by  us,  and  this  irrespective  of  amj  parental  faith,  for 
there  is  no  declaration  here  of  parental  faith,  nor 
is  it  even  stated  that  these  children  were  brought 
by  their  parents,  much  less  that  they  were  re- 
ceived for  their  parents'  sake ;  (4)  that  such  as 
die  before  they  have  wandered  out  of  God's 
kingdom  into  the  kingdom  of  Satan  are  certainly 
saved,  sLace  they  are  "of  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  ;"  (5)  as  Alford,  that  "not  only  may  the 
little  infants  be  brought  to  him,  but  in  order  for 
us  who  are  mature  to  come  to  him,  we  must 
cast  away  all  ( ? )  that  wherein  our  maturity  has 
caused  us  to  differ  from  them  and  become  like 

them  "  (compare,  however.  Matt.  18  :  1-1  and  notes  there)  ;   and 

(6)  it  condemns  all  conduct  on  the  part  of  the 
church,  the  teacher,  or  the  parent,  which  tends 
to  repress,  chill,  or  check  the  enthusiasm  of 
childhood  for  Christ  and  darken  its  simple  faith 
in  him.  But  it  certainly  does  not  teach  (1)  that 
children  are  by  nature,  and  without  a  spiritual 
change,  true  children  of  God,  in  the  face  of  such 
explicit  declarations  as  John  3  :  5,  6 ;  nor  (2), 
except  by  a  very  doubtful  implication,  that  they 
should  be  members  of  the  visible  earthly  church ; 
nor  (3)  that  they  are  proper  subjects  of  baptism. 
The  last  is  argued  for  by  Alford.  But  surely  the 
question  whether  the  rite  of  baptism  is  properly 
employed  for  the  consecration  of  children,  or 
only  as  a  symbol  of  self-consecration,  is  not  in 
the  remotest  degree  touched  on  here. 

Ch.  19  ;  lG-22.  THE  RICH  YOUXG  RULER.— The  great 
question:  what  shali.  I  no  to  inherit  eternal 
LIFE?— The  universal  consciousness  which  en- 
roRCES  it  :  the  consciousness  of  spmiTUAL  lack. — 
The  divine  answer  :  forsake  all  and  follow  me 
(Luke  14  :  33).— See  Lessons  below. 

This  incident  is  recounted  also  in  Mark  10  : 
17-33  and  Luke  18  :  18-33.  The  three  accounts 
should  be  carefully  compared  by  the  student. 
The  time  and  place  are  uncertain  ;  probably  in 
Perea,  on  Christ's  last  journey  to  Jerusalem. 
The  instructions  which  follow,  in  Matt.  20  :  16, 
are  called  forth  by  this  incident,  and  should  be 
studied  in  connection  with  it. 

16.  And  behold  one.  A  young  man  (verse 
2o)  and  a  ruler  (Luke),  i.  e.  probably  of  a  syna- 
gogue. See  for  description  of  office,  Matt.  4  :  34. — 
That  I  may  have  eternal  life.  The  form  of 
his  question  indicates  that  he  had  been  an  auditor 
of  Jesus  Christ,  and  that  the  Master's  teachings 


had  taken  deep  hold  on  him.  He  asks  not  for 
the  kingdom  of  heaven,  which  might  mean  an 
earthly  kingdom,  but  for  eternal  life,  which  cer- 
tainly includes  the  idea  of  immortality  beyond 
the  grave. 

17.  Why  callest  thou  me  good  ;  none 
good  but  one,  God.  The  Smaitic  and  Vatican 
with  some  other  manuscripts  have  here.  Why  askest 
thou  me  cmicerning  the  good  ;  one  is  the  good.  This 
reading  is  adopted  by  Alford,  De  Wette,  Meyer, 
Olshausen,  Lange,  Schall,  indeed  by  most  schol- 
ars, and  is  sustained  by  Griesbach,  Tischendorf, 
Lachmann,  and  Tregelles.  In  the  face  of  such 
unanimity  I  hesitate  to  express  a  doubt.  But  I 
am  not  convinced  that  the  reading  of  the  Re- 
ceived Text  is  erroneous.  For  (1)  Mark  and 
Luke  have  the  question  as  we  have  it  in  our 
English  version,  and  there  is  no  variation  of 
reading  in  their  accounts.  We  must  then  either 
suppose  that  Matthew  has  misreported  the  inci- 
dent, or  that  Christ  asked  the  double  question, 
"Why  askest  thou  me  concerning  the  good? 
One  is  the  Good.  Why  callest  thou  me  good? 
None  is  good  but  one,  God."  And  in  spite  of 
some  attempt  (see  Schaff  in  Lange)  to  make  this 
appear  reasonable,  I  think  it  will  strike  the  or- 
dinary reader  as  forced  and  artificial.  (2.)  The 
question,  as  reported  in  the  modified  reading, 
forms  no  answer  to  the  young  man's  question. 
This  will  clearly  appear,  if  we  put  question  and 
answer  plainly,  as  proposed  by  the  modified  read- 
ing : —  Young  man :  "What  good  thing  shall  I  do  ?" 
Christ:  "Why  askest  thou  me  concerning  what 
good  thou  shalt  do?  There  is  only  one  good 
Being."  If  this  means  anything  it  is,  in  such  a 
connection,  an  intimation  that  the  effort  to  be 
good  is  useless,  since  God  alone  is  the  Good  One. 
Dr  Brown  has  shown,  and  I  refer  the  curious 
student  to  his  pages,  that  there  is  at  least  a  re- 
spectable authority  for  the  Received  Text ;  and 
on  the  whole,  considering  that  this  is  the  indubi- 
table reading  in  Mark  and  Luke,  it  appears  to  me 
to  be  the  most  probable  one.  In  brief,  I  inchne 
to  the  opinion  that  this  is  one  of  the  vei^  few 
cases  in  which  internal  evidence,  which  is  here 
very  strong,  should  be  allowed  to  counterbalance 
external  evidence,  which  is  here  somewhat  con- 
flicting. 

Admitting  the  reading  of  the  Recciv-  »  Text, 
how  are  we  to  interpret  it  ?  Is  it  true,  ;i  claimed 
by  some  commentators,  that  Jcsit;  .lere  "dis- 
claims his  own  title  to  such  a  charac  .t  as  many 
of  his  disciples  have  attributed  to  him,  that  of 
uncreated  perfection?" — (Livermore.)  This,  it 
appears  to  me,  wholly  misses  the  spirit  of  Christ 


Ch.  XIX.] 


MATTHEW. 


227 


19  Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother;  and,  Thou" 
shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself. 

20  The  young  man  saith  unto  him,  All  these  things 
have  I  kept  from  my  youth  up :  what  lack  I  yet  ? 

21  Jesus  said  unto  him,  If  thou  wilt  be  perfect,  go" 


and  sell  that  thou  hast,  and  give  to  the  poor,  and  thou 
shalt  have  treasure  in  heaven  :  and  come  and  followy 
me. 

22  But  when  the  young  man  heard  that  saying,  he 
went  away  sorrowful :  for  he  had  great  possessions. 


w  Lev.  19  :  18 1  Luke  12  :  33;  16  •  9 ;  Acts  2  :  45 ;  4  :  34,  35 ;   1  Tim.  6  :  18,  19 y  John  12  :  26 z  1  Tim.  6  :  9, 10. 


throughout  this  mterview.  He  does  not  rebuke 
the  young  man  for  employing  what  was  nothing 
more  than  the  language  of  respect  by  any  pupil 
to  a  teacher.  The  term  Master  was  of  itself  no 
proof  of  allegiance.  The  Pharisees  used  it. 
(Matt.  12 :  38.)  Christ  probes  the  young  man's  faith 
with  a  question  whose  meaning  may  be  thus  inter- 
preted. Why  call  you  me  Good  Master  ?  There 
is  but  one  Good,  namely  God.  Do  you  employ 
the  phrase  as  Nicodemus  (joiin  3:2)?  or,  as  the 
twelve  disciples,  do  you  recognize  ui  me  a  divine 
Master  in  truth,  whose  word  is  law  ?  And  to  this 
question  the  young  man  makes  no  response. 
Then  Christ  probes  him  with  a  second  test. 
To  those  who  see  in  this  question  a  repudia- 
tion of  the  divinity  of  Jesus  Christ,  Stier  replies, 
"Either,  There  is  none  good,  but  God;  Christ 
is  good ;  therefore  Christ  is  God ;  or,  There  is 
none  good,  but  God ;  Christ  is  not  God  ;  there- 
fore Christ  is  not  good."  There  is  no  answer 
to  this  but  to  deny  the  sinlessness  of  Christ. — 
If  thou  wilt  enter  into  life,  keep  the 
commandments.  The  Greek  verb  rendered 
keep  (tijoiio)  carries  with  it  the  idea  of  watch- 
fulness ;  keep,  as  one  keeps  a  prisoner  committed 
to  his  charge.  Compare  Matt.  27  :  36,  5i,  and 
Prov.  4  :  23,  where  the  verb  is  the  same. 

18.  He  saith  unto  him,  Which  ?  Jesus 
'saith  unto  him.  The  following.  Observe, 
Christ  only  mentions  the  laws  which  govern 
men's  relations  to  each  other.  There  is  nothing 
said  of  the  first  four  of  the  ten  commandments, 
nothing  of,  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God. 
Does  Christ  then  teach  that  obedience  to  the 
moral  law,  without  love  for  God,  or  faith  in  him, 
suffices  for  eternal  Ufe  ?  To  so  read  his  words 
would  be  to  miss  their  whole  spirit.  He  throws 
the  young  man  back  upon  himself,  compels  him 
to  give  the  inventory  of  his  own  moral  goodness, 
and  then  to  confess  his  own  sense  of  lack.  An 
ordinary  teacher  would  have  endeavored  to  con- 
vince him  of  his  need ;  Christ  compels  him  to 
confess  it. 

30.  All  these  things  have  I  kept.  Not 
the  language  of  self-conceit,  for  Mark  adds  that 
"Jesus  beholding  him  loved  him,"  but  the  sin- 
cere expression  of  one  who  had  carefully  ob- 
served the  requirements  of  the  moral  law,  and 
judging  of  his  life  from  his  own  standpoint,  could 
see  in  it  no  specific  disobedience.  He  is  thus  the 
type  of  a  very  common  character,  one  which  is 
scrupulous  in  life,  yet  finds  no  true  peace  of 
mind  m  obedience.    Compare  for  parallel,  Paul's 


experience  in  Phil.  3  :  4r-6. — From    my    youth 

up.  These  words  are  omitted  by  the  best  manu- 
scripts, and  by  Alford  and  Tischendorf.— What 
lack  I  yet  ?  For  parallel  to  this  experience 
and  interpretation  of  it  see  Luke  1.5  :  14 ;  for 
Scripture  answer  to  it  see  Rom.  3  :  23,  and  Heb. 
12  :  1.5.  The  Greek  scholar  will  observe  that  the 
verb  rendered  in  these  passages  respectively 
lack,  to  be  in  want,  come  short,  and  fail,  is  the 
same  (iiateQeu). 

21.  In  considering  the  practical  lesson  of  this 
direction  bear  in  mind,  (1)  its  connection,  weU 
given  by  Lord  Bacon,  "  But  sell  not  all  that  thou 
hast,  except  thou  come  and  follow  me ;  that  is, 
except  thou  have  a  vocation,  wherein  thou  may- 
est  do  as  much  good  with  little  means,  as  with 
great."  (2.)  The  fact  that  the  test  was  not  an 
unusual  one.    The  disciples  had  abandoned  their 

all  to  follow  Christ  (Matt.  4  :  22  ;  9  ;  9  J  19  :  27).      If  this 

ruler  was  to  be  with  them  he  must  be  one  of  them, 
in  his  voluntary  poverty.  (3.)  The  principle, 
which  is  for  aU  time.  Not  all  disciples  are  re- 
quired to  abandon  their  property,  any  more  than 
all  are  required  to  abandon  their  business  with 
James  and  John  and  Matthew  (i  Cor.  7 :  n,  20, 24) ; 
but  all  are  required  to  hold  their  property  and 
use  their  industry  for  Christ,  and  subject  to  his 
orders,  as  interpreted  by  his  providence,  and  for 
both  be  ready  to  give  him  an  account  (Matt.  25 : 
14-30).  There  is  nothing  in  the  incident,  fairly 
interpreted,  to  justify  the  assertion  that  Christ 
condemns  the  possession  or  the  acquisition  of 
wealth. 

23.  He  went  away  sorrowful.  Mark 
expresses  very  graphically,  in  the  original,  the 
change  in  his  countenance.  £ut  he,  saddened  at 
the  sayitig,  went  away  grieved.  This  young  man  is 
never  referred  to  again  in  the  N.  T. ;  for  the  con- 
jecture that  he  is  to  be  identified  with  Lazarus  is 
certainly  without  evidence,  it  appears  to  me  with- 
out probability.  That  he  may  have  subsequently 
become  a  disciple  is  possible  ;  there  is  no  intima- 
tion of  such  a  result  in  the  N.  T. 

Lessons  of  the  incident.  They  lie  in  a 
considei-ation  of  the  character,  consciousness,  and 
lack  of  this  young  man.  In  character  he  was  ex- 
emplary (verse  2o),  loVCablC    (Mark  10  ;  2l),    With    rcli- 

gious  culture  and  position  (Luke  is :  is),  and  he  was 
an  earnest,  reverential  seeker,  in  public,  of 
eternal  hfe,  from  Christ  (comp.  Mark  lo :  17).  His 
consciousness  was  of  a  lack,  which  neither  wealth, 
honors,  amiability,  moral  life,  religious  education, 
position  and   labors,  nor  all   combined,   could, 


228 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XIX. 


23  Then  said  Jesus  unto  his  disciples,  Verily  I  say 
unto  you,  That^  a  rich  man  shall  hardly  enter  into  the 
kingdom  of  heaven. 

24  And  again  I  say  unto  you,  It  is  easier  for  a  camel 
to  go  through  the  eye  of  a  need'e,  than  for  a  rich  man 
to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God. 

25  When  his  disciples  heard  ii,  they  were  exceeding- 
ly amazed,  saying.  Who  then  can  be  saved  ? 

26  But  Jesus  beheld  t/iem,  and  said  unto  them,  With 
men  this  is  impossible ;  but  with"  God  all  things  are 
possible. 


27  Then  answered''  Peter,  and  said  unto  him,  Behold, 
we  have  forsaken  all,"^  and  followed  thee  :  what  shall 
we  have  therefore  ? 

28  And  Jesus  said  unto  them.  Verily  I  say  unto  vou. 
That  ye  which  have  followed  me,  in  the  regeneration, 
when  the  Son  of  man  shall  sit  in  the  throne  of  his  glory, 
ye""  also  shall  sit  upon  twelve  thrones,  judging  the 
twelve  tribes  of  Israel. 

29  And"  every  one  that  hath  forsaken  houses,  or 
brethren,  or  sisters,  or  father,  or  mother,  or  wife,  or 


satisfy.  His  lack  was  the  love  and  faith  that  holds 
all  things  as  from  God  (james  1 :  n),  uses  all  for 
God  (Matt.  25 :  i4-3c),  and  obeys  the  divine  command 
whithersoever  it  leads.  Lacking  this  "  one  thing 
needful,"  he  lacked  all,  and  went  away  sor- 
rowful. 

Ch.  19  :  23-30.  DISCOURSE  CONCERNING  RICHES.- 
Eabthit  wealth  a  htnurance  to  heavenly  glort. 
—The  impossible  with  man  not  difeicult  with 
God.— The  Christian's  recompense. 

The  rest  of  this  chapter  and  the  parable  which 
constitutes  the  first  sixteen  verses  of  the  chapter 
following,  are  closely  connected,  and  constitute 
one  discourse,  growing  out  of  the  preceding 
incident.  Parallel  to  this  chapter,  to  its  close, 
are  Mark  10  :  23-31,  and  Luke  18  :  24-30. 

23-2G.  With  these  verses  should  be  carefully 
compared  Mark  10  :  23-26.  From  this  comparison 
it  appears  that  Christ,  seeing  the  young  man  go 
away  sorrowful,  says,  as  here,  A  rich  man  shall 
hardly,  i.  e.  with  difficulty,  enter  the  kingdom  of 
heaven.  The  disciples  express  their  astonish- 
ment at  this  saying,  as  the  world  has  since, 
and  Christ  at  once  repeats  and  interprets  it 
(Mark  10  :  24),  Children,  how  hard  is  it  for 
them  that  trust  in  riches  to  enter  into  the 
kmgdom  of  God.  Then  follows  the  emphatic 
metaphor  of  verse  24  here  (Mark  10 ;  £5) :  It  is 
easier  for  a  camel  to  go  through  the  eye  of 
a  needle  than  for  a  rich  man  (i.  e.  as  already 
explained,  one  who  trusts  in  riches),  to  enter 
into  the  kingdom  of  God.  The  apostles' 
question,  which  follows,  Who  then  can  be 
saved?  (verse 25)  is  not  equivalent  to,  if  it  is 
so  hard  for  the  rich,  how  can  the  poor  enter? 
but,  Since,  though  few  men  are  rich,  all  men 
trust  in  riches,  i.  e.  have  faith  in  them,  how 
can  any  enter.  Observe  the  emphatic  teaching 
of  verse  26,  that  salvation  is  with  men  impos- 
sible, i.  e.  by  the  power  of  men  (compare  John 
1 :  13),  and  the  strong  assertion  that  the  salva- 
tion of  all,  even  by  implication  of  those  who  have 
made  their  trust  in  riches,  is  possible  with  God. 
Attempts  have  been  made  to  explain  away  the 
force  of  the  metaphor  of  the  camel  and  the 
needle's  eye,  as  (1)  by  reading  for  camel,  cable 
(for   jja,u)jAor,  xufiiUv),  a   reading   invented   to 


soften  Christ's  language ;  (2)  by  the  assertion 
that  the  small  gate  to  the  walled  city,  for  foot 
passengers,  was  called  the  eye  of  a  needle,  a 
statement  for  which  I  can  find  no  adequate 
authority.  The  natural  interpretation  of  the 
phrase  is  the  correct  one.  It  is  used  to  express, 
not  the  diflEiculty,  but  the  impossibility  of  entering 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  by  human  power  or  skill. 
Parallel  to  this  expression  are  similar  aphorisms 
among  the  rabbis;  e.g.  "Just  as  soon  will  an 
elephant  pass  through  the  spout  of  a  kettle  " 
{Roberts),  or  "'Perhaps  thou  art  one  who  can 
make  an  elephant  pass  through  the  eye  of  a 
needle,'  i.  e.  who  speaks  things  that  are  impos- 
sible."— (Lightfoot.)  On  the  whole  teaching 
compare  Prov.  30  :  8,  9 ;  1  Tim.  6  :  9,  10,  17. 
In  Luke  13  :  16-21,  Christ  explains  what  he 
means  by  "  them  that  trust  in  riches." 

27.  Christ  had  just  promised  to  the  young 
man,  if  he  forsook  all  and  followed  him,  "treas- 
ures in  heaven  "  (verse  21).  No  such  promisc  had 
ever  been  made  to  the  twelve  (Luie  s :  10, 27). 
Hence  Peter's  question.  "The  '■all^  which  the 
apostles  had  left  was  not  in  all  cases  contempt- 
ible. The  sons  of  Zebedee  had  hired  servants 
(Mark  1 :  2o),  and  Levi  could  make  a  gi"eat  feast  in 
his  house.  But  whatever  it  was,  it  was  their  all.'''' 
-{Alford.) 

28.  This  verse  is  peculiar  to  Matthew.  Like 
all  unfulfilled  prophecies  it  is  diflScult  of  inter- 
pretation. The  grammatical  construction  is  itself 
not  clear.  The  verse  may  be  read  either,  Ye 
which  in  the  regeneration  have  followed  me  shall 
*  *  *  sit  upon  twelve  thrones,  or,  Te  ichich  have 
followed  me  shall  in  the  regeneration  *  *  *  nit 
upon  twelve  thronex.  I  think  the  latter  read- 
ing is  preferable  and  assume  it  here  to  be  the 
correct  one ;  the  difference  is  not,  however,  very 
important.  Without  undertaking  a  full  discus- 
sion of  the  teaching  implied  in  the  verse  it  may 
sufllce  here  to  remark,  (1)  that  the  promise  refers 
to  a  future  coming  of  Christ.  The  phrase  When 
the  Son  of  man  shall  sit  in  the  throne  of  his  glory 
describes  a  future  coming  in  glory,  in  contrast 
with  the  incarnation  which  was  a  coming  in  hu- 
miliation. Christ  sometimes  employs  the  phrase 
Coming  of  the  Son  of  man,  or  its  equivalent,  to 
designate  the  spiritual  coming  at  Pentecost  (se« 


Ch.  XX.] 


Matthew: 


229 


children,  or  lands,  for  my  name's  sake,  shall  receive  an 
hundred-fold,  and  shall  inherit  everlasting  life, 


30  But'  many  that  are  first  shall 
last  shall  be  first 


last ;  and  the 


CHAPTER    XX. 

FOR  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  man  that 
is  an  householder,^  which  went  out  early  in  the 
morning  to  hire  labourers  into  his  vineyard. 


2  And  when  he  had  agreed  with  the  labourers  for  a 
penny*"  a  day,  he  sent  them  into  his  vineyard. 

■X  And  he  went  out  about  the  third  hour,  and  saw 
others  standing  idle  in  the  marketplace, 

4  And  said  unto  them,  Go  ye  also  into  the  vineyard, 
and  whatsoever  is  right,  I  will  give  you.  And  they 
went  their  way. 

5  Again  he  went  out  about  the  sixth  and  ninth  hour, 
and  did  likewise. 


f  ch.  20  :  16  ,  1\:  31,  32 ;  Mark  10  :  31 ,  Luke  13  :  30 ;  Gal.  5:7;  Heb.  4:1 g  Can.  8:11,12 h  ch.  18  :  28. 


Matt.  10 :  23  and  note),  but  by  the  phrase  Coming  in  his 
glory,  or,  iw  the  glory  of  his  Fatlier,  I  think  he 
always  refers  to  a  second  coming  (Matt,  le :  27, 28, 

where  the  two  comings  are  contrasted,  see  note  there  ;  Matt.  25  :  31 ; 
Mark  8  :  38 ;  10  ;  37  ;  13  :  26 ;  Luke  9  :  26 ;  21 :  27  ;  compare  Matt.  26  : 

64;  John  i:5i).  (3.)  The  term  regeneration  {naXiy- 
yi\Bala)  is  ambiguous.  It  occurs  in  the  N.  T. 
only  here  and  in  Titus  3  :  5,  and  in  the  latter 
passage  refers  to  a  spiritual  change  wrought  in 
the  heart  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  But  it  appears 
to  me  hardly  doubtful,  that  the  disciples  would 
have  understood  Christ  here  to  refer  to  that  new 
order  which  is  to  be  estabUshed  at  the  second 
coming  of  the  Messiah,  when  all  old  things  will 
pass  away,  and  all  things  will  become  new,  and 
which  is  referred  to  in  Isaiah  65  :  17 ;  66  :  23 ; 
Acts  3  :  21 ;  2  Pet.  3  :  13 ;  Key.  31  :  5.  (3.)  The 
promise  here  made  to  the  twelve,  Ye  also  shall  sit 
tipon  the  twelve  thrones,  judging  the  twelve  tribes  of 
Israel,  paralleled  by  the  similar  promise  in  Luke 
22  :  28-30,  is  upon  its  face  simply  a  personal 
promise  to  them ;  but  elsewhere  are  to  be  found 
promises,  apparently  to  all  the  saints,  of  sharing 
with  Christ,  in  a  manner  which  is  not  explained, 
in  his  office  of  Judge  and  King,  Dan.  7  :  22 ; 
1  Cor.  6  :  2,  3 ;  Jude  14,  15  ;  Eev.  3  :  21 ;  20  :  4. 
(4.)  Whatever  else  this  promise  may  mean,  it  cer- 
tainly imports  the  possession  of  a  celestial  office 
of  great  trust,  dignity,  and  importance.  That 
we  can  safely  undertake  to  define  its  meaning 
with  greater  particularity,  I  doubt.  (5. )  The  other 
interpretation  of  this  verse,  given  by  both  Chry- 
sostom  and-Lightfoot,  is  that  Christ  refers  to  his 
spiritual  coming  at  Pentecost,  and  that  the 
prophecy  is  nearly  equivalent  to.  When  I  come 
in  spiritual  glory  and  power,  ye,  by  your  spiritual 
life,  or  by  your  doctrine,  shall  condemn  the 
Jewish  nation,  which  will  reject  me  and  my 
Gospel.  But  for  the  reasons  given  above  this 
appears  to  me  to  be  untenable. 

29.  Mark  and  Luke  both  give  this  promise, 
which  is  not  merely  to  the  twelve,  but  to  all 
disciples,  to  "  every  one  that  hath  forsaken,"  &c. 
Mark  gives  it  more  fully,  "He  receiveth  (the 
aorist  tense  in  Mark,  signifying  not  a  promise  to 
be  fulfilled  in  the  future  but  one  contmually  ful- 
filled )  an  hundredfold,  now  in  this  time,  houses  and 
brethren  and  sisters,  and  mothers,  and  lands,  with 
persecutions.  The  words  underscored  are  peculiar 
to  Mark.     On  the  interpretation  of  the  promise 


observe  (1)  it  cannot  possibly  have  been  literally 
understood,  for  that  would  involve  a  multiplymg 
of  mothers,  an  impossibility,  and  would  take 
away  all  significance  from  the  important  qualify- 
ing clause,  with  persecutions,  since  the  loss  of 
houses  and  lands,  and  of  earthly  friends,  consti- 
tutes the  very  essence  of  persecution.  Nor  (2) 
is  it  possible  to  suppose  that  Christ  means  that 
in  the  new  heaven  and  the  new  earth  these  shall 
be  multipUed,  for  Mark  expressly  says,  '■'■now,  in 
this  time.'"  Nor  (3)  does  it  mean,  as  Mr.  Barnes 
interprets  it,  "  the  loss  shall  be  compensated  or 
made  up"  by  the  possession  of  "the  pardon  of 
sin,  the  favor  of  God,  peace  of  conscience,"  &c., 
for  this  constitutes  the  "  everlasting  l\fe  ^^  Vfhich. 
begins  on  earth  but  continues  in  heaven,  and 
which  is  promised  in  addition  to  "the  hundred- 
fold." The  promise  is  parallel  to  that  of  Matt. 
5  :  5  (see  note  there),  and  is  fulfilled  because  (a) 
Christianity  has  operated  as  a  general  law  to 
enhance  the  earthly  prosperity  of  the  race,  to 
make  wealth  more  general  and  more  secure,  and 
affections  less  liable  to  sundering  through  des- 
potism, quarrels,  or  death  ;  (&)  friends  are  multiT 
plied  and  friendships  made  sweeter  and  more 
sacred  by  Christianity,  especially  among  those 
who  heartily  accept  and  practically  show  forth 
Christ  in  their  daily  life  ;  (c)  the  spirit  of  true 
religion  m  the  soul  enhances  a  hundredfold  the 
true  and  high  enjoyment  of  earthly  possessions 
and  affections ;  no  one  can  enjoy  the  earth  as  he 

who  accepts  it  as  God's  gift  of  love  (compare  l  Cor.  3: 

21-23) ;  (d)  those  who  have  been  called  to  fulfill 
literally  the  condition  of  forsaking  all  for  Christ, 
have  as  a  rule  enjoyed  life's  prosperities ;  e.  g. 
there  are  few  children  better  provided  for  in  all 
that  makes  life  desirable  than  those  of  our  foreign 
missionaries.  This  verse  is  utterly  irreconcilable 
with  the  spirit  of  asceticism  in  the  Christian,  and 
equally  so  with  the  idea  that  Jesus  Christ  sanc- 
tioned voluntary  mendicancy,  in  any  form. 

30.  This  is  the  text  of  the  following  parable, 
and  appears  again  at  its  close  (Matt.  20 :  le).  The 
connection  is  this  :  But,  all  those  that  forsake 
their  all  shall  receive  this  compensation ;  not  you 
apostles  alone,  or  even  pre-eminently,  for.  Many  ' 
first  shall  be  last,  and  last  first. 

Ch.  20  :  1-16.    THE  PARABLE  OF  THE  LABORERS.— 
The  CAiL  OF  Christ;  a  call  to  Chbistlan  wokk 


230 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XX. 


6  And  about  the  eleventh  hour  he  went  out,  and 
found  others  standing  idle,  and  saith  unto  them,  Why 
stand  ye  here  all  the  day  idle  ? ' 

7  They  say  unto  him.  Because  no  man  hath  hired  us. 
He  saith  unto  them,J  Go  ye  also  into  the  vineyard  ; 
and  whatsoever  is  ;ight,  that  shall  ye  receive. 

8  So  when  even  was  come,  the  lord  of  the  vineyard 
saith  unto  his  steward,  Call  the  labourers,  and"  give 
them  their  hire,  beginning  from  the  last  unto  the  first. 

9  And  when  they  came  that  -were  hired  about  the 
eleventh'  hour,  they  received  every  raan  a  penny. 

10  But  when  the  first  came,  they  supposed  that  they 


should  have  received  more  :  and  they  likewise  received 
every  man  a  penny. 

11  And  when  they  had  received  z/,  they  murmured™ 
against  the  goodman  of  the  house, 

12  Saying,  Those  last  have  wrought  but  one  hour, 
and  thou  hast  made  them  equal  unto  us,  which  have 
borne  the  burden  and  heat  of  the  day. 

13  But  he  answered  one  of  them,  and  said,  Friend," 
I  do  thee  no  wrong :  didst  not  thou  agree  with  me  for 
a  penny  ? 

14  Take  that  thine  w,  and  go  thy  way  :°  I  will  give 
unto  this  last  even  as  unto  thee. 


i  ProT.  19  :  16 ;  Eze.  16  :  49  ;  Acts  17  :  21 ;  Heb.  6  :  14. 


.  .1  Luke  23  :  40-13 m  Luke  15  :  29,  30. 


(compare  Luke  5  :  10).— The  busiest  worldling  is  ak 
IDLER.— God's  promise  to  the  Christian  :  whatever 
IS  RIGHT  I  WILL  GIVE  (Compare  1  John  1  :  9).— But  one 
EXCUSE  FOR  idleness:  no  oppoktunitt  for  labor 
(V.  7).— God's  short  answer  to  all  criticism  on  his 
present  providence  and  his  final  judgment  :  It  is 

lawful  for  me  to  do  what  I  WELL  WITH  MINE  OWN. 
— "  The  KINGDOM  demands  workers  ;    HIRELINGe  IT 

DISDAINS."— "Not,  How  much  hast  thou  done? 
BUT,  What  art  thou  now?   will  be  the  great 

QUESTION  OF  THE  LAST  DAT." — "  WORK  IS  THE  MEANS, 
MAN  THE  END." 

This  parable  is  peculiar  to  Matthew.  Tischen- 
dorf  and  Alford  both  omit  from  verse  7  the 
words  "And  whatsoever  is  right  that  shall  ye  re- 
ceive," and  Tischendorf  rejects  also  from  verse 
IG  the  last  clause.  See  note  below  on  that  verse. 
For  the  meaning  of  the  word  Friend  in  verse 
13  compare  Matt.  23  :  13 ;  26  :  50,  which  give  a 
solemn  significance  to  its  use.  The  Greek  word 
(txuint)  is  different  from  that  employed  as  an 
indication  of  intimacy,  as  in  John  15  :  11.  With 
these  exceptions  there  is  nothing  in  the  original 
which  is  not  adequately  represented  in  our  Eng- 
lish version.  There  are,  however,  but  few  para- 
bles that  have  received  more  diverse  interpreta- 
tions. The  curious  reader  will  find  them  col- 
lated in  Trench  on  the  Parables.  The  difficulties 
have  been  enhanced,  if  not  created,  by  ignoring 
the  context,  and  by  endeavoring  to  find  a  spirit- 
ual parallel  for  every  incident  and  allusion  in  the 
story.  Without  giving  space  to  these  conflicting 
opinions,  I  shall  indicate  here  what  appear  to 
me  to  be  the  main  lessons  inculcated. 

Lessons  of  the  Paeable.  The  story.  This 
needs  very  little  explanation.  The  ordinary  Jew- 
ish working-day  lasted  from  sunrise  to  sunset. 
Taking  this  to  be  equivalent  to  from  6  a.m.  to  6 
P.M.,  we  have  the  third,  sixth,  ninth,  and  eleventh 
hours  respectively  equivalent  to  9  a.m.,  13  m., 
3  P.M.,  and  5  p.m.  The  custom  of  waiting  in  a 
market-place  for  employment  is  common  at  the 
present  day  in  all  countries  where  laborers  are 
many  and  employers  few.  The  penny,  here  de- 
narius, equaled  in  value  eighteen  cents.  That  it 
was  a  fair  day's  wages  is  implied  here.  It  was 
the  pay  of  a  Roman  soldier  at  or  a  little  before 
this  time.    Compare  Luke  10  :  35.    The  payment 


of  the  -wages  at  sundown  agrees  with  Jewish  cus- 
tom, founded  on  and  enforced  by  the  laws  of 
Moses,  Deut.  34:15. — Tlte  jMrallel.  The  house- 
holder {ol/.odta7tuti]s)  unmistakably  represents 
God  (Matt.  10: 26;  13:27;  21  :  33) ;  the  vineyard  is  a 
not  unfrequent  symbol  of  his  kingdom,  or  his 
church  in  the  unecclesiastical  sense  of  that  word 

(isaiah  5:1,7;  Jer.  12  :  10  ;  Matt.  21  :  28,  33,  etc. ;  Luke  13 :  6,  etc.)  ; 

he  calls  us  to  Christian  labor,  in  Ms  vineyard, 
».  e.  both  with  and  for  him  (i  Cor.  3 : 9).  The  first 
whom  he  calls,  and  who  enter  into  a  bargain,  so 
much  Avork  so  much  pay  (verse  2),  represent  those 
who  enter  into  a  covenant  of  works,  and  give 
their  Christian  zeal  and  activity  for  an  expected 
reward ;  the  second  who  make  no  bargain,  but 
trust  all  to  the  Master  (verses  4, 7),  those  who  enter 
his  service,  counting  it  their  simple  duty  and 
trusting  the  recompense  of  reward  to  his  good 

pleasure     (Heb.  10  :  35,  36  ;    Bee  Rom.  4  :  4,  6  ;    2  Cor.   5  :  u)  ; 

the  day  represents  the  earthly  life,  not  of  the 
mdividual  but  of  the  race,  for  at  evening  comes 
the  accounting,  i.  e.  the  judgment  at  the  end  of 
the  world.  The  reward  is  the  heavenly  inherit- 
ance, the  eternal  life,  the  cro^vn  of  righteous- 
ness promised  to  all  who  truly  love  and  faith- 
fully serve  him  ;  those  who  object  to  this  view, 
because  it  makes  eternal  life  a  matter  of  wages, 
not  a  free  gift,  forget  that  Christ  constantly  uses 
this  term  reward,  here  rendered  hire  (uia^iJc),  to 
designate  the  saint's  heavenly  inheritance  (Matt. 

6  :  12 ;  6:1;  10  :  41,  42 ;  Mark  9  :  41  ;  Luke  6  :  23,  36  ;  compare  1  Cor. 

3 : 8, 14 ;  Rev.  22 :  12).  All  who  enter  the  Vineyard 
are,  it  appears  to  me,  true  disciples  of  Christ, 
and  all  receive  the  reward;  the  murmuring 
(verse  ii),  therefore,  represents  not  the  spirit  with 
which  any  will  finally  receive  God's  allotment, 
since  none  of  the  disciples  of  Christ  will  murmur 
at  His  dispensation  of  the  heavenly  inheritance, 
but  the  spirit  which  too  often  prevails  among  the 
disciples  upon  earth,  who  virtually  think  their 
hard  labour  entitles  them  to  large  reward,  and 
who  in  their  thoughts  complain  at  the  divme  al- 
lotments of  this  earthly  life.  Dr.  Brown,  how- 
ever, suggests  that  one  object  of  the  parable  is 
to  teach,  "  that  men  who  have  wrought  in  Christ's 
service  all  their  days,  may,  by  the  spirit  which 
they  manifest  at  last,  make  it  too  evident  that,  as 


Ch.  XX.] 


MATTHEW. 


231 


15  IsP  it  not  lawful  for  me  to  do  what  I  will  with  mine 
own  ?    Isi  thine  eye  evil,  because  I  am  good  ? 


16  Sc  the  last  shall  be  first,  and  the  first  last:  for* 
many  be  called,  but  few  chosen. 


Rom.  9  :  15-24; 


I  :  18. . .  .q  ch.  6  ;  23 ;  Deut.  15  :  9 r  ch.  19  : 


.1  ch.  22  :  14 ;  2  Thess.  2  :  13 ;  , 


between  God  and  their  own  souls,  they  never 
were  chosen  workmen  at  all."  This  is  unques- 
tionably an  important  truth  (compare  Matt.  7  :  22,  23;  25  : 

44-46),  but  it  does  not  appear  to  me  to  be  the  truth 
which  this  parable  is  intended  to  teach.  See 
below  on  ver.  16. — Lessons,  To  understand  these 
the  parable  must  be  taken  in  its  connection.  The 
rich  young  man  has  gone  away  sorrowful,  choos- 
ing present  riches  rather  than  treasures  in  heaven 
(chap.  19 :  22).  Peter,  who  has  forsaken  all  for 
Christ,  asks  what  he  and  his  co-disciples  are  to 
have  therefore,  and  Christ  replies  with  the  prom- 
ises of  chap.  19  :  28,  29,  and  then  adds  the  cau- 
tion, "Many  first  shall  be  last,  and  the  last  first," 
of  which  this  parable  is  an  interpretation,  and 
from  which  it  ought  not  to  be  separated  by  the 
chapter  division.  Its  primary  application  is  to 
the  apostles,  for  whom  Peter  had  asked  the  ques- 
tion. Because  called  to  labor  in  the  burden  and 
heat  of  the  day,  in  an  era  when  labor  involved 
large  self-sacrifice  and  persecution,  the  apostles 
were  not,  on  that  account,  entitled  to  claim  any 
higher  reward  than  those  who  came  later,  and 
who  served,  in  their  time,  with  equal  fidelity.  It 
applies  secondarily  to  all  who  enter  the  kingdom 
of  God,  whether  early  or  late  in  life,  whether  to 
do  abundant  labor  or  to  do  very  little,  provided 
they  enter  ichen  first  called,  and  labor  faithfully 
according  to  their  opportunity.  It  applies  spir- 
itually to  all  in  his  kingdom,  and  teaches  that 

(1)  men  are  not  paid  in  proportion  to  the  amount 
or  the  burdensomeness  of  the  work  done,   and 

(2)  that  the  spirit  which  labors  for  wages  and 
expects  a  return  for  its  sacrifice  and  services  is 
the  last  in  the  kingdom,  though  in  the  amount 
of  its  sacrifice  and  service  it  may  be  first,  and  the 
spirit  that  does  what  God  assigns  to  be  done, 
leaving  all  to  him,  is  the  first  in  God's  kingdom, 
though  in  sacrifices  borne  and  services  accom- 
plished it  may  be  last.  Incidentally  are  the  fol- 
lowing lessons  :  (1.)  God  calls  us  ;  we  do  not  first 

choose  him  or  apply  first  to  him  (verse  l  ;  compare  John 

15 :  16).  "  Every  summons  to  a  work  in  the  heav- 
enly vineyard  is  from  the  Lord. "  —( Trench. )  (2. ) 
All  without  God's  vineyard  are  idlers  (verses); 
"the greatest  man  of  business  in  worldly  things 
is  a  mere  idle  gazer,  if  he  has  not  yet  entered  on 
the  true  work  which  alone  is  worth  anything,  or 
gains  any  reward.  "—(^«ier.)  (3.)  There  is  to  be  a 
final  accounting  for  the  children  of  God  as  well 

as  for  the  world  (verse  S ;  compare  Luke  19  :  14,  15,  27).      (4.) 

God  calls  us  to  account,  but  will  not  submit  to  be 
called  to  account  and  judged  by  us,  an  attempt 
we  often  make  in  our  theological  and  philosoph- 
ical discussions  (verse  16  ;  compare  Rom.  9  :  19,  20).      (5.)  It 


gives  no  promise  or  hope  of  eternal  life  to  those 
who  reject  the  Gospel  until  their  death-bed,  be- 
cause none  can  take  encouragement  from  the 
eleventh  hour  laborer,  except  those  who  to  the 
question.  Why  stand  ye  here  idle  ?  can  reply.  No 
man  hath  hired  us.  Each  laborer  went  to  work  at 
the  first  call.  (6. )  Nor  does  it  militate  against  the 
doctrine,  elsewhere  taught  in  Scripture,  of  de- 
grees, both  of  reward  and  punishment  (Matt.  25 : 

20-23  ;  Luke  12  :  47,  48 ;  1  Cor.  3  :  14,  is),  f  Or     thOUgh     Cach 

man  received  a  penny,  yet  to  each  the  penny  was 
what  he  would  make  of  it.  "The  last  go  home, 
each  with  a  penny  in  his  pocket  and  astonished 
glad  gratitude  in  his  heart ;  their  reward  accord- 
ingly is  a  penny  and  more.  The  first,  on  the  con- 
trary, go  home  each  with  a  penny  in  his  pocket, 
and  corroding  discontent  in  his  soul ;  their  re- 
ward accordingly  is  less  than  a  penny." — {Arnot.) 
God  himself  is  the  Christian's  reward  (cen.  15  :i), 
and  is  to  each  soul  what  the  soul  has  capacity  to 
receive.  Even  upon  earth  we  can  see  that  the  joy 
of  God's  presence  is  much  to  some  and  little  to 
others.  (7. )  Nor  does  it  imply  that  heaven  is  given 
as  wages  for  labor ;  on  the  contrary,  it  teaches  the 
reverse.  Like  the  parable  of  the  unjust  judge 
Luke  18 : 1-7),  it  tcaches  by  contraries.  It  is  as  if 
Christ  said,  to  the  bargaining  spirit  represented 
by  Peter's  question,  Even  if  the  kingdom  of  God 
were  one  of  mere  work  and  wages,  many  last 
would  be  first  and  first  last.  There  is  a  curious 
parallel  to  and  yet  contrast  with  this  parable  in 
a  rabbinical  one  quoted  by  Lightfoot,  where 
there  is  the  same  employment,  a  similar  appar- 
ent inequality  in  payment,  the  same  murmuring, 
but  a  very  different  response.  "  The  King  saith 
to  them,  He  hath  labored  more  in  those  two 
hours  than  you  in  the  whole  day."  It  is  curious 
that  some  Christian  commentators  have  inter- 
preted Christ's  parable  thus,  and  so  have  made 
it  confirm  that  very  spirit  of  legalism  which  it 
condemns. 

16.  The  first  clause  of  this  verse  is  used  else- 
where by  Christ  (Luke  13 :  30),  where  he  evidently 
distinguishes  between  the  first  called,  the  Jews, 
who  are  yet  finally  rejected,  and  the  last  called, 
the  Gentiles,  who  are  finally  accepted.  But  here 
and  in  chap.  19  :  30,  the  reference  is  evidently  to 
two  classes  of  disciples,  as  interpreted  above. 
The  last  clause  of  the  verse  is  wanting  in  the 
Sinaitic  and  Vatican  manuscripts,  and  is  omitted 
by  Tischendorf.  It  is  retained  by  Alford.  If  not 
an  addition  by  a  copyist  its  interpretation  here  is 
diiHcult.  It  appears  again  in  Matt.  22  :  14,  where 
clearly  the  distinction  is  between  those  who  are 
invited  by  the  Gospel  but  are  not  prepared  for 


332 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXL 


17  And'  Jesus  going  up  to  Jerusalem,  took  the  twelve 
disciples  apart  in  tlie  way,  and  said  unto  them, 

la  Behold,  we  go  up  to  Jerusalem  ;  and  the  Son  of 
man  sliall  be  betrayed  unto  the  chief  priests  and  unto 
the  scribes,  and  they  shall  condemn  him  to  death, 

iQ  And"  shall  deliver  him  to  the  Gentiles,  to  mock, 
ana  to  scourge,"  and  to  crucify  him  :  and  the  third  day 
he  shall  rise  again. 

20  Then™  came  to  him  the  mother  of  Zebedee's  chil- 
dren, with  her  sons,  worshipping  hitn,  and  desiring  a 
certain  thing  of  him. 

21  And  he  said  unto  her,  What  wilt  thou  ?  She  saith 
unto  him.  Grant  that  these  my  two  sons  may  sit,  the 
one  on  thy  right  hand,  and  the  other  on  the  left,  in  thy 
kingdom. 

22  But  Jesus  answered  and  said,  Ye  know  not  what 
ye  ask.  Are  ye  able  to  drink  of  the  cup  that  I  shall 
drink  of,  and  to  be  baptized  with  the^  baptism  that  I 
am  baptized  with  ?    They  say  unto  him.  We  are  able. 

23  And  he  saith  unto  them,  X0  shall  drink  indeed  of 
my  cup,  and  be  baptized  with  the  baptism  that  I  am 
baptized  with  ;  but  to  sit  on  my  right  hand,  and  on  my 
left,  is  not  mine  to  give,  but  it  shall  be  given  to  them 
for  whom  it  is  prepared  of  my  Father. 

2^  And  when  the  ten  heard  it,  they  were  moved  with 
indignation  against  the  two  brethren. 

25  But  Jesus  called  them  unto  him,  and  said,  Ye^ 
know  that  the  princes  of  the  Gentiles  exercise  domin- 
ion over  them,  and  they  that  are  great  exercise  autho- 

among  you :  but*"  whoso- 

'      '  ■     '      'Our  minister : 

you,  let  him 


be  your  servant : 

28  Even  as  the  Son  of  man  came  not  to  be  ministered 
unto,  but":  to  minister,  and  to  give  his  life  a  ransom  for 
many.t" 

29  And  as  they  departed  from  Jericho,  a  great  multi- 
tude followed  him. 

30  And,<=  behold,  two  blind  men,  sitting  by  the  way 
side,  when  they  heard  tliat  Jesus  passed  by,  cried  out. 
saying.  Have  mercy  on  us,  O  Lord,  thou  son  of  David  ! 

31  And  the  multitude  rebuked  them,  because  they 
should  hold  their  peace  :  but  they  cried  the  more,  say- 
ing. Have  merey  on  us,  O  Lord,  thou  son  of  David  ! 


hat  will  ye  that  I  shall  do  unto  you  ? 

33  They  say  unto  him,  Lord,  that  our  eyes  may  be 
opened. 

34  So  Jesus  had  compassion  on  them,  and  touched 
their  eyes:  and  immediately  their  eyes  received  sight, 
and  they  followed  him. 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

AND'  when  they  drew  nigh  unto  Jerusalem,  and 
were  come   to   Bethphage,    unto   the   mount  of 
Ohves,  then  sent  Jesus  two  disciples, 

2  Saying  unto  them.  Go  into  the  village  over  against 
you,  and  straightway  ye  shall  find  an  ass  tied,  and  a 
colt  with  her :  loose  them,  and  bring  the7>i  unto  me. 

3  And  if  any  man  say  ought  unto  you,  ye  shall  say. 
The  Lord  hath  need  of  them  ;  and  straightway  he  will 
send  them. 

4  All  this  was  done,  that  it  might  be  fulfilled  which 
was  spoken  by  the  prophet, e  saying, 

5  Tell  ye  the  daughter  of  Sion,''  Behold,  thy  King 
cometh  unto  thee,  meek,  and  sitting  upon  an  ass,  and 
a  colt  the  foal  of  an  ass. 

6  And  the  disciples  went,  and  did  as  Jesus  com- 
manded them, 

7  And  brought  the  ass,  and  the  colt,  and  put  on  them 
their  clothes,  and  they  set  him  thereon. 

8  And  a  very  great  multitude  spread  their  garments 
in  the  way  ;  others  cut  down  branches  from  tne  trees, 
and  strawed  them  in  the  way. 

9  And  the  multitudes  that  went  before,  and  that  fol- 
lowed, cried,  saying,  Hosanna  to  the  Son  of  David  ! 
Blessed'  is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord : 
Hosanna  in  the  highest !  J 

10  And  when  he  was  come  into  Jerusalem,  all  the 
city  was  moved,  saying,  Who  is  this? 

11  And  the  multitude  said.  This  is  Jesus,  the  prophet 
of  Nazareth  of  Galilee. 

12  And''  Jesus  went  into  the  temple  of  God,  and  cast 
out  all  them  that  sold  and  bought  in  the  temple,  and 
overthrew  the  tables  of  the  moneychangers,  and  the 
seats  of  them  that  sold  doves  ; 

13  And  said  unto  them.  It  is'  written.  My  house  shall 
be  called  the  house  of  prayer ;  but  ye  nave  made  it  a 
den  of™  thieves. 


;  ch.  16:  21,  etc.;  Mark  10  :  32,  etc.  j  Luke  18  131,  etc. ;  John  12:  12,  etc.... u  ch.  27  :  2,  etc. ;  Mark  15  :  1,  16,  etc.  ;  Luke  23  :  1,  etc. ;  John 

18  :  28.  etc. ;  Act&3:  13;    1  Cor.  15  :  3-7 visa.  63:  6... w  Mark  10:  35 x  Luke  12:  60 v  Acts  12  :  2;   Rom.  8  :  17  ;   2  Cor.  1:7; 

Rev.  1  :9....zLuke  22:25,26....al  Pet.6:3....bch.23:  11:  Mark  9  :  35  ;  10:43..  .c  Luke'2.' :  27  ;  Johnl3:4-14;  Phil. 2:7.... 
dl3a.63:6,  8.  11;  Dan.  9  :  24,26;  1  Tim.  2  :  6  ;  Titus  2  :  14;  Heb.  9  :  28 ;  1  Pet.  1  :  18,  19;  R-v.  1  :  5. . .  .e  ch.  9  :  27  ;  Mark  10  :  46  ;  Luke 
18:36....f  Markll  :  1;  Luke  19  :  29. . .  .g  Zech.  9  :  9. . .  .h  Isa.  62:11;  Mark  U  :  4,  etc.;  John  12  :  15.... i  ch.  23  :  39  ;  Ps.  118:26.... 
j  Luke2:14....kMarkll:  11;  Luke  19  :  46,  etc. ;  John  2  :  16,  etc.... 1  Isa.  66  :  7....m  Jer.  7  :  11. 


heaven,  and  those  who  are  prepared  and  so  are 
among  the  chosen  people  of  God.  But  here  the 
context  seems  to  forbid  such  an  interpretation. 
It  has  been  suggested  that  the  term  cJiosen 
is  used  here  in  a  different  sense,  equivalent  to 
choice  ones,  so  that  the  meaning  is.  There  are  many 
disciples,  but  few  that  are  pre-eminent  in  their 
calling.  This  is  certainly  a  possible  meaning,  but 
it  is  not  sustained  by  any  parallel  passage  in  the 
N.  T.,  the  term  chosen  or  elect  (ixkixtug)  never 
having  this  significance,  unless  Rev.  17  :  14  be  an 
instance.  I  incline  to  the  opinion,  which  is  as 
old  as  Calvin,  that  the  sentence  does  not  belong 
here. 

17-34.  Christ  goes  up  to  Jerusalem.  In- 
cidents ON  THE  WAT.  There  is  nothing  to 
connect  the  remaining  incidents  in  this  chapter 
with  those  which  immediately  precede.  They  all 
occurred  on  the  occasion  of  Christ's  going  up  to 
Jerusalem  to  the  last  Passover  and  to  his  Passion 
and  death.  Luke's  account  of  this  journey  (Luke 
18: 31  to  19:28)  is  the  fullcst,  though  he  omits  the  peti- 


tion of  the  sons  of  Zebedee.  Mark  (10:32-04) 
gives  the  account  of  Christ's  prophecy  of  his 
death  more  fully  than  Matthew,  and  (10 :  35^5)  the 
account  of  the  petition  of  the  sons  of  Zebedee  in 
almost  the  same  form.  For  notes  on  those  two 
incidents  see  Mark ;  for  notes  on  the  healing  of 
the  blind  men  see  Luke. 

Ch.  21  :  1-22.  Triumphal  entry  into 
Jerusalem.  There  is  some  uncertainty  as  to 
the  order  of  events  here  narrated.  Certainly  the 
impression  produced  by  Matthew's  narrative  is- 
that  all  occurred  on  the  same  day.  Mark,  how- 
ever, (11 :  11)  states  that  Christ  entered  the  Temple 
and  "when  he  had  looked  round  about  upon  all 
things,  and  now  the  eventide  was  come,  he  went 
out  unto  Bethany  with  the  twelve  ;"  and  he  gives 
the  cleansing  of  the  Temple  on  the  following 
day.  And  this  is  probably  the  correct  chronology. 
See  note  on  Mark  11  :  11. 

1-11.  An  account  of  this  triumphal  entry  is 
given  also  in  Mark  11  : 1-11,  Luke  19  :  29^4,  and 


Ch.  XXI.] 


MATTHEW. 


233 


him  in  the 


14  And  the  blind  and  the  lame  came 
temple  ;  and"  he  healed  them. 

15  And  when  the  chief  priests  and  scribes  saw  the 
wonderful  things  that  he  did,  and  the  children  crying 
in  the  temple,  and  saying,  Hosanna"  to  the  son  of 
David  !  they;  were  sore  displeased, 

16  And  said  unto  him,  nearest  thou  what  these  say? 
And  Jesus  saith  unto  them.  Yea  :  have  ye  never  read, 
OutP  of  the  mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings  thou  hast 
perfected  praise  ? 

17  And  he  left  them,  and  went  out  of  the  city  into 
Bethany  ;  and  he  lodged  there. 

18  Now  in  the  morning  as  he  returned  into  the  city, 
he  hungered. 


19  Andi  when  he  saw  a  fig  tree  in  the  way,  he  came 
to  it,  and  found  nothing  thereon,  but  leaves  only,  and 
said  unto  it.  Let  no  fruit  grow  on  thee  henceforward 
for  ever.    And  presently  the  fig  tree  withered'  away. 

20  And  when  the  disciples  saw  it,  they  marvelled, 
saying.  How  soon  is  the  fig  tree  withered  away  ! 

21  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  them,  Verily  I  say 
unto  you.  If*  ye  have  faith,  and  doubt  not,  ye  shall  not 
only  do  this  which  is  done  to  the  fig  tree,  but  also  if  ye 
shall  say  unto  this  mountain.  Be  thou  removed,'  and  be 
thou  cast  into  the  sea,  it  shall  be  done. 

22  And  all  things  whatsoever  ye  shall  ask"  in  prayer, 
believing,  ye  shall  receive. 

23  And'  when  he  was  come  into  the  temple,  the  chief 


John  13  :  12-19.  It  is  fullest  and  most  graphic 
in  Luke.     See  notes  there. 

12,  13.  This  casting  of  the  traders  out  of  the 
Temple,  narrated  also  in  Mark  11  :  15-19,  and 
Luke  19  :  45-48,  is  not  to  be  confounded  with 
that  recorded  in  John  2  ;  13-17  at  the  commence- 
ment of  Christ's  ministry.  It  is  not  at  all  strange 
that,  scourged  from  the  Temple,  they  should,  in 
less  than  three  years,  have  returned  again  to 
corrupt  it.  History  is  full  of  parallels.  Com- 
pare Matt.  13  :  43-45  and  note.  The  Temple  was 
cleansed  but  not  filled  by  the  indwelling  of  the 
Spirit  of  God.  For  the  symbolical  significance 
of  this  purification  of  the  Temple  see  notes  on 
John  ;3  :  13-17. 

14.  Peculiar  to  Matthew,  who  alone  gives  any 
account  of  miracles  being  wrought  at  this  time. 

15,  16.  This  incident  of  the  participation  of 
the  children  of  the  Temple  in  the  greeting  to 
Christ  is  also  peculiar  to  Matthew.  In  the  Jew- 
ish as  in  the  Roman  Catholic  service,  children 
took  part  in  the  service  of  song.  It  was  probably 
these  children  who  caught  the  public  enthusiasm, 

'  and  joined  in  the  chorus  of  Hosanna  to  the  Son 
of  David.  The  incident  marks  the  height  which 
the  enthusiasm  reached.  Christ's  rebuke  of  the 
chief  priests  should  be  studied  by  those  who 
would  check  Christian  enthusiasm  in  children  at 
the  present  day.  Christ's  reference,  Have  ye 
never  read?  is  to  Psalm  8  :  2.  The  Greek  word 
(zuruorf  Ju))  here  translated  -perfected^  is  rendered 
in  Matt.  4  ;  21  mending,  in  Gal.  6  :  1  restore;  it 
is  more  literally  Thou  restor est  praise.  True  praise 
of  God  had  perished  from  the  Temple;  in  the 
mouths  of  these  children  of  the  Temple  it  was 
being  restored.  So  every  babe  is,  in  his  inno- 
cence, a  restorer  of  the  praise  of  God  to  the 
earth.     Compare  Matt.  18  :  4 ;  Mark  10  :  15. 

1 7-22.  The  account  of  the  cursing  of  the  fig- 
tree  is  given  only  here  and  Mark  11 :  13-14,  20-36. 
It  is  fullest  in  Mark.    See  notes  there. 

Ch.  21  :  23-46.  Chaps.  22  and  23. 
Christ's  last  public  discourses— Tuesday, 
4th  April,  a.d.  30. 

The  teachings  contained  in  the  rest  of  this 
chapter  and  in  chapters  33  and  33,  were  aU  given 


publicly  in  the  Temple  on  Tuesday.  They  con- 
stitute the  close  of  Christ's  public  ministry. 
Parallel  to  Matthew's  report  here  is  Mark  11  :  27 
to  end  of  chap.  13 ;  and  Luke,  chap.  £0.  With 
these  accounts  should  be  read  John  1:3  :  20-50, 
which  repeats  nothing  given  in  the  other  Evan- 
gelists, but  appears  to  report  other  instructions 
which  were  given  on  the  same  occasion.  Mat- 
thew's account  of  the  public  teachings  of  this 
eventful  day  is  much  the  fullest ;  Mark  (12 :  41-14) 
and  Luke  (21 :  1^),  however,  give  the  account  of 
the  widow  and  two  mites,  which  Matthew  omits, 
and  John  (12 :  20-36)  gives  the  interview  with  the 
Greeks  which  no  other  Evangelist  gives.  The 
fact  that  John,  whose  general  record  of  Christ's 
Judean  ministry  is  so  full,  says  almost  nothing 
of  the  teachings  of  this  day,  is  one  of  the  many 
indications  that  he  wrote  with  the  other  Gospels 
before  him,  and  in  part  to  supply  what  they 
lacked. 

In  studying  in  detail  the  teachings  contained 
in  this  and  the  two  following  chapters,  their 
general  character  and  aim  must  not  be  forgotten. 
Tuesday,  the  4th  day  of  April,  was  by  far  the 
most  eventful  in  the  life  of  Christ,  prior  to  his 
passion  and  death.  On  the  evening  of  that  day, 
and  for  that  day's  utterances,  not  at  his  more 
formal  trial,  he  was  condemned  to  die.  When  he 
first  entered  the  Temple  it  was  evident  that  sys- 
tematic plans  had  been  formed  to  silence  him 
(Luke  19 :  47, 48).  Pharisecs,  Sadducces  and  Hero- 
dians  united  against  him;  assumed  to  be  his 
disciples  ;  mingled  their  questions  with  those  of 
honest  enquirers  ;  endeavored  to  entrap  him  into 
answers  that  should  arouse  popular  prejudice  or 
embroil  him  with  the  Roman  government ;  plied 
him  with  flatteries ;  and  praising  his  boldness  and 
independence,  sought  to  cajole  him  (Matt.  22 :  le ; 

Mark  11  :  27  ;  12  :  13,  14 ;  Luke  20  :  20,  2l).      HithcrtO,  Christ 

had  either  openly  refused  or  successfully  evaded 
all  such  questions.  He  now  pursued  a  diflerent 
course  ;  sought  to  draw  out  the  hierarchy ;  made 
plain  to  all  the  people  the  ineradicable  antag- 
onism between  him  and  the  priesthood  ;  and 
closed  with  a  solemn  and  terrible  denunciation 

of  them  (Matt.  21  :  32 ;  22  :  21,  29-32  ;  23 :  13-36),  Which  yet 


234 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXI. 


Eriests  and  the  elders  of  the  people  came  unto  him  as 
e  was  teaching,  and  said,   By"  what  authority  doest 
thou  these  things  ?   and  who  gave  thee  this  authority. 

24  And  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  them,  I  also 
will  ask  you  one  thing,  which  if  ye  tell  me,  1  in  like 
wise  will  tell  you  by  what  authority  I  do  these  things. 

25  The  baptism  of  John  whence  was  it  ?  from 
heaven,  or  of  men  ?    And  tney  reasoned  with  them- 


selves, saying.  If  we  shall  say.  From  heaven  ;  he  will 
say  unto  us.  Why  did  ye  not  then  believe  him  ? 

26  But  if  we  shall  say,  Of  men  ;  we  fear  the  people  ; 
for='  all  hold  John  as  a  prophet. 

27  And  they  answered  Jesus,  and  said.  We  cannot 
tell.  And  he  said  unto  them,  Neither  tell  I  you  by 
what  authority  I  do  these  things. 

28  But   what  think  ye?      A   certain^  man  had  two 


w  Exod.  2  :  14.  . .  .1  ch.  14  :  5 y  Lake  15  :  11, « 


ended  in  an  outcry  of  infinite  pathos,  of  divine 
pity  and  compassion  (23 :  37-39).  This  commingled 
denunciation  and  lamentation  constituted  Christ's 
farewell  to  Judaism — the  culmination  of  his  min- 
istry, the  first  word  of  whose  earliest  public  and 
recorded  discourse  had  been  'Blessed,'  and  to 
the  graciousness  of  whose  first  sermons  all  had 
borne  glad  testimony  (Matt.  6:3;  Luke 4: 22).  See 
AbboWs  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  chap.  38,  pp.  402-40i, 
from  which  this  note  is  condensed. 

Ch.  21  :  23-27.  FIRST  ATTACK  ON  CHEIST.-His 
AUTHORITY  QUESTIONED.    See  Lessons  below. 

Mark  (11 :  27-33)  and  Luke  (20 :  i-s)  give  the  ac- 
count of  this  interview  in  almost  the  same  words. 
Christ  was  walking  (Mark)  and  preaching  tlie  Gos- 
pel (Luke),  i.  e.  telling  the  people  the  good  news 
of  the  coming  kingdom  of  God. 

23.  Into  the  Temple.  The  outer  court  of 
the  Temple,  the  court  of  the  Gentiles  (see  notes  on 
John  2 1 13-17)  was  a  Convenient  gathering  place  of 
the  people,  and  during  the  Passover  week  would 
be  thronged.    Here  Christ  and  his  apostles  often 

preached  (john7:  14 ;  8:2;  Acts  2:  46;  3:  1,  11,  etc.). — The 

chief  priests.  That  is,  the  leaders  of  the  priest- 
hood. See  note  on  Matt.  3  :  4. — The  elders  of 
the  peopJe.  These  were  laymen.  See  note  on 
Matt.  16  :  31.  Mark  and  Luke  add  scribes  ;  these 
were  the  theologians  of  Judaism.  Lange  and  Al- 
ford  suppose  this  to  have  been  an  oflicial  delega- 
tion from  the  Sanhedrim.  That  is  certainly  pos- 
sible, but  by  no  means  clear.  I  should  think  it 
more  probable,  from  Matt.  33  :  15,  that  prior  to 
the  time  there  referred  to,  the  efforts  to  entangle 
Christ  were  individual  and  extemporized. 

These  things.  This  includes  his  whole  min- 
istry. He  had  neither  the  authority  of  a  rabbi  to 
teach,  nor  of  a  priest  to  cleanse  the  Temple. 
There  is  significance  in  the  vagueness  of  the  lan- 
guage, these  things.  They  were  unwiUing  to 
specify  the  cleansing  of  the  Temple,  and  so  seem 
publicly  to  justify  its  pollution.  —  And  who 
gave  thee  this  authority  ?  This  question 
interprets  the  other,  and  indicates  their  object, 
viz.,  authority  on  which  they  could  found  a 
charge  of  blasphemy.  They  thus  sought  by 
indirection,  what  on  his  trial  the  high  priest 
Bought  by  a  direct  question.    See  Matt.  26  :  63, 64. 

35.  The  baptism  of  John.  "Meaning 
thereby,  the  whole  office  and  teaching  of  which 
the  baptism  was  the  central  point  and  seal." — 


{Alford.) — From  heaven.  Equivalent  here  to 
from  God. — And  they  reasoned  among 
themselves.  In  a  conference  aside.  Surely  it  is 
a  strain  upon  the  narrative  to  suppose  that  they 
returned  to  the  Sanhedrim,  and  that  a  formal 
consultation  was  there  held.  As  to  the  Evangel- 
ist's source  of  knowledge,  it  may  have  been,  as 
Alford  supposes,  Nicodemus  or  Joseph  of  Ari- 
mathea;  is  it  not  more  probable  to  have  been 
our  Lord  himself,  who  knew  what  was  in  man 
and  read  even  their  unuttered  thoughts  ? — Why- 
did  ye  not  then  believe  him  ?  Generally, 
accept  him  and  his  mission.  How  far  they  were 
from  doing  this  is  evident,  from  Christ's  charg- 
ing them  with  the  murder  of  John  the  Baptist 
(Matt.  17 :  12  and  note).  What  givcs  Special  point  to 
this  inquiry,  however,  is  John  the  Baptist's  tes- 
timony   to    Christ    (johnl  :  27,  29,  34;  3  :3l).       If    they 

believed  John  was  a  prophet  they  could  not 
question  the  authority  of  Christ. 

26.  We  fear  the  people.  Luke  adds :  all 
the  2xople  will  stone  2is.  "  Seest  thou  a  perverse 
heart.  In  every  case  they  despise  God,  and  do 
all  things  for  the  sake  of  men." — {Chrysostom.) — 
For  all  hold  John  as  a  prophet.  Compare 
Luke  7  :  37. 

27.  We  cannot  tell.  Literally,  ive  do  not 
know.  "They  were  caught  in  a  rough  alterna- 
tive, and  could  extricate  themselves  only  by  a 
step  of  desperation — a  confession  of  ignorance, 
and  that  of  hypocritical  (pretended  ?)  ignorance." 
— (Lange.)  They  assumed  to  judge  of  Christ's  au- 
thority :  he  compelled  them  to  confess  publicly 
their  inability  to  judge  of  the  authority  of  John 
the  Baptist.  Their  utter  want  of  moral  principle, 
their  supreme  and  even  unconcealed  indifference 
to  the  truth  stands  out  nowhere  more  clearly 
than  in  these  last  days  of  Christ's  ministry.  Com- 
pare Matt.  33  :  15  ;  Luke  20  :  30  ;  John  11  :  47-50. 
— Neither  tell  I  yon.  "An  answer,  not  to 
their  outward  words,  Wc  know  not,  but  to  their 
inward  thoughts.  We  will  not  teU." — (Alford.) 

Lessons.  One  may  admire  in  this  incident 
the  skiU  with  which  Christ  confounds  the  ene- 
mies of  truth.  It  illustrates  (a)  Christ's  refusal 
to  submit  his  claims  to  the  decision  of  inimical 
skeptics ;  (b)  the  unity  of  divine  truth  ;  one  can- 
not accept  a  part  and  reject  a  part,  e.  g.  accept 
John  the  Baptist  and  reject  Christ ;  (c)  the  hy- 
pocrisy of  much  that  appears  to  be  religious 
investigation ;  (d)  the  right  of  a  religious  teacher 


Ch.  XXI.] 


MATTHEW. 


235 


sons ;  and  he  came  to  the  first,  and  said,  Son,  g;o  work 
to-day  in  my  vineyard. 

29  He  answered  and  said,  I  will  not ;  but  afterward^ 
he  repented,  and  went. 

30  And  he  came  to  the  second,  and  said  likewise. 
And  he  answered  and  said,  I  ^p,  sir  ;  and  went  not. 

31  Whether  of  them  twam  did  the  will  of  /izV father? 


They  say  unto  him.  The  first.  Jesus  saith  unto  them, 
Verily  I  say  unto  you,  That  the  publicans  and  the  har- 
lots go  into  the  kingdom  of  God  before  you. 

32  For  John  came  unto  you  in  the  way  of  righteous- 
ness, and  ye  believed  him  not ;  but  the  publicans'"  and 
the  harlots"  believed  him  :  and  ye,  when  ye  had  seen 
zV,  repented  not<^  afterward,  that  ye  might  believe  huu. 


2  Chron.  33  :  12,  13 ;  1  Cor.  6:11;  Eph.  2  : 


Luke  3  :  12 b  Luke  7  :  37,  etc. . .  .c  Kev,  2  :  21. 


to  answer  a  fool  according  to  his  folly,  if  he  has 
the  abilihj  so  to  do. 

Ch.  21  :  28-32.    PARABLE  OF  THE  TWO  SOXS.— The 

TEST  OP  PIETY  IS  PRACTICE,  NOT  PROPBSSIOK. 

This  parable  is  peculiar  to  Matthew.  The 
Btory  is  of  a  small  vineyard,  which  the  father 
works  with  the  aid  of  his  own  family  only.  In 
other  respects  it  corresponds  to  the  parable  of 
the  laborers  (Matt.  20 :  i-ie).  The  owner  of  the 
vineyard  represents  God ;  the  two  sous,  two 
types  of  character ;  the  vineyard  itself,  the  world, 
which  is  God's  field  (Matt.  13 :  ss) ;  and  the  com- 
mand the  call  of  God  to  his  children,  which  is  a 
call  to  become  co-workers  with  him  (icor.  3:9). 
Compare  notes  on  Matt.  20  : 1-16. 

28.  HoAV  seems  it  to  you?  That  is,  what 
do  you  think  yourself  of  the  case  I  fiut  to  you  ? 
Analogous  to  this  appeal  is  Isaiah  1  :  18 ;  analo- 
gous to  our  Lord's  method  here,  is  Nathan's  with 
David  (2  Sam.  12 : 1-12).  It  incidently  indicates  to 
the  religious  teacher  how,  by  indirection,  to  ap- 
proach a  sacred  conscience. 

29.  He  *  *  *  said,  I  will  not.  This 
is  the  language  of  flagrant,  open,  and  audacious 
sin.  Compare  Luke  15  :  13 ;  19  :  14.  The  char- 
acter and  experience  described  are  represented 
in  such  passages  as  Prov.  1 :  21: ;  Jer.  2  :  25  ;  41 :  16. 
—But  afterwards  regretted  it  and  went. 
The  Greek  word  {uiTui^iiXoiiiai)  here  rendered 
repent  should  not  be  so  translated.  It  occurs  in 
the  N.  T.  only  here  and  in  verse  32  below,  and  in 
Matt.  27  :  3 ;  2  Cor.  7:8;  Heb.  7  :  21.  It  differs 
from  the  word  {uttocroibj),  more  generally  ren- 
dered repent;  that  word  signifies  a  change  of 
purpose,  this,  rather  regret.  See  note  on  Matt. 
3  :  2.  Here,  however,  though  the  idea  of  regret 
is  prominent,  the  result,  a  change  of  mind,  is  in- 
volved in  the  narrative. 

30.  He  *  *  *  said,  I  sir.  There  is  an 
air  of  alacrity  and  of  quasi  self-assurance  in  the 
original,  which  our  version  hardly  retains.  Mor- 
ison  paraphrases  it,  "Tou  may  depend  upon  me 
sir."  The  character  and  experience  described 
are  depicted  in  such  passages  as  Isaiah  29  :  13  ; 
Ezek.  33  :  31 ;  Matt.  15  ;  8 ;  Rom.  2  :  17-23 ;  Titus 
1  :16. 

31.  32.  Publicans  and  harlots.  For  a 
description  of  the  Publican  see  note  on  Matt. 
9  :  9.  For  description  of  the  Pharisees,  here  re- 
ferred to  in  the  words  "before  ?/om,"  see  note  on 
Matt.  3  :  7.    Publicans  and  harlots  had  accepted 


Christ  and  enrolled  themselves  among  his  disci- 
ples (Matt.  9:9;  Luke  7  :  29, 37-60 ;  15:1,2;  19  :  2,  9,  lo). — Go 

into    the    kingdom    of  God    before    you. 

An  intimation  that  the  way  was  stiU  open,  so 
that  the  Pharisees  might  follow  on  if  they  would. 
— In  the  way  of  righteousness.  Preaching 
obedience  as  the  way  of  Ufe,  which  was  the  radical 
doctrine  of  Pharisaism,  but  preaching  a  very  dif- 
ferent kind  of  obedience,  viz.,  compliance  with 
the  moral  not  with  the  mere  ceremonial  law  (see 
Luke  3 :  lo-u).  John  the  Baptist  came  upon  their 
own  ground,  yet  they  beheved  not. — When  ye 
had  seen  it,  regretted  not,  that  ye  might 
believe  him.  That  is,  they  had  no  such  regret 
as  led  to  a  practical  belief  in  John,  and  practical 
compliance  with  his  instructions. 

Lessons.  These  two  sons  represent,  not  the 
Gentiles  and  the  Jews,  as  interpreted  by  some  of 
the  earlier  commentators,  nor  the  Publicans 
and  Pharisees,  as  usually  interpreted  by  the 
later  commentators,  but  those  Publicans  who  re- 
gretted their  open  and  flagrant  sinfulness  and 
commenced  a  life  of  obedience,  and  those  Phari- 
sees who  endeavored  to  cover  a  life  of  real  dis- 
obedience by  a  pretence  of  compliance  with  the 
law.  The  first  son  indicates  only  Publicans  who, 
mce  Matthew  and  Zaccheus,  forsook  their  sms  to 
follow  Christ ;  the  second  son  does  not  indicate 
Pharisees  who,  like  Nicodemus,  Joseph  of  Ari- 
mathea,  and  Paul,  forsook  their  sins  to  follow 
him.  In  its  modem  application  the  parable 
teaches,  not  that  there  is  more  hope  for  a  flagrant 
sinner  than  for  a  virtuous  man,  but  that  the  fla- 
grant sinner  vjho  forsakes  his  sins,  enters  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  before  the  orthodox  and 
moral  man,  who  clings  to  his  sins.  The  first  son 
is  commended,  not  because  of  the  daring  wickedness 
of  his  reply,  but  because  he  regretted  it  and  showed 
Ms  regret  by  his  action.  "What  comfort  will  it 
afford  to  the  lost  to  reflect  that  they  went  openly 
to  perdition,  in  broad  day-light,  before  all  men, 
and  did  not  skulk  through  by-ways,  under  pre- 
tence that  they  were  going  to  heaven." — {Arnot.) 
On  the  other  hand  the  second  son  is  not  condemned 
for  his  answer,  but  in  spite  of  it,  and  because, 
having  promised  obedience,  he  refused  to  render 
it.  The  lesson  of  the  parable  is  then  exactly  the 
lesson  of  Matt.  7  :  21-27.  Incidentally  it  opens 
the  door  of  hope  to  all,  even  the  least  and  the 
lowest.  "'Who  was  more  wretched  than  Mat- 
thew? But  he  became  an  Evangelist.  Who 
worse  than  Paul  V   But  he  became  an  apostle.  *  *  * 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXL 


33  Hear  another  parable :  There  was  a  certain  house- 
holder, whicli'i  planted  a  vineyard,  and  hedged  it  round 
about,  and  digged  a  winepress  in  it,  and  built  a  tower, 
and  let  it  out  to  husbandmen,  and  went  into  a  far 
country : 

34  And  when  the  time  of  the  fruit  drew  near,  he  sent 
his  servants"  to  the  husbandmen,  that  they  might  re- 
ceive the  fruits  of  it. 


35  And'  the  husbandmen  took  his  servants,  and  beat 
one,  and  killed  another,  and  stoned  another. 

36  Again,  he  sent  other  servants  more  than  the  first : 
and  they  did  unto  them  likewise. 

37  But,  last  of  all,  he  sent  unto  them  his  son,  saying, 
They  will  reverence  my  son. 

38  But  when  the  husbandmen  saw  the  son,  they  said 


Raliab  was  a  harlot,  yet  was  she  saved ;  and  the 
thief  was  a  murderer,  yet  he  became  a  citizen  of 
Paradise  ;  and  while  Judas  being  with  his  Master, 
perished,  the  thief  being  on  a  cross,  became  a 
disciple." — {Chrysostom.)  The  whole  parable  il- 
lustrates Matt.  19  :  30. 

Ch.  21  :  33-46.  THE  PARABLE  OP  THE  WICKED  HUS- 
BAXDMEN.— The  AccotnNTABiLiTT  or  nations  to  God. 
— The  punishment  of  godless  and  unfaithful  na- 
tions. 

This  parable  was  a  part  of  the  Temple  instruc- 
tion on  the  day  which  constituted  the  close  of 
Christ's  public  ministry.  It  is  reported  also  in 
Mark  (12 : 1-12)  and  Luke  (20 : 9-19).  It  was  spoken 
to  all  the  people  (Luke)  and  therefore  personally 
applied  to  all,  not  merely,  as  some  of  the  com- 
mentators have  supposed,  to  their  religious 
leaders. 

33.  Hear  another  parable.  Confounded 
by  the  previous  parable  and  its  application,  those 
who  came  to  perplex  Christ  (verse  23)  would  have 
withdrawn ;  he  recalls  them. — There  Avas  a 
certain  householder  which  planted  a 
vineyard.  Judea  was  formerly  a  land  of  vine- 
yards ;  these  were  constructed  on  its  hills,  which 
were  often  terraced  to  the  summit.  From  the 
earliest  settlement  by  the  Israelites  it  was  famous 

for    its    grapes    (Numb.  13  :  23  ;  Isaiah  16  :  8-10  ;  Jer.  48  :  32). 

The  hedge  was  sometimes  a  stone  wall,  sometimes 
a  true  hedge  of  thorns  ;  this  last,  if  formed,  as  is 
common  in  the  East,  of  the  prickly  wild  aloe, 
was  an  efEectual  protection  against  wild  beasts 

(Psalm  80  :  12,  13  ;  Sol.  Sonj  2  :  u).       The    wilie-preSS    WaS 

dug  in  the  earth  or  hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock. 
It  consisted-of  two  vats,  at  difEerent  elevations, 
the  grapes  being  trodden  out  in  one ;  the  other 
receiving  the  juice.  The  tower  was  a  place  of 
shelter  for  watchmen  who  guarded  the  fruit  of 
the  vineyard ;  it  was  also  used  for  storing  the 
fruit.  It  is  customary  in  the  East,  as  in 
Ireland  and  in  other  parts  of  Europe,  for  the 
owner  to  let  out  his  estate  to  husbandmen,  i.  e. 
tenants,  who  pay  him  an  annual  rent,  either  in 
money,  or,  as  apparently  in  this  case,  in  kind. 
The  attempt  to  find  a  spiritual  parallel  for  the 
hedge,  and  wine-press  and  tower,  appears  to  me 
unnatural  and  far-fetched.  But  Chi7Sostom's 
remark  is  worth  nothing.  "  Observe  his  great  care 
and  the  excessive  idleness  of  these  men.  For 
what  pertained  to  the  husbandmen  he  himself 


did,  the  hedging  round  about,  the  planting  the 
vineyard,  and  all  the  rest."  The  sources  of 
national  prosperity,  not  only  with  the  Jews,  but 
with  all  nations,  come  from  God.  To  preserve 
and  ripen  what  he  has  given  is  alone  left  to  man. 
And  went  abroad.  "By  his  going  into  a 
far  country  he  means  his  great  long-suffering." 
— {Chrysostom.)  But  it  seems  to  me  he  means 
more  than  this.  Christ  repeatedly  represents 
God  as  appearing  to  withdraw  from  the  earth, 
that  he  may  test  the  fldelity  and  obedience  of  his 

children     (Matt.  24  :  48  ;  25  :  U ;    Luke  19  :  I2).      I     Should 

rather  say  this  represents  and  partially  explains 
"the  eternal  silences,"  God's  seeming  absence. 

34.  And  when  the  time  of  the  fruit  drew 
near.  By  the  Mosaic  law  the  fruit  of  the  trees 
was  not  to  be  eaten  for  five  years  after  planting. 
This  reasonable  provision,  though  based  on  reli- 
gious grounds,  gave  the  tree  opportunity  for 
maturing  before  use  (Lev.  19 :  23-25).  But  the  anal- 
ogy is  not  to  be  pressed.  AU  time  is  the  time  of 
fruit  with  the  individual  and  with  the  nation. 

God  continually  seeks   for  f  l-uit   (Luke  13  :  T  ;  John  is : 

35,  3G.  Such  scenes  of  violence  as  are  here 
described  (verses  38, 39),  have  been  common,  not 
only  in  the  East,  but  even  in  Ireland,  and  they 
have  not  been  unknown  even  in  this  country,  e.  g. 
in  the  days  of  the  anti-rent  controversy  m  N.  Y. 
State.  "For  an  abundant  historical  justification 
of  this  description,  and  as  showing  that  the  past 
ingratitude  of  the  people  is  not  painted  here  in 
colors  a  whit  too  dark,  see  1  Kings  18  :  13 ;  19  : 
14 ;  23  :  24-27  ;  3  Kmgs  6  :  31 ;  31  :  IG  ;  3  Chron. 
34  :  19-22  ;  36  :  15,  IG  ;  Jer.  20  :  1,  3  ;  37  :  15  ;  and 
also  Acts  7  :  51-55  ;  1  Thess.  3  :  15  ;  Heb.  11  :  36, 
oi:'— {Trench.)  Compare  also  Matt.  33  :  34r-37; 
Mark  and  Luke  give  this  description  of  the 
treatment  of  the  servants  somewhat  more  graph- 
ically. 

37.  In  Luke  the  lord  of  the  vineyard  is  repre- 
sented as  saying,  Wliat  shall  I  do^  a  picture  of 
human  perplexity,  representing  the  grief  of  the 
Heavenly  Father  over  his  rebellious  children. 
Mark's  report  of  Christ's  language  is  noticeable. 
He  says,  Having  yet  therefore  one  son,  Ms  ivell- 
beloved.  Christ  thus  discriminates  clearly  be- 
tween himself,  the  Son,  and  the  prophets  who 
were  but  servants  (compare  Heb.  3 : 6, 6). — They  will 
respect  my  son.     "So  also  elsewhere  he  saith, 


Ch.  XXI.] 


MATTHEW. 


237 


among  themselves,  This  is  the  heir  fi  come,  let  us  kill 
him,  and  let  us  seize  on  his  inheritance. 

39  And  they''  caught  him,  and  cast  Aim  out  of  the 
vineyard,  and  slew  /tim. 

40  When  the  lord  therefore  of  the  vineyard  cometh, 
what  will  he  do  unto  those  husbandmen  ? 

41  They  say  unto  him.  He  will  miserably  destroy' 
those  wicked  men,  and  will  let  out  Ais  vineyard  unto 
otherJ  husbandmen,  which  shall  render  him  the  fruits 
in  their  seasons. 


42  Jesus  saith  unto  them,  Did  ye  never  read  in  the 
scriptures,  The''  stone  which  the  builders  rejected,  the 
same  is  become  the  head  of  the  corner :  this  is  the 
Lord's  doing,  and  it  is  marvellous  in  our  eyes  ? 

43  Therefore  say  I  unto  you.  The  kingdom'  of  God 
shall  be  taken  from  you,  and  given  to  a  nation""  bring- 
ing forth  the  fruits  thereof. 

44  And  whosoever  shall  fall"  on  this  stone  shall  be 
broken  :  but  on  whomsoever  it  shall  fall,  it"  will  grind 
him  to  powder. 


If  perchance,  they  will  hear  (Ezek.  2 ;  5),  not  being 
ignorant,  but  lest  any  of  the  obstinate  should  say 
that  his  prediction  necessitated  their  disobe- 
dience."— (Chi-ysostom.)  Perhaps  this  is  all.  Yet 
it  seems  to  me  that  this  language  of  Scripture, 
of  constant  appeal  to  the  will  of  man,  shows  that 
God  recognizes  a  real  freedom  of  will,  which 
theologians  and  philosophers  have  sometimes 
denied.  The  way  was  still  open  for  them,  so 
that  they  might  respect  and  listen  to  the  Son, 
though  God  foreknew  their  rejection  of  him. 
Compare  Acts  2  :  33. 

38,  39.  This  is  the  heir.  That  the  Phar- 
isees recognized  in  Christ  the  divine  Messiah  is 
not  probable  ;  that  they  did  recognize  his  mirac- 
ulous power  is  certain  from  John  3:3;  11  :  47- 
.OO ;  and  the  latter  reference  indicates  that  if  they 
did  not  recognize  in  him  the  Messiah  it  was  due 
to  willful  prejudice.— Seize  on  his  inherit- 
ance. That  which  engendered  the  bitter  hos- 
tility of  the  priests  and  scribes  to  Christ,  was  the 
fact  that  his  teaching  threatened  to  destroy  their 
influence  and  power.  They  considered  the  nation 
their  property  ;  and  they  slew  the  Son  that  they 
might  hold  it  for  themselves  (joim  11 :  48;  12 :  19). — 
Cast  him  out  of  the  vineyard.  The  com- 
mentators notice  that  Christ  was  delivered  over 
to  the  Gentiles  to  be  slain  (john  is  -.  28),  and  was 

crucified  without  the  gate  (John  19  :  n  ;  Heb.  13  :  II,  12). 

But  neither  fact  appears  to  me  to  be  indicated 
here.  Mark  reverses  the  order  of  Matthew's 
language  and  says,  Killed  him  and  cast  him  out  of 
the  vineyard. 

41.  Miserable  fellows  !  miserably  will 
he  destroy  them.  {y.uxovg  y.ay.wg  uTtukiae 
Kutov:.)  The  language  of  indignation  is  far 
stronger  m  the  original,  of  which  I  give,  as  nearly 
as  possible,  a  literal  translation,  than  in  our 
English  version.  The  Pharisees  did  not  perceive 
the  drift  of  his  parable,  or  perhaps  this  was  the 
answer  of  the  people,  and  ^^  God  forbid^''  (Luke 
20 :  16)  was  their  involuntary  response  to  the  pop- 
ular expression.  To  this  their  response,  reported 
only  by  Luke,  Christ  replies  with  the  quotation 
from  the  O.  T.  of  the  next  verse,  thus  confirming 
the  lesson  of  his  parable. 

42.  This  quotation  is  from  Psalm  118  :  23. 
From  the  same  Psalm,  ver.  26,  was  taken  the  song 
Bung  by  the  people  on  Christ's  triumphal  entry 


into  Jerusalem,  two  days  before  (Matt.  21 : 9).  The 
date  and  occasion  of  that  Psalm  are  uncertain,  and 
to  what  the  Psalmist  referred  in  the  proverbial 
phrase  here  quoted,  is  therefore  also  uncertain. 
Mr.  Barnes'  interpretation  appears  to  me  rational. 
"  We  are  not  to  suppose  that  this  Psalm  had  origi- 
nal reference  to  the  Messiah  ;  but  it  is  applicable 
to  him,  and  it  is  used,  here  and  elsewhere,  merely 
to  show  them  how  the  prmciple  was  found  in 
their  own  writings,  that  one  who  was  rejected, 
like  a  stone  unfit  to  be  worked  into  any  part 
of  a  building,  might  be  in  reality  so  important, 
that  it  would  be  laid  yet  at  the  very  comer,  and 
become  the  most  valuable  stone  in  the  edifice — 
that  on  which  the  whole  superstructure  would 
rest." 

The  head  of  the  corner  refers  not  to  the 
highest  point  or  coping  of  the  wall,  but  to  the 
corner-stone,  laid  at  the  foundation,  binding 
together  the  two  walls ;  on  it  the  whole  super- 
structure, in  a  measure,  rests.  There  are  four 
corner-stones,  but  in  large  buildings  one  is  gen- 
erally laid  with  ceremony,  as  the  first  step  in  the 
true  structure  of  the  edifice.  Christ  is  declared 
elsewhere  in  the  N.  T.  to  be  the  comer-stone  of 
his  church.  See  Acts  4  :  11 ;  1  Cor.  3  :  11 ;  1  Pet. 
3  :  6,  7 ;  compare  Isaiah  28  :  16  ;  Zech.  4:7;  and 
especially  Ephes.  2  :  20-33,  where  Christ's  oflace 
in  binding  together  Jew  and  Gentile  in  one  spir- 
itual edifice  is  portrayed. — Marvellous.  Be- 
cause the  rejected  stone  is  become  the  corner- 
stone. The  superstructure  also  is  largely  made 
up  of  stones  rejected  by  the  world's  builders. 
Compare  Acts  4  :  13 ;  1  Cor.  1  :  36,  37. 

43.  Given  to  a  nation  producing  the 
fruits  thereof.  Not  any  particular  nation,  nor 
the  Gentiles  generally,  but  God's  peculiar  people, 
his  chosen  nation  out  of  all  lands.  See  Acts  15  : 
14 ;  1  Pet.  2:9;  Rev.  5  :  9. 

44.  Trench  gives  well  the  meaning  of  this 
enigma.  "They  fall  on  the  stone  who  are  of- 
fended at  Christ  in  his  low  estate  (isaiah  8 :  14  j  53 .-  2; 

Luke  2  :  34  ;  4  :  29  i  John  4  :  44)  ;    of    thiS    Sin    hiS    hcarcrS 

were  already  guilty.  They  on  whom  the  stone 
falls  are  those  who  set  themselves  in  self-con- 
scious opposition  against  the  Lord  ;  who,  knowing 
what  he  is,  do  yet  to  the  end  oppose  themselves 
to  him  and  to  his  kingdom.  These  shall  not  merely 
fall  and  be  broken ;  for  one  might  recover  himself, 


238 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXII. 


45  And  when  the  chief  priests  and  Pharisees  had 
heard  his  parables,  they  perceived  that  he  spake  ot 
them. 

46  But  when  they  sought  to  lay  hands  on  him,  they 
feared  the  multitude,  because  theyp  took  him  for  a 
prophet 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

AND  Jesus  answered  and  spake  unto  them  again  by 
parables,  and  said, 
2  Thei  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  certain  king, 
which  made  a'  marriage  for  his  son, 


p  Luke  7  :  16 ;  John  7  :  40. . .  .q  Lake  U :  16. . .  .r  Rev.  19  :  7,  9. 


though  with  some  present  harm,  from  such  a 
fall  as  this  ;  but  on  them  the  stone  shall  fall  as  | 
from  heaven,  and  shall  grind  them  to  powder." 
Compare  Matt.  12  ;  33  and  note.  The  verb  here 
rendered  grind  to  powder,  is  literally  winnow,  and 
here  implies  both  making  chafE  of  them  and 
scaUeri7ig  them  as  chafE  to  the  winds  of  heaven. 
Compare  Dan.  2  :  35 ;  to  which  Christ  perhaps 
intends  a  reference.  Observe  the  implication 
that  there  is  no  possibility  of  restoration,  an 
implication  adverse  directly  to  the  restoration  of 
the  Jews  as  a  nation,  and  indirectly  to  the  resto- 
ration of  a  lost  soul  after  judgment.  "Mercy 
has  lighted  this  premonitory  fire.  The  Lord 
sends  out  foreshadowings  of  judgment  to  drive 
from  their  unbelief,  those  who  refuse  to  yield  to 
gentler  means." — {Arnot.) 

45,  46.  According  to  Mark,  after  this  parable, 
"They  (i.  e.  the  Pharisees)  left  Christ  and  went 
their  way."  They  subsequently  sent  disciples  as 
spies  to  assume  an  air  of  honest  inquirers  and  so 
entrap  him.    Matt.  22  :  15  and  note. 

Lessons  of  the  Parable.    The  vine  (Psaim  so : 

8-16  ;  Jer.  2  :  21 ;   Ezek.  15  :  1-6  ;  19  :  lo)    and    the    Vineyard 

(Isaiah  5 : 1-7 ;  27 : 2,  z)  are  employed  in  the  O.  T.  as 
symbols  of  the  Jewish  nation.  See  also  Matt. 
20  : 1 ;  and  John  15  : 1.  The  parallel  between 
this  parable  and  those  in  Psalm  80  :  8-16  and 
Isaiah  5  : 1-7  is  so  striking,  that  it  is  not  improb- 
able that  Christ  and  his  auditors  had  one  or  both 
of  those  passages  in  mind.  But  a  radical  difiEer- 
ence  is  noticeable.  In  the  Psalms  the  hedges  are 
broken  down  and  the  vineyard  ravaged  by  wild 
beasts,  i.  e.  the  Jewish  nation  was  desolated  by 
the  heathen  ;  in  Isaiah  the  vineyard  brings  forth 
wild  grapes,  i.  e.  the  Jewish  nation  produced  no 
good  fruit.  Here  the  vineyard  is  fruitful,  but  the 
husbandmen  will  not  render  up  the  fruits.  In 
the  O.  T.  the  kingdom  of  God  and  the  Jewish 
nation  are  treated  as  identical ;  in  the  N.  T.  the 
vineyard  is  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  is  to  be 
taken  from  the  nation,  and  given  to  one  bringing 
forth  the  fruits  thereof. 

The  householder  then  represents  God ;  the  vine- 
yard the  kingdom  of  God  (see  note  on  verse  33),  the 
hedge,  and  winepress,  and  tower,  the  various  ad- 
vantages conferred  by  God  upon  the  Jewish 
people  (Rom.  9:4);  the  husbandmen,  not  the  religious 
leaders  of  the  people,  but  the  people  themselves, 
who  were  intrusted  with  the  kingdom,  and  who 
should  have  brought  forth  the  fruits  of  right- 
eousness in  themselves,  and  in  their  children, 


each  generation  cultivating  the  succeeding  gen- 
eration ;  the  going  into  a  far  country,  is  the 
seeming  withdrawal  of  God  from  the  earth  into 
the  realm  of  the  silent  and  the  unseen;  the 
servants  are  the  prophets  sent  to  the  nation  from 
time  to  time,  and  shamefully  ill-treated  ;  the  Son 
is  Christ,  the  last  appeal  of  a  merciful  God  to  an 
unfaithful  nation  ;  the  coming  of  the  Lord  of  the 
vineyard  is  primarily  God's  coming  in  the  destnic- 
tion  of  Jerusalem,  when  the  nation  was  destroyed, 
and  the  kingdom  taken  from  Israel  and  given  to 
the  nation  bringing  forth  the  fruits  thereof,  i.  e.  the 
elect  of  all  lands.  The  practical  lessons  of  the 
parable  to  our  own  times  are  as  follows :  The  real 
foundation  of  national  prosperity  is  found  in  God's 
gifts;  every  nation  is  accountable  to  God,  as  a 
nation,  and  for  its  national  use  of  its  privileges 
and  position ;  the  seeming  indifference  and  real 
watchfulness  of  God  ;  the  certainty  of  a  coming 
judgment,  in  time  for  the  nation,  in  eternity  for 
the  individual ;  the  total  destruction  of  the  un- 
faithful nation,  illustrated  by  history,  and  illus- 
trating the  doom  of  the  individual ;  and  the 
finality  of  that  doom,  enforced  by  the  result  of 
the  final  judgment  in  this  parable,  as  expressed 
in  the  words,  "Grind  them  to  powder."  Verse 
42  indicates  that  Christ  is  the  foundation  of 
national  life,  as  well  as  of  Christian  and  church 
life,  and  verse  43  that  the  continuance  of  national 
prosperity  is  conditioned  on  practical  righteous- 


Ch.  22  : 1-14.    PAEABLE  OF  THE  WEDDISG  FEAST.- 

GtrELT  IS  DTDIVrDUAIi  AND  PERSONAL. — ThE  GREATEST 
SIN  :  THE  REJECTION  OF  THE  GOSPEL.— ThE  FALSE  PRO- 
FESSOR OP  RELIGION :   HE  PROFESSES  CHRIST,  BUT  DOES 

NOT  PUT  ON  Christ.— See  analysis  below. 

Analysis. — This  parable,  which  is  peculiar  to 
Matthew,  has  been  sometimes  confounded  with 
that  of  the  Great  Supper  in  Luke  14  :  15-24.  We 
must  believe  either  that  Christ  employed  sub- 
stantially the  same  figure  more  than  once  in  his 
ministry,  though  with  variation  both  in  imagery 
and  in  application,  or  else  that  we  have  here  two 
different  reports  of  the  same  parable.  The 
former  opinion  appears  to  me  the  better  one. 
The  parallel  between  the  two  discourses  is  very 
clear.  In  both  there  is  a  supper,  to  which  the 
guests  first  invited  decline  to  come ;  in  both  their 
places  are  filled  up  by  a  throng  invited  from  the 
streets.  But  the  difference  is  more  marked  than 
the  resemblance.    That  parable  was  delivered  in 


Ch.  XXIL] 


MATTHEW. 


239 


3  And'  sent  forth  his  servants  to  call  them  that  were 
bidden  to  the  wedding :  and  they  would  not  come. 

4  Again,  he  sent  forth  other  servants,  saying.  Tell 
them  which  are  bidden,  Behold,  I  have  prepared  my 


dinner ;    my  oxen  and  tny  fatlings  are  killed,  and  all 
things  are  ready :  come  unto  the  marriage. 

5  But  they  made  light'  of  it,  and  went  their  ways, 
one  to  his  farm,  another  to  his  merchandise : 


8  Pb.  68  :  U;  Jer.  25:4;  36:  15;  Rev.  22  :  17 t  Ps.  106:  24,25;  Prov.  1  :  24,25;  Acts  24:  25;  Rom.  2:4. 


a  Pharisee's  house,  this  in  the  Temple ;  that 
before  the  enmity  of  the  leaders  had  been  fully 
developed,  this  as  a  warning  of  their  danger ; 
that  represented  simply  a  supper  given  by  a  cer- 
tain man,  this  a  wedding-feast  given  by  a  king 
on  the  marriage  of  his  son ;  in  that  the  guests 
simply  absent  themselves,  in  this  they  maltreat 
the  servants  sent  to  invite  them ;  in  that  they 
simply  are  shut  out  from  the  supper,  in  this 
they  are  destroyed,  and  their  city  burned  with 
fire ;  that  is  addressed  to  the  remark  of  a  by- 
stander, Blessed  is  he  that  shall  eat  bread  in  the 
kingdom  of  God,  and  points  out  how  in  all  ages, 
and  in  all  communities.  Christian  and  Jewish, 
the  actual  invitation  to  eat  bread  in  that  king- 
dom is  disregarded,  and  portrays  the  reasons  in 
the  three  excuses  assigned,  this  is  closely  con- 
nected with  the  preceding  parable,  and  sets  forth 
in  a  new  light,  and  from  a  different  stand-point, 
the  judgment  against  the  Jewish  nation  for  its 
rejection  of  the  Lord.  In  brief,  that  parable 
emphasizes  the  Gospel  invitation,  the  fact  of 
judgment  and  condemnation  is  subordinate  and 
incidental,  this  emphasizes  the  judgment  and 
condemnation,  the  Gospel  invitation  is  subordi- 
nate and  incidental.  That  illustrates  the  grace, 
this  the  judgment  of  the  Lord.  It  is  not  deroga- 
tory to  Christ  to  suppose  that  he  employed  this 
parable  twice  ;  it  is  rather  a  token  of  the  skill  of 
the  Great  Teacher  that  he  uses  substantially  the 
same  picture  to  teach  lessons  which  in  modern 
theology  have  often  been  represented  as  incon- 
gruous if  not  inconsistent.  The  student  should 
compare  with  this  parable  that  in  Luke  and  the 
notes  there. 

This  parable  is  closely  connected  with  the  pre- 
ceding one— The  Wicked  Husbandmen.  It  is 
unfortunate  that  the  two  are  separated  by  a 
chapter  division.  The  two  teach  the  same  les- 
son, the  rejection  of  Christ  by  the  Jews,  God's 
chosen  people,  and  their  rejection  and  destruc- 
tion in  consequence.  But  that  represents  God  as 
coming  to  demand  fruits,  this  to  bring  a  gift ; 
that  represents  the  nation  as  determined  not  to 
account  for  its  trust,  this  as  determined  not  to 
receive  grace ;  that  is  drawn  from  the  O.  T.,  this 
is  redolent  of  the  N.  T.  ;  that  deals  with  the 
Jewish  nation  a.s  a  nation^  for  the  husbandmen 
conspire  and  act  together  (ch.  21 :  ss),  this  deals 
with  individuals  an  individuals,  each  one  declines 
for  himself  the  king's  invitation,  some  being 
simply  indifferent,  others  open  in  their  enmity 
(versjs  5, 6) ;  that  again  represents  the  calling  of  a 
new  nation  to  whom  the  kingdom  of  God  shall 


be  given  (ch.  21:43),  this  represents  that  in  this 
new  call  each  soul  shall  give  account  of  itself, 
and  none  shall  abide  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
without  personal  preparation,  the  wedding-gar- 
ment (verse  12).  That  therefore  teaches  the  unity, 
responsibility  and  judgment  of  nations,  this  dis- 
tributes that  responsibility,  and  allots  that  judg- 
ment to  the  individual. 

2.  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  likened 

unto     a     man     king     (see  note  on  Matt.  18  :  23)     who 

would  make  a  wedding  feast  for  his  son. 

The  wedding  festivities  in  the  East  are  often 
protracted  for   several  days,  sometimes  for  an 

entire  week  or  more  (Oen.  29  :  27  ;  judges  14  :  12.    See  notes 

on  John  2 : 1,  etc.,  and  Matt.  25 :  i).  The  word  rendered 
marriage  in  this  verse  is  the  same  translated  wed- 
ding in  the  next.  It  properly  signifies  the  wed- 
ding feast.  "The  two  favorite  images  under 
which  the  prophets  of  the  Old  Covenant  set 
forth  the  blessings  of  the  New,  and  of  all  near 
communion  with  God,  that  of  a  festival  (isaiah 

25  :  6;  65  :  13;  Sol.  Song  5  :  l),  and  of  a  marriage  (Isaiah 
61  :  10  ;  62  :  6  ;    Hos.  2:19;  Matt.  9  :  16  ;  John  3  :  29  ;  Eph.  5  :  32  ; 

2  Cor.  11 : 2),  meet  and  interpenetrate  each  other  in 
the  marriage  festival  here." — (Trench.)  The 
fact  that  the  guests,  i.  e.  the  disciples  of  Christ, 
constitute  Christ's  bride,  exemplifies  the  fact 
that  no  figures  borrowed  from  human  life  are 
adequate  fully  to  illustrate  spiritual  truth. 
Even  in  the  parable  we  only  see  through  a  glass 
darkly.  For  parallel  passages  of  Scripture,  see 
Prov.  9:3-5;  Zeph.  1  :  7,  8 ;  Luke  22  :  18,  30 ; 
Rev.  19  :  7.  Observe,  that  the  Bible  by  the 
symbol  of  the  feast  represents  the  religious  life  as 
one  of  joyousness,  and  by  the  symbol  of  the  mar- 
riage as  one  of  a  most  sacred  and  intimate  fel- 
lowship with  God.  Observe,  too,  that  the 
espousal  takes  place  on  earth ;  the  marriage  is 
completed  in  heaven. 

3.  It  is  not  uncommon  in  the  East,  when  the 
feast  is  ready,  to  send  a  notice  to  those  that 
have  been  invited  (see  Est.  6 : 8 ;  6 :  u).  Observe 
here  the  implication  that  the  O.  T.  was  an  invita- 
tion to  the  feast,  to  which  the  N.  T.  was  the 
second  summons,  with  the  declaration.  All  things 
are  ready.     Compare  Gal.  4  :  4. 

4.  An  attempt  is  made  by  some  commentators 
to  find  a  parallel  in  the  N.  T.  for  this  double 
sending,  e.g.,  that  the  first  sending  is  by  John  the 
Baptist  and  the  earlier  ministry  of  the  twelve 
during  the  lifetime  of  the  Lord,  the  second  by 
their  preaching  subsequent  to  Pentecost.  I 
should  rather  see  in  it  only  a  testimony  to  the 
long-suffering  and  patience  of  God,  in  repeating 


240 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXIL 


6  And  the  remnant  took  his  servants,  and  entreated" 
them  spitetuUy,  and  slew  them. 

7  But  when  the  king  heard  thereof,  he  was  wroth : 
and  he  sent  forth  his  armies,  and  destroyed"  those  mur- 
derers, and  burned  up  their  city. 

8  Then  saith  he  to  his  servants,  The  wedding  is 
ready,  but  they  which  were  bidden  were  not  worthy." 

9  Go  ye  therefore  into  the  highways,  and  as  many  as 
ye  shall  find,  bid  to  the  marriage. 

to  So  those  servants  went  out  into  the  highways.and 
gathered  together  all,='  as  many  as  they  found,  both 


bad  and  good :  and  the  wedding  was  furnished  with 
guests. 

11  And  when  the  king  came  in  to^  see  tlie  guests,  he 
saw  there  a  man  which  had  not  on  a  wedding'  garment : 

12  And  he  saith  unto  him.  Friend,  how  earnest  thou 
in  hither,  not  having  a  wedding  garment?  And  he 
was"  speechless. 

13  Then  said  the  king  to  the  servants,  Bind  him  hand 
andf  foot,  and  take  him''  away,  and  cast  him  into  outer 
darkness  :<=  there  shall  be  weeping  and  gnashing  of 
teeth. 


and  re-repeating  the  Gospel  message,  as  I  should 
see  in  the  end  of  the  parable  a  justification  for 
refusing  to  cast  pearls  before  the  swine  that 
trample  them  under-foot  and  turn  again  to  rend 
the  giver. — All  things  are  ready.  See  note 
on  Luke  14  :  17. 

5,6.  In  the  parable  in  Luke  the  excuses  of 
those  that  decline  are  given  more  fully.  See 
notes  there.  Observe  the  two  classes  here. 
First  are  the  indiflerent,  They  made  light  of 
it,  literally,  But  they  cariyig  not ;  the  same  word 
is  rendered  neglect  in  Hebrew  3  :  3,  which  illus- 
trates the  character  of  these  hearers.  The 
second  are  the  open  enemies  of  the  King  (veree  e). 
These  two  classes,  the  indifferent  and  the  openly 
opposed,  indicate  nearly  the  whole  Jewish  na- 
tion.— The  first  class  again  are  divided  into  two 
classes  :  They  went  their  ways,  one  to  his 
farm,  the  other  to  his  commerce.  Mer- 
chandise is  admissible  here  as  a  translation  only 
in  the  sense  of  "The  act  or  business  of  trading." 
The  original  {ci^irtoQla  from  funooo?,  traveler)  sig- 
nifies literally,  a.  journey  for  traffic.  Thus  it  here 
indicates,  the  labor,  not  the  results,  of  acquisition. 
One  was  absorbed  by  his  possession,  the  other 
by  his  getting.  "The  first  would  etijoy  what  he 
already  possesses ;  the  second  would  acquire 
what  is  as  yet  only  in  anticipation.  The  first 
represents  the  rich ;  the  second  those  that 
would  be  rich  (1  Tim.  6 : 9,  vrith  ny— {Trench.) 

Entreated  them  spitefully  and  slew 
them.  Neglect  of  the  invitation  we  can  under- 
stand, but  why  this  murdering  of  the  king's 
heralds  ?  A  royal  feast  often  possesses  a  polit- 
ical significance.  Thus  it  has  been  supposed 
that  the  feast  recorded  in  Esther,  ch.  1,  is  identi- 
cal with  the  great  gathering  called  when  Xerxes 
(Ahasuerus)  was  planning  his  Greek  expedition. 
A  refusal  to  attend  such  a  feast  would  be  signifi- 
cant of  rebellion,  which  some  might  carry  fur- 
ther than  others.  For  the  historical  fulfillment 
of  this  as  a  prophecy  of  the  Jewish  maltreatment 
of  the  apostles,  see  Acts  4  :  3  ;  5  :  18,  40  ;  7  :  58  ; 
8  :  3  ;  13  :  3  ;  14  :  5,  19  ;  16  :  33  ;  17  :  5  ;  21  :  30 ; 
33  :  2 ;  1  Thess.  3  :  2,  14-16.  Amot  gives  well 
the  practical  application :  "  In  our  own  day,  it  does 
not  require  extraordinary  sagacity  to  perceive 
the  same  spirit  in  the  relish  and  readiness  with 


which  certain  classes  catch  up  a  cry  against  any 
one  who,  not  ashamed  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ, 
has  discharged  his  commission  in  fuU." 

7.  The  armies  of  the  earth  are  God's  armies, 
by  whom  he  executes  punishment  6n  ungodly 

nations    (Deut.  28  :  49,  &c. ;    Isaiah  10  ;  5,  6 ;     Jer.  51  :  20-23). 

The  direct  reference  here  is,  of  course,  to 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  the  Roman 
legions.  Observe  that  only  the  murderers  are 
destroyed  ;  those  who  simply  rejected  the  invita- 
tion are  only  rejected  from  the  supper.  Compare 
Luke  14  :  34  with  19  :  37.  I  would  not  press 
this,  except  so  far  as  it  indicates  a  gradation  in 
the  divine  punishments. 

8.  Not  worthy.  Compare  Acts  13  :  46. 
Those  that  refuse  God's  grace,  whatever  the 
excellence  of  their  character,  are  the  unworthy  ; 
those  that  show  themselves  ready  to  receive  it 
are  the  worthy,  whatever  the  natural  poverty  of 
their  character.    Luke  18  :  10-14. 

9.  10.  The  highways.  More  literally  the 
confluences  of  the  ways,  i.  e.,  the  open  squares  and 
market-places  where  the  people  would  naturally 
assemble.  Observe,  the  invitation  is  to  be 
extended  without  discrimination,  and  all  both 
bad  and  good  are  to  be  brought  to  the  feast. 
There  is  no  condition  of  coming  to  Christ,  but 
just  to  come.  The  bad  are  invited  tfiat  they  may 
be  made  good  (i  Cor.  6 : 9-11 ;  Eph.  2 : 1-5).  "The  beau- 
tiful words  of  Augustine  on  Christ's  love  to  his 
church  may  find  here  their  application,  'He 
loved  her  foul  that  he  might  make  her  fair.'  " — 
(Trench.)  Compare  Jer.  3  :  1-14.  Of  the 
"good,"  Nathaniel  and  Cornelius  are  illustra- 
tions (John  1  :  47  ;  Acts  10  :  1,  2,  4,  22  ;  compare  Luke  8:15);  Of 

the   "bad,"  Matthew  and  Zaccheus  and  Saul 

of  Tarsus  (Matt.  9:9;  Luke  19  :  2,  8 ;  Acts  9:1,2;  1  Tim. 
1  :  13-16). 

11-13.  It  is  a  custom  at  the  present  day  in 
the  East  for  the  host  to  present  his  guests  with 
robes  of  honor.  A  story  is  told  in  Trench,  of  a 
vizier  slain  for  failing  to  wear  such  a  robe,  his 
faUure  being  accounted  a  mark  of  disrespect.  It 
is  certain  that  robes  were  an  important  part  of 
Oriental  wealth  (josh.  7 :  21 ;  judges  14 :  12 ;  James  5 : 2),  and 
were  often  given  as  marks  of  peculiar  favor  (Gen. 

41  :  42 ;  45  :  22  ;  1  Sam.  18  :  4  ;  2  Kings  5:5;  Dan.  5:7;  Esther  6  :  s), 

and,  probably,  were  frequently  given  out  on  State 


Ch.  XXII.] 


MATTHEW. 


241 


14  For''  many  are  called,  but  few  are  chosen. 

15  Then«  went  the  Pharisees,  and  took  counsel  how 
they  might  entangle  him  in  his  talk. 

16  And  they  sent  out  unto  him  their  disciples,  with 
the  Herodians,  saying,  Master,  we  know  that  thou  art 


true,  and  teachest  the  way  of  God  in  truth,  neither 
carest  thou  for  any  man  ;  for  thou  regardest  not  the 
person  of  men. 

17  Tell  us  therefore.  What  thinkest  thou  ?    Is  it  law- 
ful to  give  tribute  unto  Caesar,  or  not? 


d  ch.  7  :  14 ;  20  :  16 ;  Luke  13  :  S3,  24 e  Mark  12  :  13,  etc. ;  Luke  20  :  20, « 


occasions  to  all  guests.  The  symbolic  meaning 
of  the  wedding  garment  has  been  a  subject  of 
discussion,  some  Protestant  writers  having  in- 
sisted that  it  represents  faith,  the  Romish  writers 
that  it  represents  charity.  Christ  gives  no  inter- 
pretation. Here  he  simply  teaches  that  though 
all,  both  bad  and  good,  are  invited,  no  one  will 
be  allowed  in  the  heavenly  kingdom  who  is  not 
prepared  for  the  company  and  the  occasion. 
In  what  that  preparation  consists,  and  how  pro- 
cured, he  does  not  here  teach.  But  other  pas- 
sages in  Scripture  answer  these  questions.  Our 
own  righteousness  is  as  filthy  rags  (isaiah  64 :  o) ; 
these  God  takes  from  us  that  he  may  clothe  us 
Mdth  garments  of  salvation  (Lute  15 :  22 ;  isaiau  ei :  10), 
which  are  washed  white  in  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb  (Rev.  7 :  14).  These  we  put  on  when  we  put 
on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  by  faith,  in  baptism 
(Rom.  13 :  14 ;  Gal.  3 :  26, 27),  which  we  do,  uot  merely 
by  a  belief  in  Christ,  but  by  such  a  personal 
reception  of  him,  that  we  lay  off  the  old  man  and 
put  on  a  new  man  in  Christ  Jesus  (Eph.  4:24;  coi. 
3 :  10-14).  Without  these  garments  of  holiness, 
the  free  gift  of  God  (Rev.  3 :  is),  none  can  enter 
heaven  (Rev.  le :  15).  The  wedding  garment,  then, 
is  neither  charity  nor  faith,  but  the  righteous- 
ness of  the  saints  (Rev.  i9:8),  i.  e.,  that  radical 
change  in  character  and  life  wrought  by  the 
spirit  of  God,  through  faith  in  Jesus  Christ, 
without  which  no  man  can  see  the  Lord  (Heb. 
12 :  14).  To  be  without  a  wedding  garment, 
implied  that  the  man  thought  his  usual  attire 
good  enough  for  the  king's  wedding ;  he  thus 
represents  those  who  profess  to  follow  Christ, 
but  who  think  themselves  good  enough  as  they 
are,  and  do  not  seek  from  him  that  new  birth 
without  which  no  man  can  see  the  kingdom  of 
heaven.  The  lesson,  then,  of  this  incident  of 
the  wedding  garment  is  that  no  one  can  enter 
heaven  except  through  humility  and  a  change 
of  nature,  that  we  must  not  only  accept  Jesus 
Christ  openly,  but  put  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  that  there  is  discrimination  in  God's  king- 
dom, but  to  be  exercised  by  the  king,  not  by 
his  servants  (Matt.  13 :  29, 30),  and  at  the  door  of 
the  feast,  not  in  the  invitation. 

Friend.  The  word  so  rendered  here  (irar^oc), 
appears  only  here  and  in  Matt.  11  :  19 ;  20  :  13 ; 
and  26  :  ,50.  See  note  on  Matthew  20  :  13.— 
Speechless,  literally  gagged.  That  he  had  no 
answer  to  make  shows  clearly  that  it  was  not 
beyond  his  power  to  be  properly  attired.  The 
spiritual  significance  Amot  puts  well.      "The 


judgment  will  be  so  conducted  that  the  con- 
demned will  be  compelled  to  own  the  justice  of 
their  sentence." — Servants.  The  Greek  word 
translated  sermnts,  in  verse  13,  is  not  the  same  as 
that  rendered  servants  in  verse  3.  The  one  are 
the  messengers  of  the  Gospel,  the  other  are  the 
angels.  Compare  Matt.  13  :  39,  49.— Outer 
darkness.    See  note  on  Matt.  8  :  12. 

14.  This  verse  is  the  text  of  the  parable.  The 
many  called  include,  first,  the  entire  Jewish 
nation,  who  are  not  chosen,  because  they  refuse 
the  Gospel  invitation ;  second,  the  Gentiles,  of 
whom  they  alone  are  chosen  who  see  and  seek 
in  the  kingdom  of  God  that  in  which  it  consists, 
"righteousness  and  peace,  and  joy  in  the  Holy 
Ghost."    Rom.  14:17. 

Ch.  22  :  15-22.  CONCERNING  TRIBUTE  TO  C^SAR.— 
The  gbound  and  the  limitation  of  the  duty  op 
obedience  to  crvtl  government. 

This  incident  is  also  given  by  Mark  (12 :  13-17), 
and  Luke  (20 :  20-26).  It  occurred  in  the  Temple, 
during  the  last  day  of  Christ's  public  teaching. 

15.  Took  counsel.  That  is,  held  a  consul- 
tation ;  no  official  meeting,  as  of  the  Sanhedrim, 
is  indicated.  Their  previous  attempt  (Matt.  21 :  23) 
appears  to  have  been  without  concert  or  prepa- 
ration. Luke  describes  more  fully  their  object : 
"They  sent  forth  spies,  which  should  feign 
themselves  just  men,  that  they  might  take  hold 
of  his  words,  that  so  they  might  deliver  him 
unto  the  power  and  authority  of  the  governor," 
i.  e.,  the  Roman  governor  Pilate. 

16.  Their  disciples.  Concealing  them- 
selves, and  sending  persons  who  should  be  un- 
known to  Jesus.— With  the  Herodians. 
These  are  mentioned  only  here  and  in  Mark 
12  :  13,  etc.,  and  Mark  3  : 6.  The  reference  to 
the  leaven  of  Herod  in  Mark  8  : 1.5  contains  per- 
haps an  indirect  allusion  to  them.  They  are  not 
described  by  Josephus  or  any  contemporary 
writers.  Their  character  can  only  be  conjec- 
tured from  their  name.  They  were  probably  a 
political  rather  than  an  ecclesiastical  party,  the 
adherents  of  the  Herodian  family,  who  were  the 
creatures  of  Caesar.  The  Herodians,  therefore, 
would  have  been  ready  to  prefer  an  accusation 
against  any  one  who  counselled  refusal  to  pay 
the  Roman  tax. — Master,  we  know,  etc. 
They  purported  to  be  true  inquirers,  to  desire 
counsel,  and  by  flattery  sought  to  draw  him  on 
to  a  repudiation  of  the  Roman  tax.  To  them  is 
applicable  the  proverb  which  Alford   quotes: 


242 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXIL 


i8  But  Jesus  perceived  their  wickedness,  and  said, 
Why  tempt  ye  me,  ye  hypocrites  ? 

19  Shew  me  the  tribute  money.    And  they  brought 
unto  liim  a  penny. 

20  And  lie  saith  unto  them.  Whose  is  this  image  and 
superscription  ? 


21  They  say  unto  him,  Caesar's.  Then  saith  he  unto 
them,  Render'  therefore  unto  Caesar  the  things  which 
are  Csesar's,  and  unto  Gode  the  things  that  are 
God's 

22  When  they  had  heard  these  ivordsy  they  mar- 
velled, and  left  him,  and  went  their  way. 


f  ch.  17  :  25,  27 ;  Rom.  13:7 g  Mai.  1  :  6-8 ;  3  :  8-10. 


The  devil  never  lies  so  foully  as  when  he  tells 
the  truth.  Compare  with  their  language  here 
their  characterization  of  Christ  on  other  occa- 
sions, e.  g.  John  7  :  13  ;  8  :  48 ;  9  :  16. 

17.  Is  it  lawful  to  give  tribute  unto 
Caesar,  or  not  ?  Mark  adds  the  still  more 
direct  question :  Shall  we  give,  or  shall  we  not 
give?  Cissar  was  the  official  name  of  the  Eoman 
emperor.  The  reigning  Caesar  was  Tiberius. 
The  tribute,  literally  census  money,  i.  e.  poll  tax, 
was  paid  by  every  Jew.  It  was  inquisitorial, 
followed  a  careful  taking  of  the  census,  in  which 
every  man  was  obliged  to  report  his  family,  his 
property  and  his  Income  (see  note  on  Luke  2 :  i),  and 
was  extremely  odious  to  the  Jews,  who  counted 
it  a  badge  of  their  national  degradation  (compare 
note  on  Matt.  9 : 9).  Its  payment  was  resisted  by 
some,  especially  among  the  Galileans,  not  only 
on  political  but  also  on  religious  grounds.  Deut. 
17  :  15  might  have  been  regarded  as  a  quasi  jus- 
tification for  their  resistance.  The  revolt  re- 
ferred to  in  Acts  5  :  37  (see  note  there)  appears  to 
have  been  caused  by  this  tax. 

18.  But  Jesus  perceived  their  wicked- 
ness. Luke  characterizes  it  more  clearly  as 
craftiness,  Mark  as  hypocrisy. — Why  tempt  ye 
me,  hypocrites  ?  "  Jesus  shows  them  that  he 
is  true,  as  they  had  Bai6..'"—{£engel.) 


DENAKIUS — A.  PENNY. 

19,   20.    Show  me  the    tribute  money. 

Literally,  the  coin  of  the  census,  i.  e.  the  coin  in 
which  the  tribute  is  paid. — They  brought  unto 
him  a  penny.  Literally,  a  denarius,  a  Roman 
coin  equal  to  about  seventeen  cents  of  our  money. 
The  annexed  cut  shows  the  image  and  super- 
Bcription  referred  to.  By  requiring  them  to 
bring  him  the  coin  he  compels  them  to  answer, 
tacitly,  their  own  question;  for  the  Jewish 
rabbis  taught  that,  "wheresoever  the  money  of 
any  king  is  current,  there  the  inhabitants  ac- 
knowledge that  king  for  their  lord." — {Light- 
foot.)  By  accepting  the  Roman  coinage  they 
accepted  the  Roman  government  and  all  the  con- 
sequent responsibilities  and  obligations. 


21.  Render  unto  Caesar.  Rather  here, 
give  back  to  Ccesar.  Compare  for  similar  use  of 
the  same  verb  {anndidw^n),  Luke  4  :  20  ;  9  :  43. 
They  ask,  is  it  lawful  to  give,  he  replies,  give 
back.  Since  they  accepted  in  the  coinage  of 
Caesar  the  benefits  of  his  government,  they  were 
bound  to  give  back  a  recompense  in  tribute. — 
The  things  that  are  God's.  Not  the  tem- 
ple tribute  merely,  but  all  things.  As  the  ac- 
ceptance of  Caesar's  government  involves  the 
duty  of  tax-paying  to  him,  so  the  acceptance  of 
every  good  and  perfect  gift  from  above  involves 
the  duty  of  supreme  allegiance  to  God, 

Lessons  of  this  incident.  The  problem. 
The  enquirers  appeared  to  be  honest  disciples 
(Luke  20 :  2o),  approachcd  Christ  with  the  language 
of  respect  (verse  16)  and  with  a  question  on  which 
the  nation  was  divided.  If  Christ  replied.  Pay 
tribute,  he  would  render  himself  obnoxious  to 
the  people,  who,  without  exception,  expected  to  be 
delivered  from  the  Roman  yoke  and  Roman  tax- 
ation by  the  Messiah.  If  he  answered,  Pay  not, 
he  would  involve  himself  with  the  Roman  govern- 
ment, and  afford  a  real  ground  for  the  false 
accusation  afterwards  preferred  against  him  (Luke 
23 :  o).  The  latter  answer  the  Pharisees  hoped  to 
elicit  from  Christ. — ChrisVs  solution.  He  com- 
pels the  questioners  to  expose  their  own  incon- 
sistency. They  accept  in  the  coin  of  Rome  the 
Roman  government.  So  long  as  they  do  this  they 
are  bound  to  give  back  support  to  it.  For  so 
long  as  the  citizen  accepts  the  benefit  of  a  govem- 
men  the  owes  it  allegiance  and  obedience.  At  the 
same  time  Christ  affords  both  the  ground  and 
the  limitation  of  this  obedience.  The  powers 
that  be  are  ordained  of  God.  Because  we  are  to 
render  to  God  the  things  that  are  God's  we  are 
to  render  to  Caesar  the  things  that  are  Caesar's, 
for  Caesar  is  of  God ;  but  when  Caesar  requires 
what  God  forbids  we  are  to  disobey.  For  illus- 
tration of  the  duty  of  obedience  to  human  law, 
see  Rom.  13  : 1-7  ;  1  Cor.  7  :  31-34  ;  Ephes.  6  : 
.5-8  ;  Col.  3  :  33-35 ;  1  Pet.  3  :  13-17.— For  illus- 
tration of  the  duty  of  disobedience,  under  the 
higher  law  of  allegiance  to  God,  see  Dan.  3  : 
is";  6  :  10  ;  Acts  4  :  19  ;  5  :  39.  Certain  of  the 
commentators  see  in  Christ's  answer  here  a  solu- 
tion of  the  much-vexed  question  of  Church  and 
State.  But  I  am  unable  to  see  how  it  has  any- 
thing more  than  a  remote  bearing  on  that  -grd^i- 
lem.— Spiritual  lesson.  This  Dean  Alford  sug- 
gests.   It  can  hardly  have  been  recognized  by 


Ch.  XXIL] 


MATTHEW. 


243 


23  The*"  same  day  came  to  him  the  Sadducees,  which' 
say  that  there  is  no  resurrection,  and  aslced  him, 

24  Saying,  Master,  Moses  said,  It'J  a  man  die,  having 
no  children,  his  brother  shall  marry  his  wife,  and  raise 
up  seed  unto  his  brother. 

25  Now  there  were  with  us  seven  brethren:  and  the 
first  when  he  had  married  a  wife,  deceased,  and,  hav- 
ing no  issue,  left  his  wife  unto  his  brother  : 

26  Likewise  the  second  also,  and  the  third,  unto  the 
seventh. 

27  And  last  of  all  the  woman  died  also. 

28  Therefore,  in  the  resurrection,  whose  wife  shall 
she  be  of  the  seven  ?  for  they  all  had  her. 


not^  knowing  the  scriptures,  nor  the  power  of  God. 

30  For  in  the  resurrection  they  neither  marry,  nor 
are  given  in  marriage,  but  are  as  the  angels'  of  God  in 
heaven. 

31  But  as  touching  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  have 
ye  not  read  that  which  was  spoken  unto  you  by  God, 
saying, 

32  1™  am  the  God  of  Abraham,  and  the  God  of  Isaac, 
and  the  God  of  Jacob?  God  is  not  the  God  of  the 
dead,  but  of  the  living. 

33  And  when  the  multitude  heard  thisy  they  were 
astonished"  at  his  doctrine. 


.  i  Acts  23  :  8 j  De 

3:6,15,16;  Heb.  1 


Ich.  18  :  10:  1  Johns  :  2 


the  auditors,  but  it  is  perhaps  none  the  less  in- 
volved, though  indirectly,  in  the  second  clause 
of  Christ's  reply.  "  Man  is  the  coinage  and  bears 
the  image  of   God  (oen.  i :  27) ;  and  this  image  is 

not    lost    by   the   fall  (Gen.  9:6;  Acts  17  :  29  ;  James  3  :  9). 

We  owe  then  ourselves  to  God  ;  and  this  solemn 
duty  is  implied,  of  giving  ourselves  to  Him,  with 
all  that  we  have  and  are." 

Ch.  22  :  23-33.    THE   SADDUCEES    SILENCED.— The 

SCRIPTUBE    PROVES     THE     BEStlREECTION.— FaITH    Df 

God's  oslnipotencb  removes  all  difficulties. 

This  conference  is  reported  also  in  Mark  13  : 
18-37,  and  Luke  30  :  37-40.— See  the  latter  pas- 
sage and  notes  there. 

23.  The  Sadducees.  The  materialists  and 
infidels  o\  the  first  century.  They  denied  not 
merely  the  resurrection  of  the  body,  but  also  the 
immateriality  and  immortality  of  the  soul  (Acts 
23:8).  For  brief  statement  of  their  history  and 
opinions,  see  note  on  Matt.  3  :  7. — Which  say. 
Rather,  saying  ;  i.  e,  they  came  for  the  very  pur- 
pose of  arguing  the  point  with  Jesus. 

34-28.  The  law  referred  to  is  recorded  in 
Deut.  35  :  5,  6.  For  illustration  of  its  exercise 
see  Ruth,  chap.  4.  The  case  here  proposed  was 
doubtless  an  imaginary  one,' invented  for  the 
purpose  of  presenting  an  objection  to  the  doc- 
trine of  a  future  life.  An  illustration  of  the 
spirit  of  much  modern  theological  controversy. 

2.').  Not  knowing,  i.  e,  not  understanding. 
Two  frequent  causes  of  religious  error  are  here 
hinted  at :  first,  a  failure  to  understand  the  Scrip- 
ture, which  we  often  read,  as  they  did,  either 
superficially  and  carelessly,  or  blinded  by  our 
theological  prejudices ;  second,  a  failure  to  real- 
ize the  power  of  God,  it  being  a  common  error 
of  theological  and  philosophical  reasoning  to 
Kmit  the  divine  power  to  those  forms  of  exercise 
with  which  we  are  acquainted.  Observe  the  fact 
that  the  Bible  expressly  rests  the  doctrine  of  the 
resurrection  on  the  exercise  of  divhve  power  (Acts 

26  :  8  ;  Rom.  4  :  17  ;  8  :  U  ;  1  Cor.  6  :  u). 

30.  Compare  Luke  30  :  34r-36  which  gives  the 
reply  more  fully.  For  a  consideration  of  the 
Bible  idea  of  marriage  see  notes  on  Matt.  19  : 
4-6.     This  declaration  does  not  imply  that  the 


angels  are  the  spirits  of  the  departed ;  on  the 
contrary,  it  discriminates  between  the  two,  for 
it  compares  the  one  to  the  other.  Nor  does 
it  imply  that  there  is  no  recognition  of  friends 
in  heaven  and  no  perpetuation  of  friendship. 
Nor  does  it  involve  the  literal  resurrection  of 
the  earthly  body ;  on  the  contrary,  it  implies  a 
radical  difference  between  the  celestial  and  the 

terrestrial   body.      (Compare   l  Cor.    15:42.^,   60.)      But 

Christ  declares  that  as  in  heaven  there  will  be  no 
more  death  (Luke  20 :  36),  so  there  will  be  no  succes- 
sion and  renewal  of  life,  which  is  the  main  object 
of  marriage  ;  hence  the  physical  relation  of  mar- 
riage will  not  continue  to  exist ;  and  that  alone 
constitutes  the  diflaculty  in  the  case  proposed. 

31,  32.  Christ  refers  the  Sadducees,  not  to 
the  teaching  of  the  later  prophets,  but  to  Moses 
whom  they  had  cited.  And  he  carries  them  back 
to  God's  covenant  with  Israel  as  a  nation,  entered 
into  at  the  burning  bush  (Luke  20 :  37  j  Exod.  3 : 6). 
Observe  that  both  here  and  there  the  language 
is  in  the  present  tense,  I  am  the  God  of  Abraham, 
etc.  Thus  the  covenant,  which  rendered  the 
Jews  God's  peculiar  people,  is  itself  called  to 
witness  to  the  resurrection  of  the  dead.  Christ's 
use  of  this  passage  is  inconsistent  with  the  idea 
of  an  intermediate  unconscious  state,  and  equally 
so  with  the  position  of  those  who  maintain  that 
the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  is 
not  taught  in  the  earlier  books  of  the  O.  T. 
Christ  shows  that  it  is  not  only  taught  there, 
but  is  inwrought  into  the  very  structure  of  the 
teaching,  and  asserts  that  the  Sadducees  fail 
to  recognize  it  only  because  they  know  not 
the  Scriptures.  A  comparison  of  Christ's  lan- 
guage here  with  Rom.  14  :  9,  Christ  is  "Lord 
both  of  the  dead  and  the  living,"  affords  a  striking 
illustration  of  the  verbal  contradictions  which 
are  not  infrequent  in  Scripture.  But  the  con- 
tradiction is  merely  verbal ;  the  argument  there 
really  confirms  the  argument  here  ;  for  Paul  cites 
Christ's  death  and  resicrrection,  as  an  evidence 
that  he  is  the  Lord  of  those  that  die,  who  are  also 
raised  from  the  dead  that  he  may  be  their  Lord. 
Luke  repeats  Christ's  practical  deduction,  which 
is  the  same  as  Paul's  :  "All  live  to  him."  See 
Luke  30  :  38  and  note,  and  compare  Rom.  14  :  8. 


244 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXII. 


34  But  when  the  Pharisees  had  heard  that  he  had 
put  the  Sadducees  to  silence,  they  were  gathered  to- 
gether. 

35  Then"  one  of  them,  which  was  a  lawyer,  asked 
him  a  question^  tempting  him.  and  saying, 

36  Master,  which  is  tne  great  commandment  in  the 
law? 


37  Jesus  said  unto  him,  ThouP  shalt  love  the  Lord 
thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and 
with  all  thy  mind. 

38  This  IS  the  first  and  great  commandment. 

39  And  the  second  is  like  unto  it,i  Thou  shalt  love 
thy  neighbour  as  thyself. 


1  Lnke  10  :  25,  etc p  Deat.  6:5;  10  :  12 q  Lev.  19  :  18. 


33.  Doctrine.  Rather,  teaching;  here  cer- 
tainly not  what  he  taught,  for  the  doctrine  of  the 
resurrection  was  generally  accepted  among  the 
people,  but  the  manner  in  which  he  confirmed  it 
and  confounded  those  who  opposed  it. 


Ch.  22  :  34-40.  THE  GREAT  CO.MMANmiENT. 
CREED :  LOVE.— Christ's  DBmaTioN  of  pbbty  and 

PHILiNTHROPY. 

Parallel  to  this  is  Mark  12  :  28-34.  The  ac- 
count is  not  given  by  Luke  or  John.  But  an 
incident  analogous  is  found  in  Luke  (lo :  25,  etc.), 
where  Christ,  in  answer  to  a  further  inquiry,  de- 
fines by  a  parable  what  is  a  neighbor,  and  also 
interprets  the  nature  of  true  love.  The  two 
passages  should  be  studied  together.  That  the 
two  are  not  different  reports  of  the  same  inci- 
dent is  evident,  because  :  that  reported  by  Luke 
(a)  occurs  earlier  in  Christ's  ministry  ;  (6)  prob- 
ably in  Perea ;  (c)  the  inquirer  gives  the  sum- 
mary of  the  law  ;  (rf)  Christ's  object  is  to  humble 
a  self-righteous  inquirer.  This  occurs  (a)  at  the 
close  of  Christ's  ministry  ;  (6)  in  Jerusalem  ;  (c) 
Christ  gives  the  summary  of  the  law ;  {d)  his 
purpose  is  the  rebuke  of  Pharisaic  dialectics,  and 
the  inculcation  of  love  as  the  essence  of  true 
religion. 

34.  That  he  had  put  the  Sadducees  to 
silence.  Literally,  had  muzzled  the  Sadducees. 
In  this  victory  over  their  opponents  they  exulted. 
Observe,  the  Sadducees,  though  probably  not  con- 
vinced, were  silenced ;  they  could  make  no  reply. 

35.  A  laAvyer.  That  is,  one  versed  in  the 
rabbinical  laws  ;  a  Jewish  theologian.  In  Mark 
he  is  called  a  scHbe.  The  latter  phrase  appears 
to  have  been  an  oflBcial  designation  of  a  recog- 
nized teacher  ;  the  former  an  unofficial  designa- 
tion of  one  learned  in  Jewish  laws,  both  scriptural 
and  traditional. — Tempting  him.  He  subse- 
quently accepted  Christ's  answer  heartily  (Mark 
12 :  32-34).  It  does  not  follow  that  he  was  an  honest 
inquirer  in  the  beginning.  I  judge  that  he  was 
neither  a  caviller,  nor  a  disciple,  but  one  curious 
to  see  what  reply  Christ  would  make  to  one  of 
the  puzzling  theological  problems  of  the  day. 

36.  Compare  Mark's  language  (Mark  12 :  23). 
The  question  was  a  common  one.  Some  Phari- 
sees asserted  that  the  Sabbath  commandment 
was  first  in  importance  ;  others,  the  law  against 
idolati7  ;  others  put  first  the  rabbinical  rules  re- 
specting ablutions. 


37.  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God, 
etc.  The  language  of  this  verse  is  not  that  of 
mere  emphatic  iteration.  Each  word  has  its 
own  peculiar  significance.  The  heart  is  the  seat 
of  the  affections  and  emotions.  God  calls  not 
merely  for  obedience,  but  for  love.  Compare 
Prov.  23  :  26  ;  Jer.  3  :  14.  The  word  soid  should 
rather  be  rendered  life.  This  is  unquestionably 
the  primary  significance  of  the  Greek  (ulxi'i), 
which  is  derived  from  a  verb  meaning  to  breathe. 
It  signifies  the  vital  principle,  and  in  the  N.  T. 
generally,  either  physical  life,  as  in  Matt.  2  :  20  ; 
Acts  20  :  24 ;  27  :  10  ;  or  all  that  is  embodied  in 
our  word  life  in  its  deeper  significance.  It 
would  generally  be  better  translated  by  the 
word  life.  Thus,  What  shall  it  profit  a  man  to 
gain  the  whole  world  and  lose  his  own  soul  ?  ia 
really,   Lose    his    own  life,   that  to  which   the 

world    should   minister  (see  note  on  Matt.  16  ;  ss) ;    Ye 

shall  find  rest  unto  your  souls,  is.  Rest  unto  your 
lives,  i.  e.  in  your  whole  experience.  Here  the 
command  is.  Love  with  thy  whole  life,  i.  e.,  love 
must  not  only  manifest  itself  in  feeling,  it  must 
rule  the  whole  life,  by  ruling  its  source  and 
springs.  "The  reason  must  be  a  reason  acting 
in  the  spirit  of  love ;  the  conscience  must  be  a 
conscience  acting  in  the  atmosphere  of  love  ;  the 
taste  must  be  a  taste  acting  in  the  spirit  and 
atmosphere  of  love — love  to  God  and  love  to 
man.  The  appetites  and  passions,  and  every 
other  faculty,  in  all  their  power  and  variety  and 
versatility,  may  act,  but  they  will  act  as  steeds 
that  feel  the  one  rein,  which  goes  back  to  the 
hands  of  the  one  driver,  whose  name  is  Love." — 
{He7u-y  Ward  Beecher.)  John  14  :  15,  23 ;  2  Cor. 
5  :  14 ;  1  John  2  :  5 ;  4  :  16,  illustrate  this  com- 
mand. The  mind  embraces  the  intellectual 
powers  and  activities,  whether  employed  in 
study,  in  business,  or  in  social  activity.  A 
supreme  love  toward  God  must  be  the  inspira- 
tion of  the  whole  mental  life,  and  furnish  its 
purpose.  Parallel  to  this  is  Prov.  12  :  5  ;  Psalm 
119  :  15,  97 ;  2  Cor.  10  :  5 ;  Phil.  1  :  9.  Mark 
adds,  with  all  thy  strength.  That  is,  the  love 
must  be  one  of  enthusiasm  and  power,  not  a 
sentiment,  but  a  working /oree.  Parallel  to  this 
is  Eccles.  9  :  10 ;  Rom.  12  :  11 ;  Eph.  6:6,  7 ; 
Col.  3  :  23.  The  commandment  is  quoted  by 
Christ  from  Deut.  0  :  4,  5. 

39.  Like  unto  it.  Because  love  is  always 
the    same    in  character,   whether  it    goes    out 


Ch.  XXII.] 


MATTHEW. 


245 


40  On  these  two  commandments'  hang  all  the  law 
and  the  prophets. 

41  While    the    Pharisees   were    gathered    together, 
Jesus  asked  them, 

42  Saying,  What'  think  ye  of  Christ  ?  whose  son  is 
he  ?     They  say  unto  him,  Tlu  Son  of  David. 

43  He  saith  unto  them,  How  then  doth  David  in 
spirit  call  him'  Lord,  saying, 


44  The  Lord  said  unto  my  Lord,  Sit  thou  on  my 
right  hand,  till  I  make  thine  enemies  thy  footstool  ? 

45  If  David  then  call  him  Lord,  now  is  he  his 
son  ? 

46  And"  no  man  was  able  to  answer  him  a  word ; 
neither'  durst  any  man,  from  that  day  forth,  ask  him 
any  more  questions. 


r  Rom.  13:9;  Jas.  i  : 


i2:J4,  3Sj  Heb.  1  :  13;  10:  12,13. 


toward  God  or  toward  man ;  and  because  neither 
can  exist  without  the  other.  True  piety  and 
morality  can  never  be  divorced.  Piety  without 
morality  is  superstition  ;  morality  without  piety 
is  conventional  and  insincere.  Compare  1  John 
4  :  7,  8,  20.— Thy  neighbour  as  thyself.  On, 
Who  is  my  neighbour?  see  Luke  10  :  25  and 
James  1  :  27.  Observe  that  self-love  is  not 
wrong,  when  it  is  mated  to  and  balanced  by  love 
to  others.  Observe,  too,  that  the  command  here 
goes  farther  than  the  Golden  Rule  (Matt.  ^  -.  12), 
though  one  interprets  the  other ;  that  affords  a 
measure  of  conduct ;  this  calls  for  that  love 
which  can  alone  inspire  right  conduct.  The 
precept  is  quoted  from  Lev.  19  :  18. 

40.  Remember  that  Christ  came  to  fulfill  the 
law  and  the  prophets  (Matt.  5 :  17  and  nou) ;  he  here, 
therefore,  declares  the  end  of  his  mission,  viz., 
the  inspiration  of  love  toward  God  and  man. 
Love  is  the  highest  of  the  graces  (1  cor.  ch.  13),  the 

fulfillment    of    the    law    (Rom.  13  :  9,  10  ;   Gal.  5  :  13, 14), 

the  test  and  measure  of  Christian  experience 
(i  John  3: 14).  Neither  a  ceremony,  a  creed,  nor 
an  emotional  experience,  but  love,  is  the  heart  of 
the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  by  love,  as 
Christ  defines  it  here,  that  the  soul  lives  in 
harmony  with  God ;  by  love,  as  Paul  defines  it 
in  1  Cor.  ch.  13,  that  he  is  to  live  m  harmony  with 
his  fellow-men  ;  and  by  love  that  he  is  to  secure 
harmony  in  himself.  "There  is  but  one  pilot 
from  the  cradle  to  the  grave — there  is  but  one 
pilot  from  this  world  to  the  next— and  his  name 
is  Zoye." — (Henry  Ward  Beecher.)  But  this  love 
is  not  merely  an  emotion,  or  sentiment,  or  an 
impulse,  but  a  principle,  which  seated  in  the 
hearty  rules  the  life,  inspires  the  mind,  and  im- 
parts strength  to  the  whole  man.  Obsers^e,  that 
the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  does  not  call  for  the 
suppression  of  man's  powers,  but  for  the  highest 
conceivable  inspiration  and  activity  of  the  whole 
being,  under  the  summer  influence  of  love,  and 
this  the  highest  conceivable  form  of  love,  love 
received  from  and  going  out  to  God. 

Ch.  22  :  41-46.  THE  PHARISEKS  B.\KFLED.  -  The 
nrvTNiTT  OF  THE  Mebsiah  peoved  fbom  the  Old 
Testascent. 

This  incident  is  recorded  also  in  Mark  12  :  3.5-.J7 
and  Luke  20  :  41-44.    Compare  Mark's  account. 


42.  What    think    ye    of   the   Messiah  ? 

The  word  Christ  is  not  a  proper  name,  but  a 
title.  The  question  is  not.  What  think  ye  of  me 
personally '?  but,  What  think  ye  of  the  Messiah 
whom  all  are  expecting  'i  See  note  on  names  of 
Jesus,  page  21.— The  Son  of  David.  This 
was  the  common  opinion,  and  it  was  true  (Luke 
1 :  32j  Rom.  1 : 3),  but  uot  the  whole  truth.  It  waa 
not  generally  believed  by  the  Jews  that  the 
Messiah  should  be  divine.  Jesus  was  condemned 
for  blasphemy  in  calling  himself  the  Son  of  God 
(Matt.  26 : 6.3-65).  lu  this  colloquy  hc  proves  out  of 
the  Scripture  that  the  Messiah  of  prophecy  was 
to  be  the  Son  of  God. 

43.  In  spirit.  Mark's  language  is  yet  more 
clear,  By  the  Holy  Ghont :  "  a  weighty  declaration 
by  our  Lord  of  the  inspiration  of  the  prophetic 
Scriptures. " '  — (Alford. ) 

44.  The  quotation  is  from  Psalm  110.  It  is 
one  frequently  referred  to  in  the  N.  T.  as  pro- 
phetic of  the  Messiah  (AcU  2  :  34,  etc.  ;  l  Cor.  15  :  25 ;  Heb. 
1  :  13;  5:6;  7:  17,  21;  10:13).       It    IS    evidcilt,    frOm    itS 

use  here  and  in  these  passages,  that  it  was  gen- 
erally so  regarded  by  the  Jews.  The  language 
of  the  verse  cited  (ver.  1)  is  unambiguous. 
"There  was  not  any  one  on  earth  in  the  time  of 
David  to  whom  it  could  be  applicable  ;  any  one 
whom  he  would  call  his  "Lord"  or  superior. 
If,  therefore,  the  Psalm  was  written  by  David,  it 
must  have  referred  to  the  Messiah,  to  one  whom 
he  owned  as  his  Superior,  his  Lord,  his  Sover- 
eign."—  (Barnes.)  —  Sit  thou  on  my  right 
hand.  A  place  of  the  highest  honor  (1  Kings  2: 19; 
1  Sam.  20  :  25;  Matt.  20  :  21 ).  —  Till  I  make  thiuc 
enemies  thy  footstool.  Alford  and  Tichen- 
dorf,  instead  of  footstool,  read  under  thy  feet. 
Putting  the  feet  on  captives  taken  in  war  was  a 
common  Oriental  method  of  symbolizing  com- 
plete triumph  over  them  (joihoa  lo :  24 ;  2  sam.  22 :  41). 
Parallel  to  this  promise  is  1  Cor.  1.5  :  2.5  and  Heb. 
10  :  13. 

46.  Neither  durst  any  one  from  that 
day  forth  ask  him  any  more.  That  is,  for 
the  purpose  of  cavilling.  His  disciples  asked 
him  questions  subsequently  (Matt.  24 : 3 ;  26 :  2S;  John 
14 : 5) ;  and  the  effect  of  these  instructions  on  the 
common  people  was  not  to  repel,  but  to  attract 

them  (Mark  13  :  37). 


246 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXIII. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

THEN  spake  Jesus  to  the  multitude,  and  to  his 
disciples, 
2  Saying,  The*"   scribes   and   the   Pharisees   sit  in 
Moses  seat : 


3  All  therefore  whatsoever  they  bid  you  observe, 
that  observe  and  do  ;  but  do  not  ye  after  their  works; 
for^  they  say,  and  do  not. 

4  For  they  bind  heavy  burdens,)'  and  grievous  to  be 
borne,  and  lay  them  on  men's  shoulders ;  but  they 
themselves  will  not  move  them  with  one  ot  their  fingers. 


Rom.  2  :  21-23 y  Acts  16  :  10. 


Ch.  23.  CHRIST'S  FAREWELL  DISCOURSE  IN  THE 
TEMPLE.— Pharisaism  described.    It  is  burdensome 

AND  UNSYMPATHETIC  (3-4),  OSTENTATIOUS  (5-7),  A 
HINDRANCE  TO  TRUE  RELIGION  (13),  AVARICIOUS  AND 
HTPOCRITICAL  (14),  ZEALOUS  FOR  SECT  BUT  NOT  FOR 
SOULS  (15),  INGENIOUS  BUT  CORRUPT  IN  CASUISTRY 
(16-22),  SCRUPULOUS  IN  CEREMONIALS,  INDIFFERENT 
TO  TRUE  LIFE  (23,  24),  SCRUPULOUS  IN  EXTERNAL  MO- 
RALITY, INDIFFERENT  AS  TO  THE  SPIRIT  (25-28),  SELF- 
RIGHTEOUS  AND  SELF-CONFIDENT  (29-31),  APPLAUDED 
BT  MEN,  CONDEMNED  BY  GOD  (32-39). 

This  chapter  constitutes  the  closing  public 
address  of  Christ.  After  delivering  it  he  de- 
parted from  the  Temple,  and  gave  no  more 
instruction  except  privately  to  his  own  disciples. 
(Matt.  24 : 1.)  It  is  One  discoursc  ;  the  attempt  to 
interpret  it  as  a  series  of  fragments  collected  by 
Matthew,  requires  no  other  refutation  than  the 
simple  reading  of  the  discourse.  On  other  oc- 
casions (Luke  11  :  42-54  and  13  :  33-35)   SOmC  Of  the  Same 

thoughts  and  almost  the  identical  expressions 
here  recorded  were  used.  But  we  must  either  sup- 
pose that  Christ  not  infrequently  repeated  the 
same  or  substantially  the  same  discourse  on  dif- 
ferent occasions,  or  we  must  give  up  all  reliance 
on  the  historical  trustworthiness  of  the  Evangel- 
ists as  reporters.  Matthew  alone  gives  this  dis- 
course fully;  Mark  (i2:3s-4o)  and  Luke  (20:45-47) 
give  a  suggestion  of  it.  It  stands  at  the  close  of 
Christ's  public  ministry,  and  is  its  consummation 
as  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  is  its  inauguration.  | 
The  burden  of  this,  as  of  that,  is  a  warning 
against  the  irreligion  of  Judea's  religious  teach- 
ers; but  that  is  affirmative,  this  denunciatory, 
that  points  out  the  right  way,  this  is  a  solemn 
condemnation  of  the  wrong  way.  The  whole 
discourse  is  an  illustration  of  the  precept,  Abhor 
that  which  is  evil  (Rom  12: 9),  and  of  the  "wrath 
of  the  Lamb"  against  all  unrighteousness,  and 
interprets  a  phase  of  Christ's  character,  and 
therefore  of  God's  character,  which  modern 
sentimental  philosophy  is  fond  of  ignoring,  his 
passionate  and  vehement  abhorrence  of  sin. 
Christ's  example  is  in  all  things  a  pattern  for 
his  followers ;  and  his  spirit  of  indignation  we 
are  to  imbibe,  as  well  as  his  spirit  of  patient, 
long-suffering  love.  This  philippic,  therefore,  is 
a  sufficient  justification  for  the  disciple,  when 
the  occasion  demands  a  similar  disclaimer  and 
denunciation  of  ecclesiastical  oppression  and 
hypocritical  pretence.  Yet  its  peculiar  commin- 
gled character  should  be  observed  ;  it  is  both  a 
philippic  and  a  lament,  the  language  of  vehement 


indignation  and  poignant  sorrow.  Terrible  in 
its  invective,  it  ends  in  an  outcry  of  infinite, 
divine  pathos  and  compassion.  The  discourse 
is  by  its  construction  naturally  divided  into 
three  parts:  (1)  warnings  against  the  spirit  of 
ostentation  which  characterized  the  Scribes  and 
Pharisees  (verses  1-12)  ;  (2)  solemn  denunciation 
of  their  hypocrisy  (verses  13-33) ;  (o)  conclusion  and 
farewell  to  the  temple  and  Jews  (verses  34-39). 

1 .  Luke  says  In  tM  audience  of  all  the  people, 
thus  emphasizing  the  fact  that  it  was  a  public 
discourse,  Christ  confutes  the  Pharisees  in  col- 
loquy, then  denounces  their  ostentation'  and 
hypocrisy, 

3-4.   Scribes  and  Pharisees.     See  notes 
on  Matt.  3  :  7 ;  5  :  20—  Sit    in    Moses'    seat. 
Because  members  of  the  Jewish  Sanhedrim  or 
Council  (see  note  on  Matt.  2 ;  4)  which  claimed  to  have 
originated  in  Moses'  appointment  (Numb,  ii :  n,  24) 
and  which  was  the  sole  political  representative 
of  Jewish  nationality.    The  word  neat  here  is 
equivalent  to  our  word  betich,  as  in  the  phrase 
"The  judicial  bench  ;"  and  the  meaning  is  ijot, 
"Do  aU  thmgs  which  they,   as    successors  of 
Moses,  out  of  his  law,  command  you  to  observe ;" 
it  is  not  an  endorsement  of  them  as  teachers,  but 
a  direction  to  obey  their  commands  as  Jewish 
magistrates.    Compare  note  on  Matt.  33  :  15-22,  p. 
204,  and  ref.  there.   That  this  does  not  impose,  as 
the  Roman  Catholic  commentators  claim,  a  duty 
of  implicit  obedience  to  church  authorities,  what- 
ever their  character,  is  evident  from  Matt.  Ifi :  C. 
Observe,  however,  that  the  bad  example  of  a 
religious  teacher  is  no  excuse  for  not  following 
what  is  right  in  his  instructions,  and  that  gener- 
ally Christ's  method  of  emancipating  the  soul 
from  oppressive  laws,  whether  ecclesiastical  or 
political,  is  not  by  direct  attack  on  the  laws,  but 
by  such  a  general  development  of  the  soul  as 
makes  it  superior  to  and  eventually  free  from 
them.    See  note  on  Matt.  5  :  19. — For  they  say 
and    do    not.     Compare  Rom.  3  :  18-24,  and 
contrast  1  Cor.  4  :  16 ;   11  :  1 ;    PhU.  3  :  17.— 
Heavy  burdens.     By  their  minute  and  exact- 
ing ritualism.      For  Ulustration  of  its  charac- 
ter see  notes  on  Matt.  12  :  2 ;  and  Mark  7  :  2. — 
But   they   Avill   not   move   them.     Not,  it 
seems  to  me.  They  are  indifferent  and  neglectful 
of  their  own  laws ;  this  does  not  seem  to  have 
been  the  case  ;  but.  Though  rigorous  in  making 
laws,  they  proffer  no  sympathy  or  help  to  those 
that  struggle  to  fulfill  them.     There  is  this  char- 
acteristic difflerence  between  the  religion  of  Jesus 


Ch.  XXIII.] 


MATTHEW. 


24^ 


S  But^  all  their  works  they  do  for  to  be  seen  of  men : 
they  make  broad  their  phylacteries,'  and  enlarge  the 
borders  of  their  garments, 


6  And""  love  the  uppermost  rooms  at  feasts,  and  the 
chief  seats  in  the  synagogues, 

7  And  greetings  in  the  markets,  and  to  be  called  of 
men,  Rabbi,  Rabbi. 


ch.  6  :  1-18 a  Num.  15  :  38 b  Mark  12  :  38,  etc. ;  Luke  11  :  43,  etc. 


Christ  and  all  false  religions  and  all  corruptions 
of  Christianity.  The  latter  only  enact  laws  ;  the 
former  comes  to  impart  power.  See  John  1  :  12  ; 
Eom.  8  :  3,  4 ;   2  Tim.  1  :  7. 

5.  In  this  and  the  two  following  verses  Christ 
exposes  the  motives  of  the  righteousness  of 
Pharisaism,  viz.,  desire  of  applause.  Compare 
Matt.  6  : 1-18.— They  make  broad  their  phy- 
lacteries. These  were  strips  of  parchment,  on 
which  were  written  four  passages  of  Scripture, 
viz.,  Exod.  13  :  2-10  ;  11-17 ;  Deut.  6:4-9;  13-23. 
These  were  placed  in  a  box  of  black  calfskin  and 
bound  on  the  arm  or  forehead.  The  custom 
grew  out  of  a  literal  interpretation  of  Deut.  6  :  8 
and  Exod.  13  :  9,  but  seems  to  have  originated 
during  the  captivity.  Minute  regulations  are 
given  in  the  rabbinical  books  as  to  methods  of 
wearing,  &c.  A  similar  practice  is  alluded  to  by 
Chrysostom  as  prevalent  in  his  day  :  "  So  many 
of  our  women  now  wear  the  Gospels  hung  from 
their  necks."    Our  cut  illustrates  one  of  these 


PHYLACTERY   IN   USE. 

From  Jessup^s  "  Women  of  Arabia. ' ' 

phylacteries  in  use.  They  are  employed  even 
now  in  Mohammedan  countries,  the  inscriptions 
being  taken  from  the  Koran.  The  phylactery  is 
worn  by  modern  Jews  only  on  special  occasions. 
What  the  Pharisees  made  broad  was  the  case, 
not  the  parchments  within. 

And  enlarge  the  borders  of  their  gar- 
ments. The  ordinary  outer  garment  of  the 
Jews  was  a  quadrangular  piece  of  cloth,  to  each 
of  the  four  comers  of  which,  in  conformity  with 
Numb.  1.5  :  38,  39,  and  Deut.  22  :  12,  a  tassel  was 
attached,  as  shown  in  the  accompanying  illustra- 
tion. Each  tassel  had  a  conspicuous  thread  of 
deep  blue  to  symbolize  the  heavenly  origin  of 
the  commandments,  of  which  it  was  intended  to 


serve  as  a  reminder.  The  whole  edge  of  the 
garment  appears  also  to  have  been  fringed,  the 
ends  of  the  threads  composing  the  woof  being 
left.    Illustrations  of  the  sacredness  attached  to 


FRINGED  GARMENT. 

this  fringe  and  tassels  are  afforded  by  Matt. 
9  :  20 ;  14  :  36  ;  Luke  8  :  44.  The  object  of  the 
original  commandment,  Chrysostom  gives  well, 
in  comparing  the  wearing  of  this  fringe  to  the 
binding  of  a  thread  round  the  finger  as  a  re- 
minder. These  rebukes  of  Christ  applied  to  our 
own  time,  condemn  the  spirit,  however  mani- 
fested, which  assumes  a  peculiar  dress  for  the 
purpose  of  making  a  show  of  piety. 

6,  7.  And  love  the  first  places  at  feasts. 
Not  rooms  in  the  modern  and  common  sense  of 
the  term,  but  the  chief  seats  at  the  table.  Every 
seat  had,  according  to  its  locality,  its  peculiar 
dignity.  See  Luke  14  : 7,  note. — And  the  chief 
seats  in  the  synagogues.  At  the  upper 
end  of  the  synagogue  stood  the  ark  or  chest 
containing  the  Book  of  the  Law.  This  portion 
of  the  synagogue  answered  to  the  chancel  in  a 
modern  church.  Near  it  were  the  chief  seats, 
which  were  usually  occupied  by  the  elders  of  the 
synagogue.  Compare  with  Christ's  condemna- 
tion of  the  Pharisees  here,  James  2  :  2,  3. — And 
greetings  in  the  market-places.  As  man- 
ifestations of  the  reverence  of  their  fellow-men. 
On  the  form  of  Jewish  salutation  see  note  on 
Luke  10  :  4.— And  to  be  called  Rabbi.  A 
title  of  respect  given  by  the  Jews  to  their  relig- 
ious teachers,  and  often  addressed  to  our  Lord 
without  rebuke,  being  often  translated  Master. 

(Matt.  26  :  25,  49  ;  Mark  9  :  6  ;  11  :  21 ;  John  1  :  38  ;  3  ;  2,  26  ;  4  :  31 ; 

6 :  25,  &c.)  To  it  very  nearly  answers  in  significance 
our  modem  title.  Doctor.  Its  use  is  thought  to 
have  arisen  about  the  time  of  Herod  the  Great. 
There  were  degrees  of  honor  in  the  title,  Kabbi 
being  considered  higher  than  Kab,  and  Rabbaa 


248 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXIII 


8  But"  be  not  ye  called  Rabbi :  for  one  is  your  Mas- 
ter, even  Christ  •  and  all  ye  are  brethren. 

9  And  call  no  man  your  father  upon  earth  ;  for  one 
is  your''  Father,  which  is  in  heaven. 


10  Neither  be  ye  called  masters:    for  one  is  your 
Master,  even  Christ. 

11  But"  he  that  is  greatest  among  you,  shall  be  your 
servant. 


than  Rabbi.  The  Pharisees,  though  they  loved  it, 
assumed  to  be  indifferent  to  it.  Lightfoot  quotes 
the  rabbinical  motive,  Love  the  work,  but  hate 
the  title. 

8.  But  be  not  ye  called  Rabbi  :  for  one 
is  your  teacher.  The  best  manuscripts  omit 
from  this  verse  the  vrords  even  Christ,  and  give  a 
different  word  for  Master  from  that  rendered 
Master  below  in  verse  10.  (Here  it  is  iiiuay.iiXoi;, 
there  it  is  y.u9riyt]t)iQ.)  Verses  8-10  then,  literally 
rendered,  will  read  thus :  ^^  But  be  not  ye  called 
JRabbi ;  for  one  is  your  Teacher,  and  all  ye  are 
brethren.  And  call  no  one  your  father  upon  the 
earth  ;  for  one  is  your  Father,  the  Heavenly.  JVei- 
tlier  be  ye  called  leaders  ;  for  one  is  your  Leader, 
Christ.''^  That  by  the  "teacher  "  is  intended  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  indicated  by  Prov.  1  :  23 ;  Jer.  31  : 
33,  34 ;  John  14  :  26  ;  16  :  13,  14 ;  1  Cor.  2  :  13 ;  1 
John  2  :  20.  If  so,  "  we  have  God  in  his  Trinity, 
here  declared  to  us  as  the  only  Father,  Leader 
(Rom.  2 :  19),  and  Tcacher  of  Christians,  the  only 
One,  in  all  these  relations,  on  whom  they  can  rest 
or  depend.  They  are  all  brethren :  all  substantially 
equal  —  none  by  office  or  precedence  nearer  to  God 
than  another  ;  none  standing  between  his  brother  and 
God.'''' — (Alford.)  Observe,  in  confirmation  of 
this,  how  Christ  separates  himself  from  man  and 
ranks  himself  with  God,  who  is  our  only  leader. 

(Ephes.  5:1.) 

9.  And  call  no  man  your  Father  upon 
earth.  The  title  of  "Father"  appears  to  have 
been  given  in  early  times  to  priests  and  prophets 

(Judges  n  :  10  ;  18  :  19  ;  2  Kings  6  :  21  ;  13  :  u)    and    in    later 

times,  even  by  Paul,  to  the  members  of  the 
Sanhedrim  (Acts  22 :  1).  In  its  ordinary  use  it 
carried  with  it  a  recognition  of  paternal  author- 
ity in  spiritual  things,  the  Jewish  Rabbi  being 
regarded,  as  is  the  Roman  Catholic  priest  of 
to-day,  as  an  authority  in  matters  of  faith  and 
conscience. — And  all  ye  are  brethren.  Com- 
pare Ephes.  3  :  15 ;  Rev.  1  :  9 ;  22  :  9. 

10.  Neither  be  ye  called  leaders :  for  one 
is  your  Leader,  even  Christ.  The  Pharisees 
all  claimed  to  accept  the  Old  Testament  as  a 
divine  authority ;  but  they  were  divided  into 
schools  or  sects,  under  human  leaders,  as  the 
School  of  Hillel  and  the  School  of  Shammai,  and 
the  zealous  among  them  were  more  anxious  for 
the  triumph  of  their  school  than  for  the  elucida- 
tion of  the  truth. 

Respecting  the  application  of  these  three 
precepts  to  our  own  times,  observe  (1)  that  it  is 
not  the  mere  use  of  the  words  Babbi,  Father,  and 
Leader,  which  Christ  condemns,  but  the  spirit  of 


strife  and  vainglory  which  leads  to  their  use ; 
(2)  that  the  three  prohibitions  are  not  mere 
reiterations  of  the  same  prohibition  in  different 
forms,  but  condemn  essentially  different  though 
cognate  faults ;  (3)  that  those  faults  are  as 
truly  manifest  in  modern  Christian  usages  as 
in  ancient  Jewish  usages.  The  first  prohibition, 
" £e  not  ye  called  Rabbi,"  forbids  aU  ecclesiastical 
titles  given  and  received  for  the  mere  mice  of 
honor,  and  indicating  no  real  oflBce.  In  direct 
violation  of  its  spirit,  and  almost  in  direct  viola- 
tion of  its  letter,  is  the  custom  of  conferring  the 
title  Doctor  of  Divinity  on  clergymen.  I  concur 
heartily  with  Mr.  Barnes'  note  on  this  point. 
"  This  title  (Rabbi)  corresponds  with  the  title 
Doctor  of  Divinity  as  applied  to  ministers  of  the 
Gospel :  and,  so  far  as  I  can  see,  the  spirit  of  the 
Saviour's  command  is  violated  by  the  reception 
of  such  a  title,  as  really  as  it  would  have  been  by 
their  being  called  Rabbi.  It  makes  a  distinction 
among  ministers..  It  tends  to  engender  pride 
and  a  sense  of  superiority  in  those  who  obtain  it, 
and  envy  and  a  sense  of  inferiority  in  those  who 
do  not ;  and  the  whole  spirit  and  tendency  of  it 
is  contrary  to  the  simplicity  that  is  in  Christ." 
The  \itle  Reverend  is  legitimate  only  as  a  con- 
venient method  of  indicating  the  office  of  pastor  or 
minister.  But  this  prohibition  does  not  seem  to 
me  to  forbid  such  inartificial  titles  as  are  the 
natural  and  spontaneous  exjiressions  of  respect 
and  affection,  e.g.,  "Pastor  Harms,"  "Father 
Taylor,"  nor  such  as  indicate  a  real  oflBce,  e.  g., 
"Bishop  Simpson,"  "  Dean  Alford. "  Thesecond 
prohibition.  Call  no  man  your  Father,  forbids  the 
exercise  of  spiritual  authority  over  the  conscience 
by  pope,  priest,  or  pastor,  and  equally  forbids 
the  disciples  of  Christ  from  submitting  to  such 
authority.  It  condemns  both  the  ambition  in 
priest  and  pastor  which  seeks  authority  over  the 
conscience,  and  the  spiritual  indolence  in  laymen 
which  yields  to  such  claims  in  order  to  avoid  the 
necessity  of  pefsonal  search  for  the  truth.  This 
prohibition  is  interpreted  by  such  passages  as 
Rom.  14  :  4,  10,  12 ;  1  Pet.  5  :  3 ;  Gal.  2  :  5 ;  2  Cor. 
10  : 1.  In  direct  violation  of  both  its  letter  and 
spirit  is  the  Roman  Catholic  custom  of  giving  to 
the  priests  the  title  of  "Father,"  and  submitting 
to  the  exercise  of  a  paternal  authority  in  spiritual 
things.  And  observe  that  it  is  the  apostles,  whose 
successors  the  priests  claim  to  be,  who  are  for- 
bidden the  title  to  the  spiritual  authority  which 
the  priests  have  assumed.  The  third  prohibition, 
Neither  be  ye  called  leaders,  forbids  the  formation 
of  schools  and  sects,  which  look  not  directly  to 


Ch.  XXIII.] 


MATTHEW. 


249 


12  And'  whosoever  shall  exalt  himself,  shall  be 
abased:  and  he  that  shall  humble  himself,  shall  be 
exalted. 

13  But  woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypo- 
crites !  for  ye  shut  up  the  kingdom  of  heaven  against 
men  :  for  ye  neither  go  in  yourselves^  neither  suffer  ye 
them  that  are  entering  to  go  in. 

14  Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites  ! 


for  ye  devour  widows'  houses,^  and  for  a  pretence  make 
long  prayer:  therefore  ye  shall  receive  the  greater 
damnation. 

15  Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites  1 
for  ye  compass  sea  and  land  to  make  one  proselyte  ! 
and  when  He  is  made,  ye  make  him  twofold  more  the 
child"  of  hell  than  yourselves. 


f  Prov.  15  :  33 ;  Jas.  4  :  6 g  2  Tim.  3:6;  Tit.  1 


I  John  8  :  44  ;  Acts  13  :  10 ;  Epli.  2  :  3. 


Christ  as  the  onhj  Leader^  but  to  subsequent 
human  teachers  as  leaders.  It  is  interpreted  by 
1  Cor.  1  :  13,  13.  In  direct  violation  of  its  letter 
and  spirit  is  the  organization  of  the  disciples  of 
Jesus  Christ  into  schools  of  theology  under 
human  leadership,  as  followers  of  Luther,  Calvin, 
Wesley,  Campbell,  &c.  This  does  not  differ  in 
any  respect  from  the  division  of  the  Pharisees 
into  the  schools  of  Hillel  and  Shammai,  which 
our  Lord  here  rebukes. 

11,  12.  Verse  12  is  an  aphorism  which  occurs 
several  times  in  Christ's  teaching.  (Luke  14 :  11 ; 
18 :  14).  On  its  significance  see  note  on  Matt.  18 : 4. 
Here  it  is  uiterpreted  by  the  preceding  verse  ;  he 
humbles  himself  who  makes  himself  the  sei-vant 
of  others  (1  joim  3  :  16).  The  double  declaration  of 
the  two  verses  is  interpreted  by  history.  Even 
in  secular  things  we  no  longer  regard  as  great 
those  who  have  made  the  world  serve  them— as 
Alexander  the  Great,  Gregory  the  Great,  and  our 
own  "  railroad  kings ;  "  but  those  who  have  well 
served  their  generation — as  Washington,  Luther, 
and  Stephenson. 

13-33.  This  portion  of  Christ's  discourse  de- 
nounces three  classes  of  sins  which  in  different 
forms  exist  to-day  as  in  Christ's  day:  (1)  A 
semblance  of  religious  zeal  accompanying  real 
worldliness  and  selfishness  (verses  13-15) ;  (2)  A 
subtle  casuistry,  busying  itself  in  distinctions 
that  are  conventional,  false,  and  immoral  (verses 
16-m)  ;  (3)  A  scrupulous  regard  for  external  rites 
and  ceremonies,  accompanied  with  a  supreme 
indifference  to  the  heart  and  life  (verses  23-33). 

13.  Because  ye  shut  the  kins^dom  of 
heaven  in  the  face  of  men ;  not  merely 
tt^aiHsi  them,  but  in  their  faces  as  they  are  about 
to  enter  in,  by  taking  away  the  key  of  knowledge 
(Luke  n  :  52).  TWs  the  Pharisees  did  (1)  by  denying 
the  Scripture,  which  is  a  key  to  the  kingdom  of 
heaven,  to  the  common  people,  as  the  priests  of 
the  middle  ages  did  subsequently  (for  to  read 
the  Scripture  without  note  or  comment  was 
regarded  as  dangerous  for  the  unlearned  in  the 
time  of  Christ  as  hi  the  time  of  Luther) ;  (2) 
by  perverting  it  and  substitutmg  traditions  for 
it,  thus  shutting  out  the  people  from  that  knowl- 
edge of  Christ  which  the  Scripture  affords  (iiark 
7 : 9-13;  John  5 :  39) ;  (3)  by  their  evil  and  mislead- 
ing example  (Matt.  23  ;  3).  This  the  Roman  Cath- 
olic Church  did  in  almost  precisely  the  same 


manner.  This  is  still  done  whenever,  in  the 
pulpit  or  the  Sabbath-school,  the  subtleties  and 
technicalities  of  a  metaphysical  theology  are 
substituted  for  the  simple  exposition  and  appli- 
cation of  the  Gospel,  or  the  teachings  of  Scripture 
are  made  of  none  effect  by  the  lives  of  professing 
Christians.    Compare  Lev.  19  :  14 ;  Isaiah  .57  :  14. 

14.  This  verse  is  omitted  from  the  best  manu- 
scripts ;  Tischendorf,  Treggellei,  Lachmann  and 
Alford  all  omit  it.  It  has  probably  been  inserted 
here  from  Mark  13  :  40  and  Luke  30  :  47,  where  it 
is  unquestionably  genuine.  The  Pharisees  were 
scrupulous  as  to  hours  of  prayer,  as  were  subse- 
quently the  Christians  in  the  early  Church,  (see 
note  on  Matt.  6 : 6-15,  p.  61.)  It  was  a  rabbinical  proverb, 
Long  prayers  make  a  long  life.  An  instance 
which  illustrates  this  verse  is  given  by  Josephus 
in  Antiq.  18  : 3,  5  :  "  These  men  persuaded  Fulvia, 
a  woman  of  great  dignity,  and  one  that  had 
embraced  the  Jewish  religion,  to  send  purple  and 
gold  to  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem;  and  when 
they  had  gotten  them  they  employed  them  for 
their  own  uses,  and  spent  the  money  themselves." 
A  similar  power  has  been  exercised  from  a  very 
early  period  by  the  Roman  Catholic  priests,  espe- 
cially over  women ;  and  this  to  such  an  extent, 
and  at  so  early  a  date,  that  Justinian  passed 
ordinances  forbidding  the  clergy  to  inherit  pos- 
sessions ;  these  were  revived  in  England  in  the 
statutes  of  Mortmain,  which  forbid  any  bequests 
for  charitable  or  ecclesiastical  uses.  It  was  by 
their  assumed  sanctity  that  the  Pharisees,  as  the 
priests,  obtained  their  influence  over  women. 
Christ's  denunciation  applies  to  all  who  make 
their  religion  a  cloak  for  covetousness  (iThess. 

2:5). 

15.  Go  abont  sea  and  land  to  make 
one  proselyte.  It  is  significant  that  the  word 
here  is  in  the  original  exactly  that  used  respect- 
ing Christ  in  Matt.  4  :  23,  Jesus  went  about  all 
Galilee;  but  the  object  of  our  Lord's  going 
about  was  to  heal  the  sick  and  proclaim  the 
glad  tidings  of  the  Gospel,  the  object  of  the 
Pharisees  going  about  was  to  increase  the  number 
of  their  adherents.  The  difference  between  re- 
ligious and  proselyting  zeal  is  just  this  :  one  is 
for  God  and  humanity,  the  other  is  for  one's 
self,  one's  school,  or  one's  sect.  In  Smith's  Bible 
Dictionaiy,  art.  Proselytes,  is  given  an  account  of 
the  methods  employed  by  the  Pharisees  in  pros- 


250 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXIII. 


i6  Woe  unto  you,  v^  blind'  guides,  which  say,  Who- 
soever shall  swear  by  the  temple,  it  is  nothing  ;  but 
whosoever  shall  swear  by  the  gold  of  the  temple,  he  is 
a  debtor. 

17  }  V  fools,'  and  blind  !  for  whether  is  greater,  the 
gold,  or  the  temple  that  sanctifieth  the  gold  ? 

18  And,  Whosoever  shall  swear  by  the  altar,  it  is 
nothing  ;  but  whosoever  svveareth  by  the  gift  that  is 
upon  it,  he  is  guilty. 

19  IV  fools,  and  blind  !  for  whether  is  greater,  the 
gift,  or  the  altar  that  sanctifieth''  the  gift  ? 


20  Whoso  therefore  shall  swear  by  the  altar,  sweareth 
by  it,  and  by  all  things  thereon. 

21  And  whoso  shall  swear  by  the  temple,  sweareth 
by  it,  and  by  him'  that  dwelleth  therein. 

22  And  he  that  shall  swear  by  heaven,  svveareth  by 
the  throne'"  of  God,  and  by  him  that  sitteth  thereon. 

23  Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites  ! 
for"  ye  pay  tithe  of  mint,  and  anise,  and  cummin,  and 
have  omitted  the  weightier  matter^  of  the  law,  judg- 
ment, mercy,  and  faith :  these  ought  ye  to  have  done, 
and  not  to  leave  the  other  undone. 


;4;Isa.66    l....iiLuke  U  •.42. 


elyting,  which  recalls  the  more  familiar  methods 
of  the  Jesuits.  "  When  they  had  power  they 
used  force ;  when  they  had  not  power  they 
resorted  to  fraud.  They  appeared  as  sooth- 
sayers, divines,  exorcists,  and  addressed  them- 
selves especially  to  the  fears  and  superstitions  of 
women."  The  proselytes  are  divided  in  the  rab- 
binical books  into  two  classes.  The  proselytes 
of  the  gate,  a  phrase  derived  from  Exod.  20  :  10, 
were  such  heathen  as  dwell  in  the  land  of  Israel, 
or  even  out  of  it,  and  who,  without  submitting  to 
circumcision  or  any  other  part  of  the  ceremonial 
law,  feared  and  worshipped  the  true  God.  Of 
such  we  probably  ha^e  examples  in  Luke,  ch.  7 ; 
Acts,  ch.  10  ;  John  13  :  20  ;  Acts  13  :  43  ;  and  it  is 
generally  believed  that  the  phrases  "religious 
proselytes"  (Acts is : 43),  "devout  Greeks"  (Acts 
17:4),  and  "devout  men"  (Acts 2: 5)  refer  to  this 
class.  The  proselytes  of  righteousness  were 
circumcised  and  baptized,  and  took  upon  them 
the  whole  Jewish  law  and  its  observances.  These 
were  rare,  and  it  is  to  these,  doubtless,  Christ 
here  refers.  Such  a  proselyte  could  but  be  made 
worse  by  \A9,p&eudo  conversion ;  he  was  "a  disci- 
ple of  hypocrisy  merely,  doubly  the  child  of  hell, 
condemned  by '  the  religion  he  had  left,  con- 
demned again  by  that  which  he  had  taken." — 
(^Alford.) 

Twofold  more  the  child  of  hell  than 
yourselves.  The  Pharisees  taught  that  no 
heathen  could  become  a  member  of  the  Jewish 
nation  except  he  were  "born  agam"  (see  note  on 
John  3 :  s).  Jcsus  here  asserts  that  the  proselyte  of 
the  Pharisees  is  born  from  below,  not  from  above. 
"Out  of  bad  heathen  they  were  made  worse 
Jews." — {Erasmus.)  And  the  reason  was,  not 
merely  because  those  who  were  the  most  zealous 
proselytizers  were  most  indifferent  to  moral  and 
spiritual  life,  but,  as  Meyer,  because  "Experience 
proves  that  proselytes  become  worse  and  more 
extreme  than  their  teachers."  The  warning  ap- 
plies to  all  attempts  to  add  numbers  without 
spiritual  life  to  the  church,  school,  or  sect.  Of 
the  effect  of  such  endeavors  Jesuit  missions 
afford  a  mournful  illustration. 

lG-22.  The  gold  of  the  temple  (verse  le). 
Possibly  the  ornaments  of  the  temple,  but  more 
probably  the  sacred  treasure,  made  up  of  gifts 


devoted  to  the  temple  by  the  worshippers.  Thus 
the  Pharisees  made  the  gift  to  the  temple,  which 
was  in  reality  a  gift  to  the  ecclesiastics  (see  not«  on 
verse  14)  morc  sacrcd  than  the  temple  itself — He 
is  guilty  (verse  18)  should  be  rendered  He  is 
bound.  The  word  is  the  same  rendered  ITe  is 
debtor  in  verse  16. 

The  precise  nature  of  the  Pharisaic  precepts 
here  condemned  is  largely  a  matter  of  surmise. 
It  is  clear,  however,  that  by  nice  casuistical  dis- 
tinctions the  Pharisees  made  vows  and  oaths  of 
none  effect.  The  modern  application  is  to  all  cas- 
uistry the  object  or  effect  of  which  is  to  lessen 
the  sense  of  obligation  to  the  law  of  God.  Of  a 
like  casuistry  in  the  Jesuit  fathers,  Pascal  in  his 
"Provincial  Letters,"  gives  numerous  illustra- 
tions. These  permitted  miserliness,  envy,  false- 
hood, private  revenge,  duelling,  and  even  assas- 
sination, on  grounds  as  frivolous  as  those  which 
Christ  here  exposes.  The  application  to  oaths  of 
all  forms,  is  also  apparent.  The  appeal,  however 
framed,  is  never  to  an  inanimate  thing,  but  to 
God,  either  directly,  or  through  one  of  his  attri- 
butes, or  to  some  one  as  a  witness  in  the  place  of 
God.  To  release,  therefore,  from  an  oath,  because 
it  is  by  the  temple  rather  than  by  the  gold,  or  by 
the  altar  rather  than  by  the  gift,  is  folly,  not  only 
because  it  reverses  the  true  order  of  relative 
importance  (verse  n-19)  but  also  because  it  ignores 
the  fact  that  every  oath,  however  phrased,  is 
really  an  appeal  to  God  (verses  21, 22).  Compare 
Matt.  5  :  .33-36  and  notes. 

23.  Ye  pay  tithe  of  mint  and  anise  and 
cummin.  Under  the  Mosaic  law  the  tenth  of 
all  produce  belonged  to  Jehovah  and  must  be 
offered  to  him  in  kind,  or  redeemed  with  money 
(Lev.  27 :  30-33).  The  mint,  our  modern  mint,  the 
anise,  probably  the  modern  dUl,  and  the  cummin, 
were  all  insignificant  plants  used  for  sauces,  or 
for  perfume  ;  the  dill  or  anise  was  also  used  as  a 
medicine.  These  were,  according  to  the  letter  of 
the  law,  liable  to  tithe,  for  it  required  "the  seed 
of  the  land  "  as  well  as  "the  fruit  of  the  tree." 
And  our  Lord  does  not  condemn  but  impliedly 
approves  the  Pharisees'  scrupulousness  in  paying 
the  tithe  of  these  herbs.  What  he  condemns  is 
the  conscience  that  pretends  to  be  scrupulous  in 
matters  of  insignificant  detail,  and  is  indifferent 


Ch.  XXIIL] 


MATTHEW. 


251 


24  Ve  blind  guides !  which  strain  at  a  gnat,  and 
swallow  a  camel. 

25  Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites  ! 
forP  ye  make  clean  the  outside  of  the  cup  and  of  the 
platter,  but  within  they  are  full  of  extortion  and 
excess. 

26  Tkou  blind  Pharisee !  cleanse  first  that  which  is 
within  the  cup  and  platter,  that  the  outside  of  them 
may  be  clean  also. 


27  Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites ! 
for  ye  are  like  untoi  whited  sepulchres,  which  indeed 
appear  beautiful  outward,  but  are  within  full  of  dead 
men^s  bones,  and  of  all  uncleanness. 

28  Even  so  ye  also  outwardly  appear  righteous  unto 
men,  but  within  ye  are  full  of  hypocrisy  and  iniquity. 

29  Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and'  Pharisees,  hypocrites ! 
because  ye  build  the  tombs  of  the  prophets,  and  gar- 
nish the  sepulchres  of  the  righteous. 


p  Mark  7  :  4, 


.qLuke  11  -44;  Acts  23  :  3. 


in  matters  of  real  importance.  The  modern  ap- 
plication is  to  the  spirit  which  is  scrupulous  in 
ritualistic  observance  and  indifferent  to  the 
weightier  matters  of  the  law  as  interpreted 
below.  —  And  have  neglected,  not  merely 
omitted  but  dismissed  from  mind  ;  the  weight- 
ier matters  of  the  law,  not  the  more  bur- 
densome but  the  more  important  requirements : 
judgment,  mercy,  and  faith.  By  judgment 
is  meant,  not  justice,  i.  e.  "giving  to  all  their 
just  dues  "  (Barnes),  for  the  original  word  (zounc) 
never  bears  this  significance  in  the  N.  T. ;  but 
spiritucd  discrimination.  Our  English  version 
exactly  represents  the  spirit  of  the  original. 
The  Pharisees  by  their  casuistry  showed  an  utter 
lack  of  capacity  to  judge  of  moral  and  spiritual 
things.  Compare  Luke  13  :  57 ;  John  7  :  24. 
Mercy  is  the  exercise  and  manifestation  of  sym- 
pathy and  goodwill  to  all  mankind,  especially  the 
suffering  and  the  sinful,  precisely  the  opposite  of 
the  proud  and  uncharitable  disposition  of  Phar- 
isaism. See  note  on  Matt.  5  :  7,  and  for  illustra- 
tions of  their  lack  of  mercy  see  Luke  7  :  39 ; 
John  8  :  3-5.  Faith  is  not  equivalent  here  to 
fidelity,  as  some  of  the  commentators  interpret 
it.  So  to  render  it  is  to  miss  entirely  the  spiritual 
meaning  of  Christ's  words.  Our  English  version 
renders  the  original  correctly.  The  whole  pas- 
sage is  interpreted  by  Micah  6  : 8,  and  Hosea 
12  : 6.  Clear  spiritual  discernment,  love  to  one^s 
neighbor,  humble  trust  in  God  —  these  are  the 
important  matters  of  the  law.  Compare. 1  Tim. 
1:5. —These  ought  ye  to  have  done. 
Observe  that  Christ  does  not  condemn  scrupu- 
lousness in  small  matters,  but  demands  that 
which  is  higher.  The  way  to  emancipate  the 
conscience  from  bondage  is  not  to  denounce 
unnecessary  scruples,  but  to  fill  the  soul  with  a 
larger  and  higher  idea  of  the  religious  life. 

24.  Blind  guides  which  strain  out  a 
gnat.  The  word  a<  before  strain  was  originally 
a  printing  error  for  o^d,  which  first  appeared  in 
King  James'  version  in  1611,  and  has  been  faith- 
fully copied  ever  since.  To  strain  at  a  gnat 
represents  the  stomach  rising  as  it  were  against 
the  little  insect,  but  kept  down  by  a  strain  or 
vigorous  effort.  To  strain  out  a  gnat  is  to  pass 
the  water  or  wine  through  a  strainer  before 
drinking,  to  purify  it  of  insects.  This  is  a  com- 
mon practice  in  the  East,  and  it  was  done  by 


the  Pharisees  to  avoid  partaking  anything  cere- 
monially unclean  (Lev.  11:23,41,42).  The  Hindoos 
have  a  similar  proverb  :  Swallowing  an  elephant 
and  being  choked  with  a  ilea.  The  camel  was 
also  ceremonially  unclean,  because  it  did  not 
divide  the  hoof  (Lev.  11  .-4).  "  It  is  not  the  scru- 
pling of  a  little  sin  that  Christ  here  reproves; 
if  it  be  a  sin  though  but  a  gnat,  it  must  be 
strained  out ;  but  the  doing  of  that,  and  then 
swallowing  a  camel.  In  the  lesser  matters  of 
the  law  to  be  superstitious,  and  to  be  profane  in 
the  greater,  is  the  hypocrisy  here  condemned." 
— {Matthew  Henry.) 

25,  26.  Ye  make  clean  the  outside  of 
the  cup  and  platter.  There  is  perhaps  a 
reference  to  the  scrupulousness  of  the  Pharisees 
in  the  washing  of  their  dishes,   etc.,  to  avoid 

ceremonial     pollution    (see   Mark  7    :  2-5,  note).         The 

meanmg  of  the  metaphor  is  clear ;  Pharisaism  is 
always  solicitous  for  the  external  appearance,  and 
indifferent  to  the  inner  spirit.  Compare  Matt. 
15  :  19,  20.— But  within  they  are  full  of 
extoi-tion,  i.  e.  ravening,  covetousness,  greed, 
and  excess,  self-indulgence.  Of  the  opposite 
spirit,  Paul  in  1  Cor.  9  :  27  affords  an  illustration. 
These  two  words  suggest  the  two  characteristic 
vices  of  Pharisaism,  ancient  and  modem — a  spirit 
of  covetousness,  and  a  spirit  of  self-indulgence, 
covered  by  a  pretence  of  virtue  and  piety. 

26,  Christ  indicates  the  only  true  method 
of  radical  reformation,  from  within  working 
outward,  not  from  without  working  inward. 
Religion  is  the  preparation  for  morality,  not 
morality  for  religion.     But  only  God  can  cleanse 

that  which  is  within  (Psalm  51  ;  7,  10 ,  Ezck  36  •  23,  26  J 
John  3  ;  3,  s). 

27,  28.  Whitewashed  sepulchres.  The 
Jews  whitened  the  sepulchres  annually  with  lime 
or  chalk  that  all  might  know  that  the  place  was 
unclean  and  to  be  avoided.  For  this  practice 
Ezek.  39  :  15  was  cited.  Dead  bodies  were  un- 
clean according  to  the  Mosaic  law,  and  the  touch 
of  them. defiled  (Num.  5  2;  6-6).  In  Luke  11:44 
an  analogous  but  different  figure  is  used.  There 
the  Pharisees  are  compared  to  concealed  graves, 
with  which  the  people  come  in  contact  and  by 
which  they  are  defiled,  unconsciously — Are  full 
of  hypocrisy  and  lawlessness.  (Greek 
uroiilu.)  Pretending  to  be  scrupulous  in  his 
obedience  to  the  law,  the  Pharisee  is  oblivious 


252 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXIII. 


30  And  say,  If  we  had  been  in  the  days  of  our 
fathers,  we  would  not  have  been  partakers  with  them 
in  the  blood  of  the  prophets. 

31  Wherelore  ye  be  witnesses  unto  yourselves,  that 
ye  are  the  children  of  them  which  killed'  the  prophets. 

32  Fill"  ye  up  then  the  measure  of  your  fathers. 

33  Ye  serpents,  yc  generation'  of  vipers  1  how  can  ye 
escape  the  damnation  of  hell  ? 

34  Wherefore,  behold,  I  send  unto  you  prophets, and 


wise  men,  and  scribes  :  and  some  of  them  ye  shall  kill" 
and  crucify ;  and  sotne  of  them  shall  ye  scourge"  in 
your  synagogues,  and  persecute  i/iem  from  city"  to 
city : 

35  That  upon  you  may  come  all  the  righteous  blood" 
shed  upon  the  earth,  from  the  blood  of  righteous  AbeU 
unto  the  blood  of  Zacharias^  son  of  Barachias,  whom 
ye  slew  between  the  temple  and  the  altar. 


.tch.  3  :  7...  u  Acts  7  :  69 t  Acts  6  :  40  ;  2  Cor.  11  :  24,  25 w  Heb. 

24. . .  .y  Gen.  4  :  8. . .  .1  2  Chron.  24  :  20,  21. 


of  its  character  (Matt.  5 :  n,  20, 22,  &c.)  and  of  its 
object,  the  development  of  love  (Rom.  13 ;  8 ;  cai. 
6 :  14  ■  1  Tim.  1.5).  That  soul  is  truly  lawless  which 
is  without  the  spirit  of  love.  "Such  are  men 
now  also,  decking  themselves  indeed  outwardly, 
but  full  of  iniquity  within.  *  *  *  If  one 
should  tear  open  each  man's  conscience,  many 
worms  and  much  corruption  would  he  find,  and 
an  ill-savor  beyond  utterance  ;  unreasonable  and 
wicked  lusts  I  mean,  which  are  more  unclean 
than  worms. "—( Chnjuostom. ) 

29-31.  Because  ye  repair  the  tombs  of 
the  prophets,  and  decorate  the  monu- 
ments of  the  righteous.  That  is,  this  is  your 
only  mode  of  honoring  them,  in  lieu  of  observing 
their  words,  imbibing  their  spirit,  or  imitating 
their  lives.  Thus  Herod  the  Great,  a  monster  of 
cruelty  (see  note  on  Matt.  2 .  i),  rebuilt  the  sepulchre  of 
David.— And  say,  if  we  were  in  the  days 
of  our  fathers  we  would  not  be  partak- 
ers with  them.  The  language  of  self-confi- 
dence; very  like  much  modern  language  con- 
cerning the  bigotry  and  intolerance  of  past  ages. 
Whenever,  instead  of  chiding  ourselves  for  our 
present  faults,  we  exult  because  we  do  not  repeat 
the  faults  of  the  past,  we  subject  ourselves  to 
Christ's  condemnation  here,  —  Wherefore  ye 
witness  to  yourselves  that  ye  are  the 
children  of  them  that  killed  the  proph- 
ets. Compare  Luke  11 :  47,  48.  Certainly,  build- 
ing the  tombs  and  decorating  the  monuments  of 
the  murdered  did  not  indicate  an  approval  of  the 
murderers.  I  can  only  understand  this  passage 
thus :  By  calling  the  murderers  your  fathers  you 
testify  that  you  are  their  children,  and  by  build- 
ing the  tombs  of  the  murdered  prophets  you 
testify  to  their  guilt  in  murdering  the  prophets. 
Of  this  guilt,  as  shown  in  the  parable  of  the 
wicked  husbandmen  (Matt.  21  ;  37-39),  and  in  the 
following  verses  of  this  discourse,  they  were 
partakers.  The  spirit  of  Pharisaism  honors  the 
martyrs  of  past  ages  and  repeats  its  persecutions 
in  the  present. 

32.  Fill  ye  up  then  the  measure  of 
your  fathers.  The  language  both  of  prophecy 
and  of  terrible  irony  and  invective.  Somewhat 
analogous  in  spirit  is  the  language  of  Eccles. 

11  :  9.      This   whole   discourse   (see  verse  35 and  note)   iS 

founded  on  the  responsibility  of  nations  as  na- 
tions, and  of  the  race  as  a  race.    If  by  act  or  ac- 


quiescence we  ratify  the  sins  of  past  eras  we  fill 
up  its  measure  of  guilt,  and  render  ourselves 
accountable  therefor. 

33.  Compare  the  language  of  John  the  Baptist, 
Matt.  3  :  7  and  note.  Observe,  however,  the 
difference.  There  it  is.  Who  hath  warned  you  to 
flee  ?  a  door  seems  still  to  be  left  open ;  here  it 
is,  How  can  ye  escape?  the  door  is  shut. 

34.  Wherefore.  The  words.  It  is  written, 
must  be  understood.  In  the  analogous  discourse 
reported  in  Luke  the  hiatus  is  supplied,  There- 
fore, saith  the  wisdom  of  God,  behold,  &c.  (Lute 
11:49).  Christ  does  not  say,  Because  of  your 
blood-guiltiness  I  send  prophets  and  wise  men 
that  you  may  kill  them,  but,  Because  of  your 
blood-guiltiness  one  of  your  own  prophets  has 
described  your  character  in  these  words.  But 
we  do  not  find  in  the  0.  T.  any  passage  which 
answers  exactly  to  Christ's  language  here.  Al- 
ford,  Olshausen  and  Stier  refer  to  2  Chron. 
24  :  18-22.  "The  words  in  our  text  are  not 
indeed,"  says  Alford,  "a  citation, but  an  amplifi- 
cation of  verse  19  there — a  paraphrase,  giving  the 
true  sense  of  what  the  wisdom  of  God  intended." 
There  is  in  the  apocryphal  book,  2  Esdras, 
1 :  30-33,  a  passage  which  answers  remarkably  to 
the  present.  It  is  as  follows :  "  1  gathered  you 
together  as  a  hen  gathereth  her  chickens  under 
her  wings :  but  now  what  shall  1  do  unto  you  V  I 
will  cast  you  out  from  my  face.  When  ye  offer 
unto  me,  I  will  turn  my  face  from  you  :  for  your 
solemn  feast  days,  your  new  moons,  and  your 
circumcisions  have  I  forsaken.  I  have  sent  unto 
you  my  servants  the  prophets,  whom  ye  have 
taken  and  slain,  and  torn  their  bodies  in  pieces, 
whose  blood  I  wUl  require  of  your  hands,  saith 
the  Lord.  Thus  saith  the  Almighty  Lord,  your 
house  is  deserted,  I  will  cast  you  out  as  the  wind 
doth  stubble."  — Prophets  and  wise  men 
and  Scribes.  Prophets  are  the  inspired  teach- 
ers of  the  Jews ;  wise  men,  those  who  possess 
natural  or  acquired  wisdom,  e.  g.  Solomon ;  Scribes, 
those  who  simply  copy  and  teach  the  wisdom  of 
others,  "In  these  last  the  character  is  for  the 
most  part  acquired ;  in  vnse  men,  innate ;  in 
prophets,  inspired."— (^CMf/e?.)— Crucify.  There 
is  perhaps  a  reference  to  the  ci-ucifixion  of 
Christ.  Subsequently  many  of  his  followers  were 
crucified  ;  but  in  general,  crucifixion  appears  to 
have  been  a  heathen  not  a  Jewish  mode  of  pun- 


Ch.  XXIII.] 


MATTHEW. 


253 


36  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  All  these  things  shall  come 
upon  this  generation. 

37  O"  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  thou  that  killest  the 
prophets,  and  stonest  them  which  are  sent  unto  thee, 
now  often  would  I  have  gathered''  thy  children  togeth- 


er, even  as  a  hen  gathereth  her  chicliens  under  her 
wings,  and  ye  would  not ! 

38  Behold,  your  house  is  left  unto  you  desolate. = 

39  For  I  say  unto  you.  Ye  shall  not  see  me  hence- 
forth, till  ye  shall  say,''  Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord. 


.  b  Deut.  32  :  1»,  12 ;  Paalm  91  :  4 c  Zee.  11:6 d  ch.  21  :  9  ; 


ishment.— Scourge     in     your     synagogues. 

There  is  abundant  evidence  that  the  synagogue 
was  a  place  both  of  trial  and  of  punishment. 

(Matt.  10  :  17  :  Acts  22  :  19). 

35.  So  that  upon  you  may  come  all  the 
righteous  blood  which  is  being  poured  out 
upon  the  earth.  The  verb  is  in  the  present  and 
represents  this  bloody  stream  as  still  flowing.  It 
should  come  on  them,  because  by  slaying  the 
Son  they  became  participators  in  the  crimes  of 
those  who  had  slain  the  heralds,  because  the 
guilt  of  murder  lies  not  in  the  amount  of  blood 
shed,  but  in  the  f.pirit  which  sheds  it,  and  be- 
because  the  nation  is  treated  here,  as  in  the  par- 
able of  the  wicked  husbandmen  (Matt.  21 :  33^6  and 
notes),  as  a  unit.  The  language  is  figurative,  and 
represents  the  stream  of  innocent  blood,  flowing 
from  the  days  of  Abel,  as  coming  upon  and 
whelming  the  Jews  in  condemnation.  Compare 
Matt.  37  :  3.5  ;  Acts  5  :  38.  —  Unto  the  blood 
of  Zacharias,  son  of  Barachias.  For 
different  explanations  of  this  verse  see  Lange  on 
this  passage.  It  is  hardly  doubtful  that  it  refers 
to  the  Zacharias  mentioned  in  3  Chron.  34  :  30-33. 
He  was  slain  "  in  the  court  of  the  house  of  the 
Lord "  by  the  people,  and  dying,  cried,  "  The 
Lord  look  upon  it  and  require  it."  It  is  true 
that  this  Zacharias  was  the  son  of  Jehoida,  not 
of  Barachias,  who  was  the  father  of  Zechariah 
the  minor  prophet.  But  the  Sinaitic  manuscript 
omits  the  words  "  son  of  Barachias,"  as  does 
Tischendorf,  and  it  is  not  improbable  that  the 
phrase  was  added  by  an  early  copyist,  who  mis- 
took this  Zacharias  for  Zechariah.  Luke  does 
not  have  the  addition  "son  of  Barachias."  It  is 
true  also  that  Zacharias  was  not  the  last  martyr 
in  the  O.  T.  history  ;  but  his  martyrdom  was  one 
of  the  most  notable.  Concerning  it  the  Jews  had 
a  saying  that  the  blood  was  never  washed  away 
until  the  temple  was  burned  at  the  captivity.  In 
the  arrangement  of  the  Hebrew  canon  of  the 
O.  T.  it  was  narrated  last,  though  chronologically 
that  of  Urijah  (jcr.  2e :  23)  was  later. — Between 
the  temple,  i.  e.  the  inner  holy  of  holies,  and 
the  altar,  i.  e.  of  burnt-offering,  which  stood 
outside,  in  the  priests'  court.  Two  Greek  words 
are  used  in  the  N.  T.  both  of  which  are  rendered 
in  our  version.  Temple.  The  word  used  here 
(raoc)  generally  signifies  the  innermost  court  or 
holy  of  holies. 

36.  All  these  things  shall  come  upon 
this    nation.      On  the  true  meaning  of   the 


word  (ytvtii)  here  rendered  generation,  see  note 
on  Matt.  34  :  34.  The  meaning  of  the  verse  is 
that  all  their  crimes  were  treasured  up  and  should 
return  in  punishment  upon  the  Jewish  nation. 
Compare  Rom.  3  :  5. 

37.  That  killest  the  prophets.  See  1 
Kings  18  :  4 ;  Neh.  9  :  36  ;  Jer.  3  :  30 ;  36  :  33— 
And  stonest  them  Avhich  are  sent  unto 
thee.  See  Matt,  31  :  35  ;  John  10  :  31,  39 ;  Acts 
7  :  58 ;  31  :  31 ;  33  :  33,  33.  The  earthly  ambas- 
sador is  inviolable  ;  observe  how  God's  ambassa- 
dors have  been  treated. — How  often  would  I 
have  gathered  thee  together.  To  protect 
from  impending  danger  and  destruction.  This 
Christ  sought  to  do,  not  only  in  his  earthly  life, 
and  by  his  preaching  in  Jerusalem  (comp.  Acts  1 ;  s), 
but  by  Divine  messages  and  providences  in  the 
earlier  history  of  the  Jews.  The  verse  is  an 
indirect  testimony  to  the  divinity  of  Christ.  For 
a  similar  figure  used  concerning  God,  see  Psalms 
17  :  8  ;  .57  : 1 ;  61  :  4  ;  91  :  4.— I  would  *  *  * 
ye  would  not.  God's  will  for  our  salvation 
may  be  defeated  by  our  will  resisting  it.  Com- 
pare Prov.  1  :  34,  35 ;  Ezek.  18  :  33. 

38.  Behold  your  house.  The  temple : 
God's  house  no  longer. — Desolate.  Literally 
desert.  The  church  is  desolate  when  God  dej^arts ; 
so  is  the  soul,  the  temple  of  God,  when  godless. 

39.  Till  ye  shall  say.  Not  except  ye  shall 
say,  for  the  original  will  not  bear  that  meaning, 
but  until  ye  shall  say.  Alford  sees  in  this  a 
reference  to  such  prophecies  as  Hosea  3  :  4,  5 ; 
Zech.  13  :  10 ;  14  :  8-11.  It  certainly  looks  toward 
a  spiritual  conversion  of  the  Jews,  a  time  when 
Jew  as  well  as  Gentile  shall  recognize  whosoever 
cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  Compare  Rom. 
11  :  11,  15,  36 ;  Phil.  3  :  10,  11. 


Ch.  24.  CHRTST-S  DISCOFRSE  ON  THE  LAST  DATS.— 
The  prkparation  :  tribulation  (5-7) ;  persecution 
(9) ;  sectarian  conflicts  (10) ;  false  teaching  (11) ; 
apostact  (12)  ;  universal  diffusion  op  the  gos- 
pel (14). — the  type  :  the  destruction  of  jerusa- 
lem (15-22).— the  great  danger  of  the  church: 
false  christs  and  false  schemes  of  redemption 
(23-27). — the  hour  :  not  until  judgment  shall  be 
coterminous  with  corruption  (28).— the  final  com- 
ing :  manifest,  glorious,  recognized  by  all  (29-31)  ; 
immediately  after  the  trial  period,  as  summer 
follows  spring  (32,33);  certain  (34,35);  surpris- 
ING (36-39)  ;  SEPARATING  COMPANIONS  (40,  41).— PRAC- 
TICAL LESSONS  ;  THE  DUTY  OF  WATCHFULNESS  (43-44), 


254 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXIV. 


AOT)  rrDELiTT  (45-47) ;  the  danger  of  unbelief  and 
LAPSE  INTO  sm  (48-51). 

Pbeliminabt  Note. — Mark  (ch.  13)  and  Luke 
(21 : 6-33)  both  report  this  discourse.  John  gives 
no  account  of  it,  but  his  report  of  Christ's  last 
words  to  his  disciples  (ch.  i4-i6),  which  were  also 
prophetic,  should  be  studied  in  connection  with 
this  chapter.  The  unfulfilled  prophecies  are  the 
most  diflacult  portions  of  Scripture,  and  this, 
the  most  definitely  propjietic  of  our  Lord's  dis- 
courses, is  confessedly  one  of  the  most  difficult. 

Tlie  Problem.— After  the  death  of  Jesus  Christ, 
the  violence  of  the  Jewish  people  and  their 
intestine  feuds,  of  which,  even  in  the  Gospels, 
we  get  glimpses,  rapidly  increased.  Friends 
were  alienated,  families  broken  up,  and  a  man's 
worst  foes  were  those  of  his  own  household. 
Brigandage,  imposture,  and  assassinations  were 
rife.  Even  the  Temple  was  not  a  place  of  safety. 
The  high  priest  was  slain  while  performing 
public  worship.  The  priests  quarrelled,  openly 
and  shamelessly,  over  the  tithes.  At  length, 
possessed  by  a  seeming  frenzy,  the  Jews  broke 
into  open  revolt  against  the  Romans,  seized  on 
the  most  important  posts  in  the  country,  and 
inflicted  a  severe  though  temporary  defeat  on 
the  Roman  arms.  Vespasian  and  Titus  were 
sent  to  chastise  them  back  to  submission.  In 
the  spring  of  a.  d.  70,  when  the  city  was  crowded 
Avith  the  multitudes  who  came  up  to  the  feast 
of  the  Passover,  Titus  surrounded  Jerusalem 
with  his  legions.  Within,  the  people  were  di- 
vided into  factions,  and  fought  with  one  another. 
The  horrors  of  famine  were  added  to  those  of 
riot,  pillage,  murder,  and  siege.  According  to 
the  accounts  of  Josephus,  which  are  not  alto- 
gether trustworthy,  but  which  constitute  our 
chief  source  of  information,  awful  prodigies 
added  terror  to  the  scene  :  a  comet  hung  above 
the  city ;  a  bright  light  shone  in  the  Temple ; 
the  immense  Temple  gates  swung  open  of  their 
own  accord  ;  armed  squadrons  were  seen  in  the 
heavens.  The  Jews  themselves,  given  over  to 
madness,  profaned  the  Temple,  setting  up  as 
high  priest  an  ignorant  rustic.  At  length,  after 
five  months  of  a  siege  which  has  no  parallel  in 
its  commingled  horrors  of  famine,  internal  feuds, 
and  external  assault,  the  city  was  taken  by 
storm,  the  Temple  was  set  on  fire  and  consumed, 
and  the  walls  of  the  city  were  demolished.  Of 
the  Jews,  the  aged  and  infirm  were  killed  ;  the 
children  under  seventeen  were  sold  as  slaves; 
the  rest  were  sentenced,  some  to  the  Egyptian 
mines,  some  to  the  provincial  amphitheatres, 
some  to  grace  the  triumph  of  the  conqueror. 
For  fuller  descriptions  of  this  siege  the  reader  is 
referred  to  the  Bible  Dictionaries,  to  Milman's 
Jlisiory  of  the  Jews,  and  to  Josephus'  Wars  of 
the  Jews.    See  also  note  on  verse  21  below.    The 


question  to  be  determined  respecting  this  twen- 
ty-fourth chapter  of  Matthew,  and  it  is  one  on 
which  the  ablest  scholars  are  not  agreed,  is  this : 
How  far  are  its  proijhecies  to  he  regarded  as  ful- 
filled in  and  by  this  siege  a7id  destruction  of  Jeru- 
salem and  the  consequent  dispersion  of  the  Jews  ? 

Hints  toward  its  Solution. — The  student  may 
obtain  some  light  from  a  consideration  of  the 
following  facts  :  {a.)  The  discourse  is  elicited  by 
the  question  of  verse  3.  The  disciples,  who  had 
anticipated  that  Christ's  kingdom  was  imme- 
diately to  appear,  awed  by  Christ's  solemn  de- 
nunciation of  the  Jewish  nation  (chap.  23 :  37-39), 
and  his  solemn  assertion  of  the  destruction  of 
the  Temple  (verse  2),  but  still  supposing  that  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem,  the  coming  of  the 
Messiah,  i.  e.  the  public  manifestation  of  Jesus 
as  the  Messiah,  and  the  end  of  the  world,  were 
to  be  contemporaneous,  desire  to  know  when 
this  will  be  accomplished.  (6.)  Though  Christ's 
discourse  is  elicited  by  this  question,  he  does  not 
satisfy  their  curiosity.  On  the  contrary,  he  as- 
serts in  express  terms  that  no  man  knows  the 
day  or  the  hour  (verse  se),  makes  this  assertion  of 
their  ignorance  the  ground  of  the  practical  ex- 
hortation to  "watch"  (verse  42),  and  even  asserts 
his  own  ignorance  of  it  (Mark  13 :  S2,  note),  (e. )  His 
object  is  practical,  not  theoretical ;  he  speaks 
not  to  inflame  the  imagination,  nor  to  gratify  cu- 
riosity, but  to  enforce  the  duty  of  patience, 
fidelity,  and  watchfulness.  And  whatever  diffi- 
culty there  may  be  in  understanding  the  pro- 
phetic meaning  of  the  discourse,  there  can  be 
none  in  understanding  and  applying  its  practical 
and  spiritual  instructions,  (d.)  It  thus  resembles 
all  unfulfilled  prophecy.  For  the  object  of 
prophecy  is  not  to  give  us  foreknowledge,  but 
1st,  to  inspire  with  hope  and  incite  to  courage, 
and  2d,  to  give  such  outlines  of  future  events 
as,  when  fulfilled,  shall  become  evidences  of  the 
truth  of  God's  word.  "I  have  told  you,"  says 
Christ,  "before  it  come  to  pass,  that,  tvhen  it  is 
come  to  pass,  ye  might  believe."     (johni4:29,  comp. 

Luke  24  :  8  ;    John   2  :  22  ;     16:4;    Isaiah  48  :  6  ;    Jcr.  44  :  28). 

(e.)  History  is  itself  in  God's  hands  prophetic 
The  partial  fulfilment  becomes  an  historical 
prophecy  of  a  further  fulfilment ;  in  this  case 
the  judgment  of  God  on  Jerusalem  and  the 
Jewish  nation,  is  itself  a  prophecy  of  God's  final 
judgment  on  all  who  reject  the  Messiah  of  the 
world,  and  is  indeed  the  beginnmg  of  his  judg- 
ment of  the  nations,  the  end  of  which  is  not  yet. 
To  this  chapter  the  words  of  Lord  Bacon  are 
peculiarly  applicable  :  "  Divine  prophecies,  being 
of  the  nature  of  their  author,  with  whom  a  thou- 
sand years  are  as  one  day,  are  not  punctually 
fulfilled  at  once,  but  have  springing  and  germi- 
nant  accomplishment  throughout  many  ages." 
(/.)  The  interpretation  of  this  discourse  depends 
largely  on  the  meaning  given  to  certain  verses  in 


Ch.  XXIV.] 


MATTHEW. 


255 


it,  especially  to  the  metaphor  in  verse  28,  the 
confessedly  poetic  language  of  verses  29-31,  and 
the  word  generation  in  verse  34.  See  notes  below. 
Fully  recognizing  the  diflQculty  of  the  subject, 
doubting  whether  Christ's  prophecy  here  can 
ever  be  perfectly  apprehended  until  its  fulfil- 
ment becomes  its  interpreter,  I  suggest  the  fol- 
lowing analysis  as  a  key  to  the  discourse. 

Analysts. — The  question  (verse  3) :  When  will  oc- 
cur the  destruction  of  the  Temple,  thine  own 
glorious  manifestation  as  the  Messiah,  and  the 
end  of  the  world  ?  ChrisVs  fesjMnse.  Do  not 
imagine  that  the  kingdom  will  immediately  ap- 
pear. Be  not  deceived  by  the  claims  of  false 
Messiahs.  There  must  first  be  a  period  of  trib- 
ulation, the  travail  out  of  which  the  kingdom 
shall  be  born  (4-8),  a  period  of  persecution  from 
without,  and  schism,  apostacy,  and  false  doctrine 
within  (9-12),  to  be  accompanied  by  the  preaching 
of  the  Gospel  throughout  the  habitable  globe 
(13,  u).  The  length  of  this  period  no  one  knows 
save  the  Father  ;  not  even  the  Son  (Mark  13 :  32). 
When,  therefore,  you  see  the  fulfilment  of  Dan- 
iel's prophecy  (Dan.  9: 27;  12 :  11),  do  not  imagine 
that  the  end  has  come,  and  abide  in  Jerusalem. 
Flee ;  for  terrible  wUl  be  the  suffering  of  that 
time  (15-22).  Do  not,  then,  allow  false  reports  of 
the  coming  of  the  Messiah  to  mislead  you.  For 
his  coming  wUl  be  in  such  a  manner  that  it  can- 
not be  questioned  (23-27).  Nor  shall  judgment 
stop  at  Jerusalem.  Wherever  there  is  corrup- 
tion, thither  the  executioners  of  God's  judgment 
will  hasten  (23).  Immediately  after  this  period 
of  travail  and  world-judgment,  i.  e.,  without  any 
intervening  sign  or  note  of  preparation,  will 
come  the  Son  of  man  to  judge  the  world  (29-31), 
even  as  summer  follows  spring  (32,  33).  But 
though  Jerusalem  is  destroyed,  the  Jewish  race 
shall  abide,  a  living  testimony  to  the  truth  of  my 
words  (34, 35).  But  the  day  and  hour  of  their  ful- 
filment no  man  knoweth  (35).  It  will  be  sudden 
(37-41).  Wherefore  watch,  be  faithful,  be  always 
ready,  looking  for  the  appearance  of  your  Lord 
(42-51),  who  will  come  to  judge  not  only  the  world, 
but  the  church,  condemning  those  who  have 
lived  in  it  without  divine  grace  (ch.  25 : 1-13),  with- 
out spiritual  thrift  and  industry  (ch.  25 :  14-30),  and 
without  practical  benevolence  and  beneficence  to 
their  fellow-men  (ch.  25 :  31-46). 

Othe7-  Vieivs.  — I  summarize  the  other  principal 
interpretations  of  this  passage.  They  are  almost 
as  numerous  as  the  commentators,  but  they  may 
be  classified  conveniently  as  follows  : 

1.  The  rationalistic:  that  Christ  himself  sup- 
posed that  the  judgment  would  follow  imme- 
diately upon  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and 
so  taught.  This  view  is  not  only  inconsistent 
with  belief  in  the  divine  or  even  the  inspired 
character  of  Christ,  it  is  also  inconsistent 
with  and  refuted  by  the  very  terms  of  the  dis- 


course. Analogous  to  this  is  the  view  of  so 
Evangelical  an  interpreter  as  Olshausen,  that 
"Jesus  did  intend  to  represent  his  coming  as 
contemporaneous  with  the  destruction  of  Jeru- 
salem and  the  overthrow  of  the  Jewish  polity," 
because  "  it  should  be  considered  every  moment 
possible,  and  that  believers  should  deem  it  every 
moment  probable.''^  In  other  words,  that  Christ 
taught  what  he  knew  to  be  error  for  the  sake  of 
a  moral  effect,  for  this  seems  to  me  to  be  the 
practical  result  of  this  interpretation. 

2.  The  semi-rationalistic:  that  the  Evangelists 
misapprehended  the  tenor  of  Christ's  discourse, 
interpreted  it  according  to  their  own  precon- 
ceived ideas,  and  so  represented  Christ  as  teach- 
ing that  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  the 
final  judgment  were  to  be  contemporaneous. 
So  Neander  interprets  it :  "  It  is  easy  to  explain, 
how  points  of  time  which  he  kept  apart,  although 
he  presented  them  as  counterparts  of  each  other, 
without  assigning  any  express  duration  to  either, 
were  blended  together,  in  the  apprehension  of 
his  hearers,  or  in  their  subsequent  repetitions 
of  his  language."  It  is  true  that  this  discourse 
was  perhaps  heard  only  by  Peter,  James,  John, 
and  Andrew  (Mark  13 : 3),  in  which  case  our  reports 
are  not  from  ear-witnesses,  and  there  may  be 
omissions.  But  it  is  impossible  to  suppose  that 
they  are  such  as  materially  to  alter  the  sense, 
and  yet  believe  that  Christ's  promise  of  inspi- 
ration to  his  disciples  (John  14 :  26 ;  16 :  is)  has  bccn 
fulfilled. 

3.  The  historical:  that  Christ's  discourse  re- 
lates wholly  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem ; 
that  the  language  of  verses  29-31  is  poetic  and 
figurative,  and  amounts  only  to  this,  that  "  there 
would  be  nothing  wanting  to  indicate  the  great- 
ness of  the  events  that  were  at  hand,  that  the 
violent  commotions  and  terrible  calamities  which 
M^ere  coming  would  be  accompanied  by  extraor- 
dinary signs  and  portents  that  attend  all  great 
occurrences."— (i?Mraess.)  This  view  is  not  only 
sustained  by  such  writers  as  Professor  Norton 
and  J.  H.  Morison  (Unitarian),  but  also  by  such 
Evangelical  divines  as  Mr.  Barnes  and  Drs.  Ja- 
cobus, Owen,  Brown,  and  Adam  Clarke.  It  is 
the  view  of  Lightfoot  and  of  some  other  of  the 
older  divines.  In  the  notes  which  follow,  espe- 
cially on  ver.  29-31,  I  state  the  grounds  on  which 
this  opinion  is  based,  and  some  of  the  reasons 
which  appear  to  me  to  be  conclusive  against  it. 
A  still  more  serious  objection  is  this :  The  object 
of  this  whole  discourse  is  the  closing  exhortation 
to  fidelity  and  watchfulness  (verses  42-61),  which 
Christ  expressly  declares  is  for  all  his  disciples, 
not  merely  for  the  twelve  (Mark  13 :  37) ;  and  it  is 
not  the  past  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  but  the 
future  destritction  of  the  world  and  coming  of 
Christ,  possible  at  any  day  or  hour,  which  alone 
affords  a  ground  for  this  exhortation. 


256 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXIV. 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 


AND"'  Jesus  went  out,  and  departed  from  the  tem- 
ple :  and  his  disciples  came  to  him  for  to  shew 
him  the  buildings  of  the  temple. 

2  And  Jesus  said  unto  them,  See  ye  not  all  these 
things?    Verily  I  say  unto  you.  There'  shall  not  be 


left  here  one  stone  upon  another,  that  shall  not  be 
thrown  down. 

3  And  as  he  sat  upon  the  mount  of  Olives,  the  disci- 
ples came  unto  him  privately,  saying.  Tell  us,  when 
shall  these  things  be  ?  and  what  shall  be  the  sign  of 
thy  coming,  and  of  the  end  of  the  world  ?  e 

4  And  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  them.  Take"" 
heed  that  no  man  deceive  you. 


;  Luke  21  :  6. ...  f  1  Kings  9:7:  Jer.  26  :  18 ;  Luke  19  :  44. ...  g  1  Thess.  6  :  1,  etc h  Col.  2  :  8  ;  2  These.  2  : 


4.  Other  interpretations:  these  are  numerous, 
such  as  (1)  that  the  whole  discourse  relates  ex- 
clusively to  the  end  of  the  world,  and  that  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem  is  only  incidentally  and 
indirectly  alluded  to,  a  more  complete  destruc- 
tion being  yet  to  come,  perhaps  by  an  earth- 
quake ;  (3)  that  the  discourse  may  be  divided 
into  three  parts  which  answer  respectively  three 
questions  put  by  the  disciples,  e.  g.,  verses  l-li 
relating  to  the  second  coming  of  Christ,  15-28  to 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  29-51  to  the  end 
of  the  world  ;  (3)  that  Christ  pictures  the  two 
events  without  regard,  as  it  were,  to  perspective, 
the  first,  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  occupymg 
the  foreground,  the  last,  the  end  of  the  world,  the 
background,  with  no  intimation  of  the  eras  that 
intervene ;  (4)  that  he  separates  them,  but  that 
his  declaration  ^'■Immediately  after  the  tribula- 
tion of  those  days"  (verse 29),  is  to  be  read  in  the 
light  of  the  declaration  that  with  God  a  thousand 
years  are  as  one  day,  the  intervening  period 
being  in  his  sight  a  small  matter.  It  would 
make  these  notes  too  cumberous  and  perplexing 
to  explain  and  refute  these  views  in  detail.  The 
grounds  of  the  historical  interpretation  are  to 
some  extent  indicated  in  the  notes.  None  of  the 
other  views  appear  to  me  at  all  tenable,  except 
the  one  here  adopted.  This  substantially  agrees 
with  the  interpretation  of  Lange,  Pressense, 
Howard  Crosby,  Alford,  Calvin,  James  Morison, 
and  Chrysostom,  though  no  two  of  these  agree 
in  all  detaDs. 

1.  His  disciples  came  to  him.  As  he 
was  going  out  of  the  Temple  (Mmk  13 : 1). — The 
buildings  of  the  Temple.  Few  buildings  in  an- 
cient or  modem  times  have  equalled  in  magnifi- 
cence Herod's  Temple.  With  its  outbuildings  it 
covered  an  area  of  over  nineteen  acres,  was  built 
of  white  marble,  was  forty-six  years  in  building 
(John  2 :  2o),  and  employed  in  its  construction  ten 
thousand  skilled  workmen.  The  accompanying 
illustration  is  from  H.W.  Beecher's  Life  of  Christ. 

The  disciples  were  amazed  and  perplexed  by 
Christ's    public    prediction    of   its    destruction 

(Matt.  23  :  36-39  ;  Luke  19  :  43,  44).      And  Well   they  might 

be,  for  the  fortifications  of  Jerusalem  and  its 
natural  advantages  rendered  it  so  apparently  im- 
pregnable, that  after  its  fall  Titus,  the  captor,  is 
reported  by  Josephus  {Wars  of  Jews,  6  :  9,  1)  to 
have  said,  "It  was  no  other  than  God  who 
ejected  the  Jews  out   of   these   fortifications. 


For  what  could  the  hands  of  men,  or  any  ma- 
chines do,  toward  overthrowing  these  towers?" 

2.  There  shall  not  be  left  here  one 
stone  upon  another.  This  prophecy  has  been 
so  literally  fulfilled,  the  walls  being  demolished  by 
order  of  Titus,  that  Josephus  says,  "There  was 
left  nothing  to  make  those  who  had  come  hither 
believe  it  had  ever  been  inhabited."  Of  the 
Temple  proper  not  a  vestige  remains.  It  was  built, 
however,  upon  an  immense  platform,  partly  com- 
posed of  natural  rock,  partly  of  immense  mason- 
ry. This  platform  is  still  standing,  and  some  look 
for  its  future  demolition  by  an  earthquake. 

3.  Mount  of  Olives.  This  was  over  against 
Jerusalem,  and  directly  opposite  the  Temple, 
which  was  therefore  in  fuU  view.  See  map  of 
Jerusalem,  chap.  26,  page  277. — The  disciples 
came  unto  him.  Mark  (i3:3)  specifies  their 
names,  Peter,  James,  John,  and  Andrew  ;  and  the 
language  implies,  but  does  not  necessarily  prove, 
that  these  were  the  only  ones  to  whom  this  dis- 
course was  delivered.— Tell  us  when  shall 
these  things  be,  i.  e.,  the  destruction  of  Jerusa- 
lem.—And  what  shall  be  the  sign  of  thy 
coming.  Not  of  his  second  coming,  for  though 
Christ  had  foretold  his  crucifixion,  the  disciples 
did  not  understand  his  saymg  (Mark  9:32;  Luke  9 :  45), 
but  the  sign  of  his^Mft^ic  manifestation  as  the  3fes- 
siah.  This  they  were  momentarily  expecting  (Lnke 
19 :  11 ;  Acts  1 ;  6).— Aud  of  the  cud  of  the  world. 
Not  merely  of  the  Jewish  dispensation,  though 
the  Greek  is  perhaps  capable  of  being  so  ren- 
dered. Christ  had  in  public  discourse  alluded 
to  the  end  of  the  world  in  connection  with  his 
own  appearance  as  the  Messiah  (Matt  is :  39, 40, 49). 
The  disciples,  supposing  that  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem,  the  overthrow  of  Judaism,  the  mani- 
festation of  Jesus  as  the  Messiah-King,  and  the 
end  of  the  world,  would  be  contemporaneous, 
asked  when  they  would  occur,  and  what  would 
be  the  sign  of  their  approach.  One  principal  ob- 
ject of  Christ's  discourse  is  to  correct  their  mis- 
apprehension. Calvin  interprets  AveU  their  prob- 
able state  of  mind  :  "  Having  been  convinced 
that,  as  soon  as  the  reign  of  Christ  should  com- 
mence, they  would  be  in  every  respect  happy, 
they  leave  warfare  out  of  the  account,  and  fly 
all  at  once  to  a  triumph,"  He  also  emphasizes 
the  practical  lesson :  "No  man  wishes  to  sow 
the  seed,  but  all  vnsh  to  reap  the  harvest  before 
the  season  arrives." 


i  3 
p  1- 


ti 


1  ? 


&   S 


258 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXIV. 


5  For  many  shall  come  in  my'  name,  saying,  I  am 
Christ ;  and  shall  deceive  many. 

6  And  ye  shall  hear  of  wars,J  and  rumours  of  wars  ; 
see  that  ye  be  not  troubled  :  for  all  these  things  must 
come  to  pass,  but  the  end  is  not  yet. 


7  For''  nation  shall  rise  against  nation,  and  kingdom 
against  kingdom  :  and  there  shall  be  famines,  and  pes- 
tilences, and  earthquakes,  in  divers  places. 

8  All  these  are  the  beginning  of  sorrows. 


I  Jer.  14:  14 j  Dan.: 


.  k  Hag.  2  :  21,  22. 


4,  5.  Take  heed.  This  is  the  text  of  this 
discourse,  and  to  it  Christ  constantly  recurs. 
Compare  verses  13,  23-35,  42-44.  "  We  ought 
not  to  inquire  into  future  and  final  events, 
through  curiosity,  but  from  a  desire  to  fortify 
ourselves."— (-Sertsre/.)  I  add  that  curiosity  halts 
ever  unsatisfied  at  this  chapter ;  but  the  spiritual 
desire  for  practical  warning  and  admonition  is 
abundantly  satisfied.— That  no  man  deceive 
you.  The  Jews,  from  such  prophecies  as 
Isaiah  54  :  13  ;  Jer.  31  :  34  ;  Mai.  4  :  2,  expected 
that  after  the  Messiah  came  they  would  enjoy 
immunity  from  false  doctrine.  Jesus  here  warns 
his  disciples  to  be  still  on  their  guard  against  it. 
—  For  many  shall  come  in  my  name. 
Literally  upon  my  name,  i.  e.,  as  Wordsworth  in- 
terprets it,  "  standing  upon  it  and  usurping  it." 
That  by  In  my  name  Christ  does  mean,  As  my 
disciples,  is  evident  from  the  following  clause  of 
the  sentence. — Saying,  I  am  the  Messiah, 
i.  e.,  taking  the  title  and  claiming  the  authority 
of  the  Messiah.  Buck,  in  his  Theological  Dic- 
tionary, gives  a  list  of  twenty-nine  false  Christs, 
though  he  includes  such  persons  as  Mahomet  in 
his  list.  The  last  of  these  was  as  late  as  the 
seventeenth  century.  It  is  evident  that  this 
prophecy  was  not  completely  fulfilled  prior  to 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem.  The  warning  is 
equally  applicable  to  our  own  day.  What  was 
Joseph  Smith,  the  founder  of  Mormonism,  with 
his  impious  claim  to  be  prophet,  priest,  and 
king,  but  a  false  Messiah  ? 

6,  7.  And  ye  shall  hear  of  wars  and 
rumors  of  wars.  A  seeming  anti-climax,  but 
a  real  climax.  The  rumors  of  an  expected  in- 
vasion are  often  more  dreadful  than  the  invasion 
itself.  Those  who  can  do  so,  should  read  Dr. 
SchafE's  graphic  note  descriptive  of  his  personal 
experience  in  Gettysburg  during  the  civil  Avar 
(Lange  on  Matt.  24 : 6).— Be  uot  troubled.  That  is, 
be  not  apprehensive  that  the  end  of  the  world  is 
yet.  Compare  2  Thess.  2  :  2.— The  end  is  not 
yet.  Luke's  language  is  yet  more  explicit. 
These  things  must  come  to  pass ;  but  the  end  is  not 
immediately  (Luke  21 :  9,  note).  The  end  here  is  not 
equivalent  to,  The  end  of  the  Jewish  dispensa- 
tion. When  the  words  stand,  as  here,  without 
qualification  or  interpretation,  they  generally 
mean  in  the  N.  T.  "  The  end  of  the  world.''''  Comp. 
1  Cor.  15  :  34 ;  1  Pet.  4  :  7. 

For  nation  shall  rise  against  nation, 
etc.  Luke's  description  (21 :  10, 11)  is  yet  more 
detailed  and  specific.    In  the  period  intervening 


this  prophecy  and  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem, 
there  were  serious  disturbances,  (1)  at  Aler-n- 
dria,  A.  d.  38,  in  which  the  Jews  as  a  nation 
were  the  especial  objects  of  persecution  ;  (2)  at 
Seleucia,  about  the  same  time,  in  which  more 
than  fifty  thousand  Jews  were  killed  ;  (3)  at 
Jamnia,  a  city  on  the  coast  of  Judsea,  near  Joppa. 
Many  other  such  national  tumults  are  recorded 
by  Josephus.     See  esijecially    Wars  of  the  Jews 

2  :  17 ;  18  : 1-8. — Famines  and  pestilences. 
A  great  famine,  prophesied  in  Acts  (11 :  ss)  oc- 
curred A.  D.  49,  and  another  in  the  reign  of 
Claudius,  and  mentioned  by  Josephus  {Antiq. 

3  :  15,  3).  A  pestilence,  A.  d.  65,  in  a  single  au- 
tumn carried  off  30,000  persons  at  Rome. — 
Earthquakes.  Between  this  prophecy  and  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem  there  were  (1)  a  great 
earthquake  at  Crete,  a.  d.  46  or  47 :  (2)  one  at 
Rome,  A.  D.  51  ;  (3)  one  at  Apamia  in  Phrygia, 
A.  D.  53  ;  (4)  one  at  Laodicea  in  Phrygia,  a.  d.  60  ; 
(5)  one  in  Campania  ;  (6)  one  in  Jerusalem,  a.  d, 
67,  described  in  Josephus  {Wars  of  the  Jews  4  : 
4,  5).  I  take  this  hst  from  Alford's  Commentary. 
It  is,  however,  evident  that  the  prophesies  of 
these  verses  (s-s)  are  not  peculiarly  applicable  to 
the  period  immediately  preceding  the  destruc- 
tion of  Jerusalem.  The  prophecy  of  wars  and 
rumors  of  wars  applies  with  still  greater  force  to 
the  campaigns  of  Charlemagne,  the  wars  between 
the  Popes  and  the  German  emperors,  the  con- 
flicts between  Napoleon  I.  and  the  allied  armies, 
the  more  recent  wars  between  France,  Italy, 
Austria,  and  Germany,  the  various  civil  wars 
which  have  devastated  England,  particularly  the 
wars  of  the  Roses  and  the  Revolution  under 
Cromwell,  and  in  our  owti  country  the  American 
Revolution  and  the  Civil  War  ;  to  many  of  these 
is  equally  applicable  the  declaration  that  "  na- 
tion shall  rise  against  nation."  Of  families,  pes- 
tilences, and  earthquakes  there  have  been  more 
remarkable  instances  since  than  before  the  de- 
struction of  Jerusalem,  and  instances  in  which 
the  Christian  church  has  suffered  far  more  se- 
verely. I  understand  Christ's  language  here  to 
be  an  admonition  to  expect  a  long  period  of  con- 
flict and  trial  before  the  end  will  appear,  a 
prophecy  which  history  has  both  interpreted  and 
fulfilled. 

8.  All  these  are  the  beginning  of  tra- 
vail {(adh).  Not  merely  of  sorrows,  but  of  that 
labor  pain  of  the  world,  mit  of  which  the  kingdom 
of  Ood  is  to  be  born.  The  figure  is  not  infre- 
quent in  the  N.  T.   (see  Rom.  8  :  22;  1  Thess.  6:3);  and 


Ch.  XXIV.] 


MATTHEW. 


259 


9  Then'  shall  they  deliver  you  up  to  be  afflicted, 
and  shall  kill  ™  you  :  and  ye  shall  be  hated  of  all  na- 
tions for  my  name's  sake. 

10  And  then  shall  many  be  "  offended,  and  shall  be- 
tray one  another,  and  shall  hate  one  another. 


11  And"  many  false  prophets  shall  rise,  and  shall 
deceive  p  many. 

12  And  because  iniquity  shall  abound,  the  love  of 
many  shall  wax  i  cold. 


John  16  :  2  i  Acts  7  :  59 n  ch.  13  :  21 o  2  Pet.  2  :  1 ;  1  John  4:3 pi  Tim.  4:1 q  Rev.  3  :  15,  16. 


it  is  one  full  of  the  brightness  of  hope.  The 
world's  anguish  is  itself  a  prophecy  of  the  fu- 
ture birth  of  the  kmgdom  of  righteousness. 

9-13.  Then.  "  During  this  period,  not  after, 
these  things  have  happened."— (^4(/br(Z.) — Shall 
they  deliver  you  up.  The  language  is  im- 
personal ;  it  is  equivalent  to,  You  shall  be  deliv- 
ered up. — Aud  ye  shall  be  hated  of  all 
nations  for  my  name's  sake.  Compare 
with  this  warning  the  blessing  which  accompa- 
nies it  (Matt.  5:11, 12).  Both  warning  and  promise 
are  applicable  to  all  Christ's  disciples  to  the  end 
of  time.  Compare  John  15  :  18-31 ;  16  : 1-4.— 
Then,  i.  e.,  during  this  period  of  persecution, 
and  because  of  it. — Many,  witliin  the  Church 
of  Christ,  shall  be  offended,  i.  e.,  stumbled, 
entrapped,  caused  to  fall  into  sin.     See  Matt. 

5  :  39  ;  16  :  34  and  notes. — And  many  false 
prophets  shall  arise,  i.  e.,  false  religious 
teachers,  pretending  to  have  a  divine  mission 
and  to  be  entrusted  with  a  divine  message. 
Compare  Matt.  7  :  15-30  and  notes. — And  be- 
cause iniquity  shall  abound,  in  the  world 
without,  the  love,  both  toward  God  and  man, 
of  many,  within  the  church,  shall  wax  cold. 
"It  is  the  nature  of  love  to  burn." — {Bengel.) 
The  danger  to  the  church  in  a  time  of  the  general 
prevalence  of  iniquity  is  coldness  of  love  and 
worldliness  of  spirit ;  a  danger  which  peculiarly 
threatens  in  the  present  era. 

These  verses  indicate  four  dangers  which  will 
assail  the  church  :  persecution  from  without 
(verse  9) ;  apostasy,  schism,  and  controversy  within 
(verse  lo) ;  false  doctrine  (verse  11) ;  and  worldliness 
and  consequent  backsliding  (verse  12).  Each  of 
these  dangers  came  in  a  small  measure  upon  the 
Apostolic  church  before  the  destruction  of  Jeru- 
salem. The  disciples  were  subjected  to  persecu- 
tion, and  some  of  its  leaders  were  killed  (Acts  7 :  59, 
60 ;  8 : 3, 4 ;  12 : 2,  etc.).  They  werc  hated  by  the  Gentiles 
as  well  as  by  the  Jews  (Acts  16 :  19-22 ;  19 :  28 ;  28 :  22 ;  1  Pot. 
2 :  12 ;  3 :  16).  Some  Were  offended,  and  fell  away 
(2  Tim.  4 :  10).  There  were  schisms  and  controversies 
within  the  church  (i  cor.  i :  11-13),  and  false  teachers 
(1  Tim.  1 : 6, 7 ;  s  Tim.  3 : 6-8),  and  coMness  and  worldli- 
ness (l  Tim.  6  :  9,  10,  17-19  ;  2  Tim.  4:10;  James  2  :  2-6).  In  fur- 
ther illustration  of  the  fulfilment  of  these  prophe- 
cies the  student  may  profitably  consult  the  fol- 
lowing passages  :  Acts  30  :  30  ;  Rom.  16  :  17,  18  ; 
2  Cor.  11  :  13  •  Gal.  1:7-9;  Col.  3  :  17-end  ;  1  Tim. 

6  : 3-5, 30, 31 ;  3  Tim.  3  :  18  ;  3  Pet.  3 ;  1  John  3  :  18, 
23,  33,  36  ;  4  : 1,  3  ;  2  John  7.  But  these  were 
only  the   beginning  of   travail  in  the  church. 


And  in  her  history,  subsequent  to  the  destruc- 
tion of  Jerusalem,  the  reader  must  look  for  a 
larger  fulfilment.  The  persecutions  of  the 
Christian  church  constantly  increased  in  violence 
up  to  the  days  of  Constantme.  By  the  edicts  of 
Diocletian,  all  Bibles  were  ordered  to  be  de- 
stroyed, all  ecclesiastics  to  be  thrust  into  prison, 
all  Christians  to  be  compelled  by  torture  to 
sacrifice  to  the  gods,  and  all  the  contumacious 
to  be  put  to  death.  Mr.  Lecky,  who  is  certainly 
not  inclined  to  exaggerate  these  Roman  persecu- 
tions, thus  describes  some  of  the  aflBictions  to 
which  the  early  Christians  were  subjected :  "  We 
read  of  Christians  bound  in  chairs  of  red-hot 
iron,  while  the  stench  of  their  half  consumed 
flesh  rose  in  a  suffocating  cloud  to  heaven  ;  of 
others  who  were  torn  to  the  very  bone  by  shells 
or  hooks  of  iron  ;  of  holy  virgins  given  over  to 
the  lust  of  the  gladiator  or  to  the  mercies  of  the 
pander ;  of  two  hundred  and  twenty-seven  con- 
verts sent  on  one  occasion  to  the  mines,  each 
with  the  sinews  of  one  leg  severed  by  a  red-hot 
iron,  and  with  an  eye  scooped  from  its  socket ; 
of  fires  so  slow  that  the  victims  writhed  for 
hours  in  their  agonies  ;  of  mingled  salt  and  vin- 
egar poured  over  the  flesh  that  was  bleeding 
from  the  rack  ;  of  tortures  prolonged  and  varied 
through  entire  days." — {History  of  European 
Morals,  Vol.  I  :  497.)  That  the  disciples  were 
hated  is  abundantly  illustrated  by  Gibbon.  They 
were  charged  with  licentiousness,  incest,  and 
human  sacrifice  {Gibbon''s  Borne,  11 :  11).  Tacitus 
calls  the  Christians  "  a  race  of  men  hated  for 
their  crimes."  Many  in  the  church  were  offended, 
so  many  that  the  church  was  subsequently  se- 
riously divided  on  the  question  whether  such 
apostates  and  recusants  might  be  received  back 
again  into  the  fold.  The  internal  conflicts,  of 
party  against  party  in  the  church,  is  abundantly 
illustrated  in  its  subsequent  history,  in  the  ter- 
rible persecutions  inflicted  by  the  Roman  Cath- 
olic Church  upon  Protestants,  surpassing  in 
severity  and  extent  any  ever  inflicted  by  the 
heathen,  in  the  controversies  in  the  Roman  Cath- 
olic Church  itself  between  the  rival  popes  and 
between  the  Jansenists  and  Jesuits  in  France, 
and  in  the  Protestant  Church  even  down  to  our 
own  day,  between  different  sects.  From  false 
teachers  and  from  cokhiess  and  worldliness,  the 
church  has  always  suffered,  certainly  to  a  greater 
degree  in  these  latter  days  than  in  the  Apostolic 
era.  Observe,  too,  that,  though  every  age  has, 
in  some  degree,  all  of  these  tribulations,  yet, 


260 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXIV. 


13  But '  he  that  shall  endure  unto  the  end,  the  same 
shall  be  saved. 

14  And  this  gospel  of  the  kingdom  shall  be »  preached 
in  all  the  world  for  a  witness  unto  all  nations:  and  then 
shall  the  end  come. 


15  When  ye,  therefore,  shall  see  the  abomination  of 
desolation,  spoken'  of  by  Daniel  the  prophet,  stand  in 
the  holy  place,  (whoso  readeth,  let  him  understand  :) 

16  Then  let  them  which  be  in  Judaea  flee  into  the 
mountains : 


r  Rev.  2  :  10 b  ch.  28  :  19  ;  Rom.  10  :  18  ;  Rev.  14  :  6 t  Dan.  9  :  27  ;  12  :  11. 


historically,  each  age  is  characterized  by  its  own  pe- 
culiar form  of  tribulation,  and  that  they  follow  each 
other  in  consecutive  order,  as  indicated  in  Christ's 
language  here.  First  comes  the  period  of  peril 
from  without,  that  of  Imperial  persecution ; 
next  that  of  schism  and  conflict  within,  that  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  persecutions  and  of  the 
ecclesiastical  conflicts  between  Roman  Catholic, 
■Greek,  and  Protestant  communions,  and  the  sec- 
tarian strife  between  the  Protestant  churches. 
This  has  well-nigh  passed ;  and  we  are  now  in 
the  age  of  "false  prophets,"  an  age  which,  with 
liberty  of  speech,  brings  within  the  church  itself 
much  false  doctrine  ;  an  age  which  produces  a 
bishop  (Colenso)  who  denies  the  inspiration  of  the 
Scripture,  and  a  professor  of  theology  (Strauss ) 
who  denies  the  existence  of  a  personal  God,  the 
immortality  of  the  soul,  and  the  reality  of  religion 
as  a  vital  experience.  Is  it  a  mistake  to  con- 
elude  that  the  dangers  to  the  church  in  the  fu- 
ture lie,  not  in  any  recurrence  of  religious  perse- 
cutions, or  of  denominational  conflicts,  but  in 
false  prophets,  and  still  more  in  an  era,  yet  to  be 
developed,  of  abounding  iniquity  without,  and 
consequent  coldness  and  worldliness  within  the 
church  ? 

13,  14.  He  that  shall  endure  to  the 
end.  Not  he  that  endures  to  the  end  of  the 
Jewish  economy  shall  be  saved  in  the  destruction 
of  Jerusalem,  nor  he  that  endures  to  the  end  of 
the  world  shall  be  saved  in  the  day  of  judgment, 
but  he  that  endures  to  the  end  of  the  period  of 
trial,  ivhatever  that  in  his  case  may  be,  shall  be 
saved  by  and  through  his  endurance  of  the  ap- 
pointed   discipline     (Ephes.  6  :  13;    Rev.  2  :  7,  11,  17,  etc.  ; 

7 :  u).  Compare  the  more  explicit  language  of 
Luke  21  :  19  and  note.  Mark  (13 : 9-11)  and  Luke 
(21 :  12-15)  report  Christ's  practical  directions  to 
the  disciples  how  to  endure  the  trial  hour  when 
it  comes. — And  this  §^ood  neAvs  of  the 
kingdom  shall  be  heralded  in  the  whole 
habitable  globe.  Not  merely  throughout 
Palestine.  The  Greek  word  here  employed 
{oly-ovaiM])  never  has  that  signification  in  the 
N.  T.  It  may  mean,  either  the  then  known 
world  (Luke  2:1;  Acts  11 :  28 ;  24 :  s).  Or  the  entire  globe 
(Rev.  3:10;  12:9;  16:14).  I  think  hcrc  the  latter 
meaning  is  included. — For  a  testimony  unto 
all  nations.  A  testimony  to  them  of  Christ's 
redemption  ;  a  testimony  against  such  as  reject 
it.  Compare  note  on  Matt.  8:4.  It  is  true  that 
the  Gospel  was  preached,  in  the  greater  part  of 
the  then  kno^vn  world,  before  the  destruction  of 


Jerusalem.  But  the  prophecy  here,  as  in  the 
preceding  verses,  is,  I  think,  more  far-reaching. 
"  The  aposiacy  of  the  latter  days,  and  the  universal 
dispersion  of  missions,  are  the  two  great  signs  of 
the  end  drawing  near." — {Alford.)  Observe  that 
Christ  does  not  say  that  the  Gospel  wUl  be  re- 
ceived by  or  even  among  all  nations,  only  that  it 
will  be  proclaimed  to  them.  The  standard  will 
be  set  up  ;  allegiance  may  not  be  paid  to  it.  But 
this  certainly  indicates  that  an  increased  Chris- 
tian activity  in  the  church  and  increased  tri- 
umphs of  the  Gospel  will  be  contemporaneous 
events  with  the  coldness,  conflicts,  and  apostacy 
foretold  in  the  preceding  verses. —  And  then 
shall  come  the  end,  i.  e.,  the  end  of  the  pe- 
riod of  trial  and  judgment,  and  so  the  end  of 
the  world. 

15.  When  ye  therefore  shall  see  the 
abomination  of  desolation,  i.  (.,  the  abom- 
ination that  makes  desolate,  spoken  of  by 
Daniel  (Dan.  9:27;  i2:ii).  Stand  in  a  holy 
place,  not  in  the  Holy  of  holies,  the  words  here 
used  are  never  employed  in  the  N.  T.  to  signify 
the  Holy  of  holies  or  inner  Temple  ;  nor  Is  it, 
as  in  the  English  version,  The  holy  place,  but,  as 
I  have  translated  it  above,  A  holy  place.  Mark 
gives  as  an  equivalent  expression,  Standing  where 
it  ought  not.— Whoso  readeth,  let  him  un- 
derstand. This  is  generally  regarded  as  an  ad- 
monition of  the  Evangelist,  added  to  emphasize 
Christ's  warning.  If  this  surmise  be  correct, 
the  Gospel  of  Matthew  must  have  been  written 
not  long  prior  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem, 
for  the  object  of  this  addition  is  to  enforce 
Christ's  caution  to  the  disciples,  to  make  good 
their  escape  from  the  doomed  city. 

The  connection  of  this  verse  appears  to  me  to 
be  this  :  Daniel  had  prophesied  of  an  abomina- 
tion of  desolation  which  should  precede  the 
"consummation,"  i.  e.,  the  flnal  coming  of  the 
Messiah  as  king.  The  disciples,  imbibing  the 
erroneous  ideas  of  their  time,  would  suppose 
that  the  Messiah's  coming  would  immediately 
follow  this  sign,  and  with  mistaken  faith  might 
remain  in  Jerusalem,  awaiting  there  an  expected 
divine  deliverance.  Christ,  so  far  from  confirm- 
ing this  error,  carefully  corrects  it.  Therefore, 
he  says,  i.  e. ,  because  there  is  to  be  a  long  period  of 
tribulation  and  judgment  preceding  the  end  of  the 
world,  when  ye  see  the  sign  spoken  of  by  Daniel, 
do  not  imagine  that  the  end  is  come,  and  so 
abide  in  the  city  :  flee  upon  the  mountains. 
And  in  the  following  verses,  to  verse  22,  he  en- 


Ch.  XXIV.] 


MATTHEW. 


261 


17  Let  him  which  is  on  the  housetop  not  come  down 
to  take  any  thing  out  ot  his  house  : 

18  Neither  let  him  which  is  in  the  field  return  back 
to  take  his  clothes. 

19  And"  woe  unto  them  that  are  with  child,  and  to 
them  that  give  suck  in  those  days  ! 


20  But  pray  ye  that  your  flight  be  not  in  the  winter, 
neither  on  the  sabbath  day  : 

21  For"  then  shall  be  great  tribulation,  such  as  was 
not  since  the  beginning  of  the  world  to  this  time,  no, 
nor  ever  shall  be. 


u  Luke  23  :  29. . . 


forces  this  admonition  by  a  vivid  description  of 
the  peril.  The  admonition  was  not  in  vain. 
Not  a  single  Christian  is  known  to  have  perished 
in  the  siege  of  Jerusalem.  What  is  the  abomina- 
tion which  makes  desolate  referred  to  here  and  in 
Daniel,  it  Is  not  easy  to  determine.  The  com- 
mentators generally  suppose  it  to  refer  to  the 
standards  of  the  Roman  army,  which  contained 
heathen  emblems,  and  the  direction  to  be  equiv- 
alent to  that  of  Luke  21  :  20  :  Whe7i  ye  shall  see 
Jerusalem  compassed  with  armies,  know  that  the 
desolation  thereof  is  nigh.  But  the  Roman  eagles 
had  been  seen  in  and  about  Jemsalem  for  many 
years.  Others  refer  the  words  to  the  internal 
desecration  of  the  Temple  by  the  Zealots.  In 
either  case  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  Alford  is 
correct  in  saying:  "Whatever  it  was,  it  was  a 
definite,  well  marked  event,  for  the  flight  was  to 
be  immediate,  on  one  day  (not  on  the  Sabbath), 
and  universal,  from  all  parts  of  Judea."  When 
this  sign  appeared,  whatever  it  was,  the  disciples 
were  not  to  think  the  Messiah  was  at  hand ;  they 
were  to  flee. 

16-18.  These  verses  contain  directions  for 
the  flight  of  the  Christians. — Into  the  moun- 
tains. Rather,  upon  the  mountains,  i.  e.,  to  a 
refuge  beyond  them.  It  is  said  by  Eusebius 
that  at  the  siege  of  Jerusalem  the  Christians  fled 
to  Pella,  a  city  on  the  northernmost  boundary  of 
Perea.— On  the  housetop.  The  Jewish  roof 
is  flat,  is  a  common  resort,  and  is  a  natural  point 
of  observation  in  time  of  peril  (isaiah  22 : 1).  It  is 
said  that  one  may  run  from  one  part  of  Jerusa- 
lem to  another,  and  even  to  the  city  gates,  along 
these  flat  roofs  of  the  houses.  But  I  should  re- 
gard this  and  the  next  verse  not  as  a  command 
to  flee  in  any  particular  manner,  but  simply  as  a 
warning  against  delay.  They  that  were  on  the 
housetop  were  not  to  return  to  take  anything 
with  them ;  they  were  to  go  unencumbered. — 
His  clothes.  Literally  hie  cloak  {iuunov).  This 
was  an  outer  garment  not  used  in  work,  but  the 
almost  necessary  accompaniment  of  every  Jewish 
traveler.  It  was  a  shawl  or  blanket,  made  of 
wool  and  of  a  square  or  oblong  square  form,  fast- 
ened round  the  neck  or  on  the  shoulder  by  a 
brooch,  and  usually  worn  as  an  outside  mantle 
over  the  tunic  or  undergarment.  It  was  thrown 
off  or  left  at  home  during  work  (John  n :  4) ;  but 
was  used  at  night  as  a  wrapper,  and  would  seem 
to  the  disciples  almost  indispensable  in  such  a 
flight.    But  they  were  not  to  turn  back  even  for 


THE    CLOAK. 

so  important  an  article.    The  exigency  would  be 
too  urgent ;  the  peril  too  great. 

19,  20.  Hindrances  within  their  control  they 
were  not  to  permit,  from  hindrances  beyond 
their  control  they  were  to  seek  deliverance  by  " 
prayer ;  a  hint  as  to  the  use  and  the  limitation 
of  prayer.  They  were  to  pray  that  the  flight 
might  not  be  in  the  ivinter,  that  thus  they  might 
avoid  the  additional  exposure  and  suffering ;  nor 
on  the  Sabbath  day,  because  they  would  thus  meet 
with  impediments  from  without,  such  as  the  shut- 
ting of  the  gates  of  cities,  or  from  their  own  Sab- 
bath scruples,  from  which  the  Jewish  Christians 
were  not  wholly  freed,  and  which  forbade  travel- 
ing further  than  a  Sabbath  day's  journey  (about 
one  mile),  and  also  because  to  flee  from  Judea  on 
the  Jewish  Sabbath  might  subject  them  to  the 
enmity  and  persecution  of  the  Jews,  who  would 
in  consequence  regard  them  as  both  traitors  and 
heretics. 

21.  For  then  shall  be  great  tribulation. 
Luke  describes  it  more  in  detail  (Luke  21 :  24),  and 
the  ancient  prophecies  with  still  more  terrible 
particularity  (oeut.  28 :  49-57 ;  Dan.  12: 1).  Josephus 
( Wars  of  the  Jews,  B.  6)  gives  an  account  of  the  hor- 
rors of  this  unparalleled  siege.  According  to  him 
there  were  slain  1,100,000  Jews  ;  97,000  were  taken 
captive,  many  of  whom  were  subsequently  tor- 
tured and  slain ;  the  prisoners  captured  during  the 
siege  were  crucified  in  such  numbers  that  "  room 
was  wanted  for  the  crosses,  and  crosses  wanted 
for  the  bodies ;"  the  famine  within  devoured  the 
people  "  by  whole  houses  and  families,"  and  was 
so  terrible  that  the  prophecy  of  Deuteronomy  was 
literally  fulfilled ;   one  mother  killed,  roasted, 


263 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXIV. 


22  And  except  those  days  should  be  shortened,  there 
should  no  flesh  be  saved:  but"  for  the  elect's  sake 
those  days  shall  be  shortened. 

23  Then  ^  if  any  man  shall  say  unto  you,  Lo,  here  zs 
Christ,  or  there  ;  believe  z'i  not. 

24  hoTV  there  shall  arise  false  Christs,  and  false 
prophets,  and  ^  shall  shew  great  signs  and  wonders  ; 


insomuch  that,  if »  ii  were  possible,  they  shall  deceive 
the  very  elect. 

25  Behold,  I  have  told  you  before. 

26  Wherefore  if  they  shall  say  unto  you.  Behold,  he 
is  in  the  desert :  go  not  forth :  Behold,  he  is  in  the 
secret  chambers  ;  believe  it  not. 

27  For  as  the  lightning"  cometh  out  of  the  east,  and 


w  Isa.  65  :  8,  9. . . .  X  Deut.  13 :  1,  3. 


. .  z  2  Thess.  2:9-11;  Rev.  13  :  13 a  John  10  :  28,  29 b  Zee.  9  :  14 ;  Lnke  17  :  24,  etc. 


and  ate  her  own  child  ( Wars  of  tJie  Jews,  6  :  3,  4). 
The  language  of  Josephus  in  narrating  the  events 
singularly  resembles  the  language  of  Christ  in 
prophesying  them;  "No  other  city,"  says  he, 
"  ever  suffered  such  miseries,  nor  did  any  age, 
from  the  beginning  of  the  world,  ever  breed  a 
generation  more  fruitful  in  wickedness  than  this 
was."  And  again  :  "  If  the  miseries  of  all  man- 
kind from  the  creation  were  compared  with  those 
which  the  Jews  then  sufiEered,  they  would  appear 
inferior."    See  Preliminary  Note. 

22.  And  except  those  days  should  be 
shortened  there  should  be  no  flesh  saved. 
Greswell,  (and  Alford  quoting  from  him,)  refers 
to  several  causes  which  combined  to  shorten  the 
siege  of  Jerusalem  :  (1.)  Herod  Agrippa  had  be- 
gun to  fortify  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  against  any 
attack,  but  was  stopped  by  orders  from  Claudius 
(A.  D.  45f  or  43).  (2.)  The  Jews  being  divided 
into  factions  among  themselves,  totally  neglected 
any  preparations  to  stand  a  siege.  (3. )  The  mag- 
azines of  com  and  provisions  were  burnt  just 
before  the  arrival  of  Titus.  (4.)  Titus  arrived 
suddenly,  and  the  Jews  voluntarily  abandoned 
parts  of  the  fortifications.  (5.)  Titus  himself 
confessed  that  he  owed  his  yictory  to  God.  See 
note  on  verse  1.  But  while  this  is  the  primary 
meaning  of  the  promise,  viz.,  that  the  providen- 
tial shortening  of  the  siege  should  give  escape  to 
some,  there  is  also  included  the  large  signifi- 
cance which  Lange  attaches  to  the  words.  The 
destruction  of  Jerusalem  is  a  beginning  of  God's 
judgment  on  the  nations  ;  but  he  cuts  short  the 
judgment,  and  waits,  that  by  his  long-suffering 

he   may  save    (isaiah  so  :  is  ;  Rom.  2  :  4  ;  2  Pet.  3  :  9).      The 

student  should  observe  Luke's  language  here, 
which  clearly  implies  an  interval  between  the 
consummation  of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem 
and  the  end  of  the  world  :  Jerusalem  shall  be 
trodden  down  of  the  Gentiles,  until  the  times  of 

the  Gentiles  he  fulfilled   (Luke  21  :  24  and  note). 

23-25.  Then.  During  the  times  of  trouble 
just  described. —  If  any  shall  say  to  you, 
liO,  here  is  the  Messiah,  or  there ;  be- 
lieve not.  Unbelief,  then,  is  sometimes  a  duty. 
— For  there  shall  arise  false  Christs.  See 
note  on  verse  5. — And  false  prophets.  See 
note  on  verse  11  and  on  Matt.  7  :  15-20. — And 
shall  shew  great  signs  and  wonders. 
Josephus  tells  us  that  the  false  Christs  and 
prophets  appeared  as  magicians,  promising  to 


work  miracles.  The  language  here  is  precisely 
the  same  used  of  the  miracles  wrought  by  Moses 

(AcU  7  :  36),  by  the  Apostles  (Acts  2  :  43 ;  4  :  30  ;  S  :  12  ;  6  : 8  ; 
Rom.  15:19;    2  Cor.  12  :  12  ;    Hebrews  2  :  4),    and    by    Christ 

(John  4 :  48 ;  Acts  2 :  22).  The  mere  presence  of  prodi- 
gies, then,  is  of  itself  no  evidence  of  revelation  or 
inspiration  ;  they  must  accompany  truth,  which, 
by  its  inherent  character  and  blessed  fruit,  gives 
divine  sanction  to  the  miracle.  And  the  lack  of 
this  truth-teaching  distinguishes  the  pseudo  mir- 
acles of  the  false  prophets  of  Judaism,  of  the 
priests  in  the  middle  ages,  and  of  modem  spirit- 
ualism, from  those  of  the  Bible.  Compare  Deut. 
13  : 1-3.— So  that  they  shall  deceive,  if  it 
Avere  possible,  the  very  elect.  So  perfect 
will  be  the  imposture.  But  it  will  not  be  pos- 
sible (John  6  :  39  ;  10  :  28  ;  Rom.  8  :  38,  39  ;  3  Tim.  2  :  19  ;  1  John 
6  :  is). 

In  these  verses  Christ  recurs  to  the  warning 
with  which  he  began  his  discourse  (verses  4,  s).  The 
disciples  are  not  to  confound  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem  with  the  end  of  the  world  ;  reports  of 
the  coming  of  the  Messiah  will  be  current,  but  are 
not  to  be  believed.  Of  such  false  Christs  we 
have  accounts  in  Josephus.  "  The  nearer  the 
Jews  were  to  destruction,  the  more  did  these 
impostors  multiply,  and  the  more  easy  credit  did 
they  find  with  those  who  were  willing  to  have 
their  miseries  softened  by  hope." — {Kenrick.) 
See  also  Josephus'  Wars  of  the  Jews,  2  :  13,  4-7, 
and  Acts  21  :  38.  But  while  the  primary  appli- 
cation of  the  warning  is  to  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem,  its  application  to  later  times  is  made 
clear  by  other  passages  of  Scripture.  See  2  Thess, 
2  :  8-12  ;  1  Tim.  4:1-3;  2  TiuK  3:1-5;  Rev. 
13  :  14  ;  19  :  19-21,  Rightly  understood  "  they 
will  preserve  the  church  firm  in  her  waiting  for 
Christ,  through  even  the  awful  troubles  of  the 
latter  days,  unmoved  by  enthusiasm  or  super- 
stition, but  seeing  and  looking  for  Him  who  is 
invisible."— (^(/("■f^- ) 

26.  In  the  desert in  the  secret  cham- 
bers. According  to  Josephus,  impostors  ful- 
filled both  these  predictions,  some  drawing  the 
people  off  into  the  desert,  others  concealing 
themselves  in  secret  hiding-places  in  the  city. 

27.  As  the  lightning  *  *  *  so  shall 
also  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  be. 
This  cannot  refer  to  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel 
of  Christ  by  the  Apostles,  as  Calvin  interprets  it, 
for  Christ  distinctly  declares  elsewhere  that  the 


Ch.  XXIV.] 


MATTHEW. 


263 


shineth  even  unto  the  west ;  so  shall  also  the  coming 
of  the  Son  of  man  be. 

28  For  wheresoever  <=  the  carcase  is,  there  will  the 
eagles  be  gathered  together. 

29  Immediately  alter  the  tribulation  of  those  days 
shall  <>  the  sun  be  darkened,  and  the  moon  shall  not 
give  her  light,  and  the  stars  shall  fall  from  heaven,  and 
the  powers  of  the  heavens '  shall  be  shaken. 


30  And  then  shall  appear  the  sign  of  the  Son  of  man' 
in  heaven  :  and  then  shall  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth 
mourn,  and  theys  sliall  see  the  Son  of  man  coming  in 
the  clouds  of  heaven,  with  power  and  great  glory. 

31  And  he  shall  send  his  angels  with  a  great  sound'' 
of  a  trumpet ;  and  they  shall  gather  together  his  elect ' 
from  the  four  winds,  from  one  end  of  heaven  to  the 
other. 


kingdom  of  God  shall  come  in  the  Gospel  with- 
out observation  (Luke  17 :  20, 21) ;  nor  to  the  de- 
struction of  Jerusalem,  as  some  of  the  modern 
commentators  interpret  it,  for  the  Son  of  man 
was  not  recognized  in  that  event  by  the  Jews,  and 
the  very  point  of  this  declaration  is  that  Christ's 
coming  shall  be  recognized  universally.  It  can 
only  refer  to  his  final  coming  in  judgment ;  and 
the  connection  is  this  :  Be  not  deceived  by  false 
Messiahs,  for  when  I  come  it  will  be  in  such  a 
form  that  no  one  can  doubt  or  question,  it  will 
be  sudden,  public,  manifest  to  all ;  observe,  not 
merely  as  the  lightning^  but  as  the  hghtning  when 
it  shines  from  the  East  even  unto  the  West, 
i.  «.,  when  the  whole  heavens  are  aglow  with  its 
light. 

28.  For.  The  best  manuscripts  omit  this 
word.  And  the  omission  makes  a  material  dif- 
ference in  the  connection,  and  therefore  in  the 
probable  interpretation.  —  Wheresoever  the 
carcass  is,  there  will  the  eagles  be  gath- 
ered together.  The  vultures  were  reckoned 
by  the  ancients  as  belonging  to  the  eagle  family, 
and  are  probably  referred  to  here.  The  true 
eagle  feeds  readOy  on  carrion  (see  Goodrich's  Nat. 
Hist.,  Vol.  II,  p.  38),  but  is  a  solitary  bird,  whUe 
the  vultures  congregate  in  great  numbers.  The 
history  of  the  interpretation  of  this  verse  is  a 
curiosity.  The  Fathers  and,  following  them, 
Calvin  and  Wordsworth,  understood  it.  Wherever 
Christ  is,  there  will  his  mitiis  and  angels  gather,  an 
interpretation  which  is  not  consistent  with  the 
context,  nor  congruous  with  other  passages  of 
Scripture,  and  which  is  revolting  to  good  taste. 
The  modern  commentators  generally  understand 
it.  Where  the  Jevnsh  nation  is,  there  will  the  Roman 
armies,  whose  national  standard  was  the  eagle, 
be  gathered.  But  this  interpretation  does  not 
harmonize  with  the  context.  Dr.  Crosby  renders 
it.  False  Christs  will  gather  where  there  is  a  false 
people.  But  the  false  Christs  are  themselves  the 
product  of  the  false  people.  In  this,  as  in  so 
many  other  passages,  the  Bible  is  its  own  best 
interpreter.  The  metaphor  Is  one  employed  in  the 
O.  T.,  where  the  eagle,  or  in  more  general  terms, 
tJie  bird  of  prey,  represents  foreign  armies  called 
by  God  to  execute  his  judgment  on  a  corrupt  na- 
tion   (Deut.  28  :  49  ;    Lam.  4:19;    Hosea  8:1;    Habakiuk  1  :  s). 

Christ's  language  here,  then,  is  equivalent  to, 
Judgment  will  not  be  inflicted  on   Jerusalem 


alone  ;  that  wiU  not  be  the  end  ;  wherever  there 
is  corruption,  there  wUl  be  inflicted  the  judg- 
ments of  God.  This  truth  is  illustrated  in  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem,  but  not  less  surely 
and  strikingly  in  the  overthrow  of  Greece  and 
Rome,  in  the  decay  of  Spain,  in  the  desolations 
visited  on  France,  and  in  our  own  civil  war. 

29-31.  Immediately,  not  merely  suddenly, 
the  Greek  word  (iv&iMc)  is  not  capable  of  that 
translation. — After  the  tribulation  of  those 
days.  That  is,  not  immediately  after  the  de- 
struction of  Jerusalem,  but  immediately  after 
the  period  of  travail  and  judgment  above  de- 
scribed in  verses  4^-14,  and  again  referred  to  in 
verses  23-28.  The  end  of  the  world  and  mani- 
festation of  the  Messiah  as  king  shall  follow  this 
period  of  tribulation  at  once,  with  no  other  sign 
and  no  intervening  period,  as  the  summer  fol- 
lows the  spring  (verses  32,  33). 

Shall  the  sun  be  darkened    *   *    *    The 

rest  of  the  language  of  this  and  the  two  succeed- 
ing verses  is  undoubtedly  poetic.  We  cannot 
conceive  that  a  sign  in  the  heavens  should  be 
seen  or  a  trumpet  be  heard  simultaneously  on 
both  sides  of  a  round  globe.  Those  who  regard 
this  twenty-fourth  chapter  as  a  prophecy  simply 
of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  understand  the 
language  here  as  a  poetic  and  figurative  descrip- 
tion of  the  calamities  to  fall  upon  Judea.  Ac- 
cording to  their  view  these  expressions  are  inter- 
preted as  follows  :  The  sun  shall  be  darkened,  and 
the  moon  shall  not  give  her  light  is  equivalent  to. 
Those  shall  be  dark  days,  and  in  support  of  this 
are  cited,  Isaiah  13  :  10  ;  24  :  23  ;  34  :  4  ;  50  :  3  ; 
60  :  19,  20  ;  Ezek.  32  :  7  ;  Joel  3  :  15,  where  sim- 
ilar language  is  employed  in  describing  earthly 
judgments  of  God  upon  sinful  cities,  as  Babylon, 
Tyre,  etc. ;  Tlien  shall  appear  the  sign  of  the  Son 
of  man  in  heaven  is  not.  The  sign  shall  appear  in 
heaven,  but  a  sign  shall  appear  testifying  that 
the  Son  of  man  is  in  heaven,  this  sign  being  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem  ;  Then  shall  all  the  tribes 
of  the  earth  mourn  means  that  all  the  inhabitants 
of  Palestine  shall  experience  great  sorrow  at  the 
desolation  of  their  land  and  the  destruction  of 
their  Holy  City ;  And  he  shall  send  his  angels  with 
the  sound  of  a  trumpet,  is  equivalent  to.  Then 
shall  he  send  his  messengers  (the  word  here  ren- 
dered angel  is  sometimes  translated  messenger, 
Mark  1:2;  Luke  7  :  24 ;  9  :  52),  with  the  trum- 


264 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXIV. 


32  Now  learn  i  a  parable  of  the  fig  tree :  When  his 
branch  is  yet  tender,  and  putteth  forth  leaves,  ye  know 
that  summer  is  nigh  : 

33  So  likewise  ye,  when  ye  shall  see  all  these  things, 
know  that  it  is  near,  even  "  at  the  doors. 


34  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  this  generation  shall  not 
pass  till  all  these  things  be  fulfilled. 

35  Heaven '  and  earth  shall  pass  away,  but  my  words 
shall  not  pass  away. 


j  Luke  21  :  29. 


.  k  Jas.  6  :  9 1  Ps.  102  :  26  :  Isa.  61  :  6. 


pet  of  his  Gospel  to  call  together  unto  his  church 
the  true  disciples  of  Christ,  or.  He  shall  send 
his  guardian  angels  to  preserve  the  elect  from 
the  calamities  falling  upon  the  Jews.  The  stu- 
dent may  find  this  view  in  brief  in  Lightfoot,  and 
more  fully  in  J.  H.  Morison,  Adam  Clarke,  and 
Owen,  and  something  of  it  in  Barnes,  who  ap- 
pears, however,  not  to  he  fully  satisfied  with  it. 
To  me  it  appears  utterly  untenable  for  the  fol- 
lowing reasons :  (a.)  The  Apostles,  who  were 
looking  for  a  majestic  manifestation  of  the  Mes- 
siah as  their  king,  could  not  have  so  understood 
Christ's  language  here,  and  it  is  ordinarily  safe 
to  assume  that  Christ  meant  his  words  to  be 
taken  in  the  sense  in  which  his  auditors  would 
naturally  have  taken  them.  (6.)  They  did  not  so 
understand  him ;  for  metaphors,  unmistakably 
borrowed  from  Christ  here,  are  used  by  the  Apos- 
tles, especially  Paul,  in  describing  the  last  judg- 
ment   (2Thess.  1:7;   1   Cor.  15:52;   1  Thess.  4:15-17:    comp. 

joimii:52).  I  am  unable  to  see  why  the  same 
principle  of  interpretation  which  converts  Christ's 
sublime  description  of  the  last  days  into  a  poetic 
description  of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem, 
would  not  expunge  from  the  N.  T.  all  its  proph- 
ecies of  Christ's  second  coming  and  the  final 
judgment,  by  looking  for  their  fulfilment  in 
other  terrible  national  calamities,  (c.)  The  com- 
mon reader  would  certainly  not  understand 
Christ's  language  here  to  be  applicable  to  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  Bible  was  in- 
tended for  ordinary  readers.  Interpretations 
which  contradict  the  common  understanding  are  to 
be  received  with  great  hesitation,  (d.)  Christ  him- 
self employs  almost  the  same  language  in  other 
connections,  where  it  cannot  be  doubted  that  he 
refers  to  his  final  coming  to  judge  the  world 

(Matt.  25  :  31  ;  26  :  64  ;  Mark  14  :  62).      (g.)    ThC  inhabitants 

of  Palestine  did  not  in  any  sense  see  in  the  de- 
struction of  Jerusalem  the  Son  of  man  coming  ; 
on  the  contrary,  he  is  unrecognized  by  the  great 
body  of  the  Jews  to  the  present  day.  (/.)  Christ 
did  not  through  his  Apostles  gather  together  the 
elect  from  the  four  winds  of  heaven;  on  the 
contrary,  they  were  scattered  abroad  to  the  four 
winds  of  heaven,  in  the  persecutions  which  im- 
mediately preceded,  and  in  those  which  accompa- 
nied the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and  went  ev- 
erywhere preaching  the  Gospel  (see  Acu  s  :  i,4  ;  ii :  19). 
I  then  understand  that  Christ  here  refers  to  his 
second  coming  to  judge  the  world,  a  coming  that 
will  be  sudden,  and  that  will  be  accompanied  by 
such  signs  and  portents  that  there  can  be  no 


possible  mistake  concerning  his  appearing.  I  do 
not  here  consider  the  question  whether  there  is 
to  be  a  pre  millennial  coming  of  Christ  prior  to 
the  last  judgment.  If  so,  the  evidence  must  be 
found  elsewhere  in  Scripture.  There  is  nothing 
in  this  prophecy  to  indicate  it. 

32,  33.  As  we  judge  from  the  presence  of 
certain  signs  in  nature,  that  spring  is  over  and 
summer  is  nigh,  so  we  are  to  judge  when  the 
advent  of  the  Messiah  is  at  hand,  by  no  miracu- 
lous signs  and  portents,  but  by  the  development 
and  progress  of  the  world's  travail  and  judg- 
ment, as  described  in  the  preceding  verses. 
Compare  Matt.  16  :  3. 

34.  This  nation  shall  not  pass,  till  all 
these  things  be  fulfilled.  Of  course,  if  the 
English  version  is  correct  here,  and  Christ  de- 
clares that  all  this  prophecy  is  to  be  fulfilled  be- 
fore the  then  generation  passed  away,  this  verse 
would  leave  but  one  alternative ;  we  should  be 
compelled  to  believe,  either  that  the  Lord  him- 
self thought  the  destruction  of  the  world  would 
foUow  immediately  on  the  destruction  of  Jeru- 
salem, and  this  in  the  face  of  his  distinct  refusal 
to  indicate  when  the  former  event  would  occur 
(verse  36),  and  his  emphatic  assertion  that  he  did 
not  know  (Mark  13 :  32),  and  his  careful  and  repeated 
warnings  against  that  error  (verses  4,  s,  15, 23  and  notes) ; 
or  that  he  refers  in  this  chapter  only  to  the  de- 
struction of  Jerusalem,  an  interpretation  which 
it  appears  to  me  does  violence  to  the  plain  mean- 
ing of  verses  29-31.  But  if  we  read  this  verse, 
as  I  have  translated  it  above,  then  the  marvellouB 
if  not  miraculous  preservation  of  the  Je-vvish 
nation,  though  dispersed  through  all  lands,  and 
persecuted  through  all  these  ages,  is  a  perpetual 
and  living  testimony  to  the  truth  of  Christ's 
prophecy.  On  the  question  whether  the  original 
word  rendered  generation  in  this  verse  can  be 
properly  rendered  nation  I  transcribe,  modifying 
it  so  as  to  make  its  references  intelligible  to  the 
English  reader,  the  note  of  Dean  Alford.  "  As 
this  is  one  of  the  points  on  which  the  rationaliz- 
ing interpreters  lay  most  stress,  to  show  that  the 
prophecy  has  failed,  it  may  be  well  to  show  that 
the  original  {yend)  has  in  Hellenistic  Greek  the 
meaning  of  a  race  or  family  of  people.  For  this 
purpose  see  Jer.  8  :  3  (Septuagint) ;  compare 
Matt.  23  :  36  with  verse  35,  and  observe  that  the 
then  living  generation  did  not  slay  Zacharias,  so 
that  the  whole  people  are  addressed.  See  also 
Matt.  12  :  45,  where  the  sense  absolutely  requires 
that  the  meaning  of  nation  should  be  attached 


Ch.  XXIV.] 


MATTHEW. 


265 


36  Buf"  of  that  day  and  hour  knoweth  no  man,  no, 
not  the  angels  of  heaven,  but  my  Father  only. 

37  But  as  the  days  of  Noe  were,  so  shall  also  the 
coming  of  the  Son  of  man  be. 

38  For  as  in  the  days  that  were  before  the  flood, 
they  were  eating  and  drinking,  marrying  and  giving 
in  marriage,  until "  the  day  that  Noe  entered  into  the  ark, 


39  And  knew  not,  until  the  flood  came,  and  took 
them  all  away  ;  so  shall  also  the  coming  of  the  Son  of 
man  be. 

40  Then  shall  two  be  in  the  field  ;  the  one  shall  be 
taken,  and  the  other  left. 

41  Two  women  shall  be  grinding  at  the  mill ;  the  one 
shall  be  taken,  and  the  other  left. 


m  Zee.  14  :  7 ;  1  Thess.  6  :  2. 


to  the  word.  See  also  Matt.  17  :  17 ;  Luke  17  :  25 ; 
16  :  8.  In  the  latter  passage,  '  The  children  of 
this  world  are  in  their  generation  wiser  than  the 
children  of  light,'  the  word  generation  is  predi- 
cated both  of  the  children  of  this  world  and  of 
the  children  of  light,  and  evidently  not  used 
literally  of  an  age  of  men.  Compare  also  Acts 
2  :  40  ;  Phil.  2  :  15.  In  all  these  passages  genera- 
tion {yivid)  is  equivalent  to  nation  (y^voc),  or 
nearly  so ;  having,  it  is  true,  a  more  pregnant 
meaning,  implying  that  the  character  of  one  gen- 
eration stamps  itself  upon  the  race,  as  here  in  this 
verse  also."  That  is,  here  the  prophecy  is  not 
merely  that  the  Jewish  nation,  as  a  nation,  should 
not  pass  away,  but  also  that  it  should  not  lose  its 
national  characteristics ;  amid  all  the  changes  of 
time  it  should  remain  unchanged;  and  this 
prophecy  has  been  wonderfully  fulfilled  in  the 
unparalleled  history  of  the  Jews. 

35.  This  verse  is  wanting  in  the  Sinaitic  man- 
uscript. Tischendorf  omits  it.  Alford  retains  it. 
It  unquestionably  belongs  to  the  discourse,  and 
is  found  in  Mark  13  :  31  and  Luke  31  :  33.  Par- 
allel to  it  is  Matt.  5  :  18.  The  physical  universe 
is  temporal  and  transient ;  truth  is  eternal  and 
immutable.  The  one  is  continually  passing 
away  before  our  eyes  ;  the  other,  like  its  divine 
author,  is  "  the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  for- 
ever." Compare  2  Cor.  4  :  18 ;  and  on  the  cer- 
tainty of  coming  judgment,  here  specially  re- 
ferred to,  Deut.  33  :  34  ;  Jer.  3  :  23  ;  Kom.  3  :  5. 

36.  But  of  that  day.  This  phrase  ''that 
day,^''  when  used  absolutely,  as  here,  generally 
signifies  in  the  N.  T.  the  day  of  judgment,  the 
great  day,  the  consummation  of  all  others.  See 
for  examples.  Matt.  7  :  33  ;  Luke  10  :  12  ;  1  Thess. 
5:4;  2  Tim,  1  :  12,  18  ;  4:8.  So  the  book  of 
revelation  is  called  the  Bible,  i.  e.,  The  Book, 
or  the  Scriptures,  i.  e..  The  Writings.  Here  the 
context  as  well  as  the  general  N.  T.  usage  for- 
bids the  idea  of  any  other  reference  than  to  the 
day  of  judgment,  when  heaven  and  earth  shall 
pass  away. — Knoweth  no  one,  no,  not  the 
angels  in  heaven.  Mark  (13:32)  makes  the 
important  addition  nor  the  Son.  See  note  there. 
Observe  here,  however,  that  the  whole  of  the 
rest  of  this  chapter  is  based  on  this  assertion  of 
ignorance  concerning  the  coming  of  the  day  of 
judgment,  and  that  it  is  therefore  clear,  (1)  that 
Christ  does  not  confound  the  destruction  of  Je- 
rusalem with  the  end  of  the  world,  nor  intend  to 


teU  his  disciples  when  the  end  will  be  ;  (3)  that 
all  schemes  of  interpretation  of  prophecy  which 
assume  to  predict  the  day,  are  in  direct  conflict 
with  Christ's  solemn  assertion  that  it  is  not 
known  to  man,  nor  to  the  angels  in  heaven,  nor 
even  to  himself. 

37-39.  The  rest  of  this  chapter  is  peculiar  to 
Matthew.  But  the  same  truth — the  necessity  of 
constant  watchfulness — is  enforced  in  language 
analogous,  and  with  the  same  or  similar  illustra- 
tions, in  other  discourses  of  our  Lord  reported 
m  Luke  13  :  41-45  ;  17  :  26-87.  Compare  Christ's 
language  there  and  here.  Christ  here  employs  the 
deluge  as  an  illustration  of  the  suddenness  and 
certamty  of  the  coming  judgment.  In  Luke  17 : 
28-30  he  adds  a  reference  to  the  destruction  of 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah. — Noe.  The  Greek  form 
of  Noah. — The  coming  of  the  Son  of  man. 
The  same  word  coming  {naQi)volu)is  used  here,  as 
in  verses  3  and  37  above.  Nearly  all  critics  are 
agreed  that  here  Christ  refers  to  his  second  coming 
in  the  day  of  judgment ;  why  not  there  ?  Observe 
the  parallel :  In  the  days  before  the  flood  the 
people  had  warning  of  the  impending  judgment 
(1  Pet.  3 :  19),  but  did  not  know  the  day  or  the  hour, 
neglected  the  warning,  and  gave  themselves  up, 
in  disregard  of  it,  to  luxury  and  self-indulgence ; 
and  when  the  flood  came,  preparation  was  too 
late.  Observe,  too,  that  eating,  drinking,  and 
marrying  are  right,  but  to  give  the  life  up  to 
them  is  wrong ;  and  that  luxury  and  seeming 
security  are  precursors  of  danger  and  doom. 
Alford  notices  the  implication  that  wine  and  its 
effects  existed  prior  to  the  fall  of  Noah  (oen.  9 :  20), 
and  that  Christ  indirectly  confirms  the  O.  T.  ac- 
count of  the  flood. 

40,41.  Then  shall  tAvo  be  in  the  field, 
laboring  together.  Saints  and  sinners  shall  be 
commingled  to  the  last.  Compare  Luke  17 :  34. — 
One  is  taken.  Not  shaU  be ;  the  verb  is  in 
the  present  tense.  Christ,  as  it  were,  stands  in 
the  midst  of  and  sees  the  events  he  is  describing. 
The  word  rendered  taken  is  literally  taken  to  or 
with  another.  The  event  is  interpreted  by  John 
14  :  3,  and  yet  more  clearly  by  1  Thess.  4  :  17 : 
"  Then  we  which  are  alive  and  remain,  shall  be 
caught  up  together  with  them  in  the  clouds,  to 
meet  the  Lord  in  the  air."  Evidently  this  is  not 
to  be  confounded  with  the  flight  mentioned  in 
verses  16-18 ;  that  is  voluntary  escape,  this  is 
divine  deliverance.  — Two    grinding    at    the 


266 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXIV. 


42  Watch"  therefore;  for  ye  know  not  what  hour 
your  Lord  doth  come. 

43  But  know  this,  that  if  the  goodman  of  the  house 
haJ  known  in  what  watch  the  thief  would  come,  he 
would  have  watched,  and  would  not  have  suffered  his 
bouse  to  be  broken  up. 

44  Therefore  be  ye  also  ready  :  for  in  such  an  hour 
as  ye  think  not,  the  Son  of  man  cometh. 


45  Who  then  is  a  faithful  and  wise  servant,  whom  his 
lord  hath  made  ruler  over  his  household,p  to  give  them 
meat  in  due  season  ?  1 

46  Blessed  is  that  servant,  whom  his  lord,  when  he 
cometh,  shall  find  so  doing. 

47  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  that  he  shall  make  him 
ruler'  over  all  his  goods. 


Luke  12  :  39,  40 ;  Rev.  3:3;  16:15. 


1  Jer.  3  :  15 q  ch.  13  :  62 r  ch.  25  : 


mill.    The  mills  of  the  ancient  Hebrews  prob- 
ably difEered  but  little  from  those  at  present  in 


AJSr  EASTEBN    MILL. 

use  in  the  East.  These  consist  of  two  circular 
stones,  about  eighteen  inches  or  two  feet  in 
diameter.  The  upper  stone  has  a  hole  in  it, 
through  which  the  grain  passes.  The  mill  is 
worked  by  women,  the  lowest  servants,  or  cap- 
tives (Exod.  11 : 6 ;  judg.  16 :  2i),  who  are  usually  seated 
on  the  bare  ground  (is.  47 ;  1, 2),  facing  each  other. 
Both  hold  the  handle,  and  pull  to  or  push  from, 
as  men  do  with  the  cross-cut  saw. 

The  preceding  verses  set  forth  the  certainty 
(verse  35),  the  unexpecteduess  (verse  36),  and  the 
suddenness  (verses  37-39)  of  the  coming  judgment ; 
these  set  forth  its  closeness  in  separating  those 
commingled  on  earth.  "  It  will  be  a  surprising 
and  a  separating  day." — {Matthew  Henry.)  Com- 
pare chapter  25  :  31-33.  Alford  says  of  these 
verses,  "Nor  do  they  refer  to  the  great  judg- 
ment of  25 :  31,  for  then  (verse  32)  all  shall  be  sum- 
moned : — ^but  they  refer  to  the  millennial  dispen- 
sation and  the  gathering  of  the  elect  to  the  Lord 
then.''''  Whether  there  is  or  is  not  to  be  such  a 
millennial  dispensation  prior  to  the  final  judg- 
ment I  do  not  here  discuss.  It  seems  to  me, 
however,  that  there  is  nothing  here  to  indicate  a 
double  coming  of  Christ.  In  both  passages  a 
separation  is  described,  though  in  different  lan- 
guage and  with  different  metaphors. 

42.  Watch  therefore.  Not  for  the  day  of 
judgment,  for  no  watching  will  give  the  disciples 
a  knowledge  of  its  approach ;  but,  in  constant 
expectancy  of  its  coming  (2  Pet.  3 :  12),  be  watchful 
over  yourselves,  that  ye  may  be  always  ready. 


That  this  is  Christ's  meaning  is  clear  from  par- 
allel exhortations  to  watchfulness.  We  are  to 
watch  and  pray  lest  we  enter  into  temptation 
(Matt.  26 :  41 ;  Mark  14 :  38),  accompanying  our  Watch- 
ing with  faith  (i  Cor.  i6 :  13),  thanksgiving  (coi.  4 : 2), 

sobriety    (iThess.  5:6;    1  Pet.  6 :  8),    and    purity    (Rev. 

16 :  15) ;  see  also  note  to  Parable  of  ten  virgins 
(ch.  25 : 1-13,  p.  229).  Obscrvc  (1)  that  the  ignorance 
of  the  disciples  eoncemmg  the  datj,  as  some  man- 
uscripts have  it,  or  the  hour,  as  others  have  it, 
of  Christ's  coming,  is  the  basis  of  the  exhorta- 
tion to  watchfulness  ;  (2)  that  the  exhortation  is 
given  not  only  to  the  twelve,  but  to  all  Christ's 
disciples  to  the  end  of  time  (Mark  13 : 3?) ;  and  (3) 
that  the  connection  clearly  implies  that  the  pre- 
vious verses  refer  to  Christ's  second  coming,  not 
to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem.  Watch  therefore  ; 
wherefore?  Not  because  destruction  did  come 
unexpectedly  on  Jerusalem,  but  because  it  will 
come  unexpectedly  on  the  world. 

43,  44.  But  ye  know  this.  The  verb 
may  be  rendered  either  in  the  imperative  or  the 
indicative  mood.  The  idea  is  the  same  in  either 
case  :  Te  do  not  know  the  day  of  Christ's  com- 
ing ;  but  ye  know  the  duty  and  the  necessity  of 
constant  watchfulness. — If  the  master  of  the 
house.  Not  any  particular  person  ;  this  verse 
is  a  parable  in  brief. — In  what  Avatch.  The 
Jewish  night  was  anciently  divided  into  three 
watches,  the  first  or  "  beginning  of  the  watches  " 
(Lam.  2 :  1$)  lasting  from  sunset  to  10  p.  m.,  the 
middle  watch  (judges  7 :  19)  lasting  from  10  p.  m.  to 
2  A.  M.,  and  the  morning  watch  (Eiod.  i4 :  24 ;  1  Sam. 
11 :  11)  lasting  from  2  a.  m.  till  sunrise.  But  un- 
der the  Romans  the  watches  were  increased  in 

number    to    four    (Matt.  14  :  25  ;    Mark  13  :  35  and  note). — 

The  thief  would  come.  Elsewhere  in  the 
N.  T.  Christ's  coming  is  compared  to  that  of  a 

thief    (iThess.  5:  1-10;  Rev.  3:3;  16  :  is),    bCCaUSe    (1)   it 

is  sudden,  (2)  to  those  whose  treasure  is  all 
earthly,  it  is  destructive.  To  such  his  coming, 
whether  in  death  or  in  judgment,  leaves  nothing 
(Luke  12: 20). — And  would  not  have  suffered 
his  house  to  be  broken  up.  Literally  dug 
through.  The  houses  of  the  East  were  often 
built  of  sun-burnt  brick,  clay,  earth,  or  even 
loose  stones,  through  which  it  was  easy  to  make 
an  opening. — Be  ye  also  ready.  In  Matt.  6  ; 
19,  20,  Christ  tells  us  how  to  be  ready. 
45-47.  In  Luke  13  :  42-46  a  similar  parable  is 


Ch.  XXIY.] 


MATTHEW. 


267 


48  But  anci  if  that  evil  servant  shall  say  in  his  heart, 
My  lord  delayeth  his  coming  ; 

49  And  shi'.ll  begin  to  smite  his  fellow-servants,  and 
to  eat  and  djink  with  the  drunlven  : 

50  The  lord  of  that  servant  shall  come  in  a  day' 


when  he  looketh  not  for  kim,  and  in  an  hour  that  he 
is  not  aware  of, 

51  And  shall  cut  him  asunder,  and  appoint  him  his 
portion  with  the  hypocrites :  there '  shall  be  weeping 
and  gnashing  of  teeth. 


1  Thess.  6:3:  Rev.  3:3. 


.  chap.  25  :  30. 


given  in  answer  to  Peter's  question,  Speakest 
thou  this  parable  unto  us,  or  even  unto  all? 
Here  it  answers  the  same  unuttered  question. 
Whoever  is  the  faithful  and  wise  servant  shall 
receive  the  reward  ;  whoever  is  the  evil  servant 
shall  receive  punishment.  Compare  with  this 
parable  Mark  13  :  34r-37.  —  Who  then  is  a 
faithful  and  wise  servant?  Faithful  to  his 
lord  and  so  in  his  daily  duty  ;  wise,  i,  e.  prudent, 
foreseeing,  looking  for  the  coming  of  his  lord. 
Compare  Prov.  22  : 3 ;  27 :  12.— Whom  his  lord 
hath  placed  over  his  servants.  Not  merely 
the  pastor,  bishop,  or  apostle  is  here  designated. 
Whoever,  by  reason  of  genius,  position,  or  wealth, 
has  influence  or  control  over  others  is  in  so  far 
placed  over  them,  and  is  accountable  to  his  Lord 
for  the  administration  of  his  trust. — To  give 
them  meat.  The  object  God  has  in  making 
some  men  rulers^  is  that  they  may  feed  others. 
The  great  are  to  be  the  servants  of  the  feeble. 
Compare  Luke  32  :  26  ;  1  Cor.  14  :  12  ;  1  Pet.  5  : 
2,  3.— In  the  season.  That  is  now,  while  the 
season  for  doing  good  lasts.  Compare  Gal.  6  : 
9, 10  and  note. — He  shall  place  him  overall 
his  possessions.  Compare  Rev.  2  :  26  ;  3  :  21. 
But  how  can  each  servant  be  placed  over  all 
God's  possessions  ?  Alford  answers  the  question 
well :  "  That  promotion  shall  not  be  like  earthly 
promotion,  wherein  the  eminence  of  one  excludes 
that  of  another, — but  rather  like  the  diffusion  of 
love,  in  which,  the  more  each  has,  the  more  there 
is  for  all."  So  each  saint  owns  all  God's  posses- 
sions, even  now  (i  Cor.  3 :  21, 22). 

48-51.  But  and  if  that  evil  servant 
shall  say  in  his  heart.  The  worst  skepti- 
cism is  that  which  lurks  in  the  heart  of  the  pro- 
fessed disciple,  not  that  which  openly  assails  the 
church  from  without. — My  lord.  Observe,  he 
is  a  professed  disciple  of  the  Lord  (comp.  verses 
10,12). —  Delayeth  his  coming.  A  frequent 
cause  of  apostacy  in  the  church  is  practical  un- 
belief in  the  second  coming  of  Christ.  Compare 
Rom.  2:4;  2  Pet.  3  :  3-12.  —  Shall  begin  to 
smite  *  *  *  and  to  eat,  etc.  The  two 
forms  of  sin  most  common  to  those  in  high 
places,  oppression  and  self-indulgence. —  Shall 
cut  him  asunder.  A  punishment  practised 
among  both  ancient  Hebrews  and  other  nations 

(1  Sam.  15  :  33  ;    2  Sara  12  :  31 ;    Dan.  2  :  6 ;  3  :  29  ;   Heb.  11  :  3?). — 

And   shall   appoint   his   portion,  i.  e.  his 

fellowship  (Rev.  21 :  s),  with  the  hypocrites. 
See  note  on  chap.  6  :  2,  and  compare  Rev.  21 :  27 ; 
33  :  15.  —  There    shall    be    weeping    and 


gnashing  of  teeth.  See  note  on  chap,  8  :  13. 
In  this  verse  is  one  of  the  incidental  evidences 
that  the  metaphors  of  Scripture  cannot  be  liter- 
ally interpreted.  Cutting  asunder  indicates  de- 
struction ;  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth,  a  livmg 
in  suffering.  Neither  can  be  regarded  as  indi- 
cating here  anything  more  than  a  terrible  and 
final  punishment. 

Observe  the  contrast  between  the  good  and 
the  evil  servant.  The  good  servant  \&  faithful, 
to  his  lord  and  in  his  trust ;  prudent,  in  watching 
for  his  lord's  commg  ;  beneficent,  using  his  power 
as  a  trust,  for  others  ;  patient,  in  continuing  his 
well-doing  till  the  commg  of  his  lord  ;  and  his 
blessing  is  an  enlarged  honor,  and  a  grander 
sphere  of  activity  in  the  future.  The  evil  serv- 
ant becomes  a  practical  disbeliever  in  Christ's 
second  coming,  uses  his  power  to  oppress  his 
fellow-servants,  and  to  gratify  himself,  finds  his 
companions  with  the  self-indulgent,  not  with  the 
self-denying ;  and  to  him  judgment  comes  sud- 
denly (Matt.  7 :  26, 27),  Unexpectedly,  without  warning, 
and  with  terrible  and  final  condemnation,  that 
separates  him  from  the  saints,  and  allots  his 
portion  with  sinners.  Compare  Ezekiel,  chap.  34 ; 
and  observe  the  illustration  of  the  evil  servant 
in  the  corrupt  and  worldly  among  the  ministry 
in  all  ages  and  all  branches  of  the  church. 

Ch.  25.  CHRIST'S  DISCOURSE  ON  THE  LAST  DATS 
CONCLUDED. 

Peeliminart  Note. — This  chapter  is  peculiar 
to  Matthew.  It  contains  a  description  of  the 
judgment,  first  in  the  parable  of  the  ten  virgins 
(1-13),  second,  in  that  of  the  talents  (14-30),  third, 
m  a  description  which  is  pictorial,  but  not  para- 
bolic (31^6).  A  question  requires  statement,  if 
not  answer,  before  entering  on  the  interpretation 
of  the  chapter  in  detail.  The  millenarian  com- 
mentators, e.  g.,  Stier,  Olshausen,  Alford,  hold 
that  the  millennium  intervenes  between  the  judg- 
ment described  in  the  two  parables  (1-30)  and 
that  depicted  m  the  closing  section  of  this 
chapter  (31-46).  According  to  this  view  Christ 
first  comes,  selects  his  faithful  followers  (the 
wise  virgins,  the  industrious  servants),  who 
reign  with  him  for  a  thousand  years.  At  the 
expiration  of  this  time  he  comes  again,  to  judge 
the  rest  of  mankind  according  to  their  works, 
and  this  is  the  judgment  described  in  verses 
31-46.  In  support  of  this  view  reference  is  had 
to  Rev.,  chap.  20,  and  to  1  Thess.  4  :  16,  17,  with 
2  Thess.  1  :  7-10.    It  is  also  said  that  it  is  the 


268 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXV. 


doctrine  of  the  Scripture  that  the  world  of  unbe- 
lievers is  to  be  judged  accorditig  to  its  works 

(Eccles.  3  :  17  ;  12  :  14  ;  Matt.  IC  :  27  ;  Rom.  2  ;  6  ;  1  Cor.  3:13;  Rev. 

20 :  12, 13;  22 :  12) ;  that  from  this  judgment  believ- 
ers are  delivered  by  faith  in  Christ,  so  that  they 

shall  not  come  into  judgment  ( John  3  :  is  ;  S  :  21  ;  I  Cor. 

11 :  31),  but  shall  themselves  judge  the  world 
(Matt.  19 :  23 ;  I  Cor.  6 : 2,  s).  It  is  further  argued  that 
a  distinction  between  the  two  judgments  is  indi- 
cated here ;  that  in  the  first  two  parables  only 
the  professed  followers  of  Christ  are  judged  ; 
that  in  the  first  one  the  condemned  virgins  are 
not  only  professed,  but  real  disciples,  who  are 
waiting  for  their  Lord,  with  lamps  lighted  and 
filled  with  oil ;  that  in  the  closing  picture  of  the 
last  judgment  Christ  represents  in  the  "all  na- 
tions" gathered  before  him  only  the  world  of 
non-believers,  including  the  heathen,  whom  he 
distinguishes  from  his  own  brethren  (ver.  4o),  who 
have  already  entered  with  him  into  glory,  and 
that  he  renders  the  judgment  wholly  upon  the 
ground  of  works,  not  of  faith,  wnich  excludes 
the  idea  that  true  believers  in  him  are  among 
those  there  assembled  for  judgment. 

Whether  there  is  such  a  distinction  between 
Christ's  pre-mUlennial  and  final  coming  I  do  not 
here  discuss.  For  the  significance  of  the  pas- 
sages which  are  supposed  to  support  that  view, 
see  notes  on  them,  especially  Rev.  chap,  20.  It 
must  suffice  to  say  (1)  that  Christ  evidently  rec- 
ognizes here  but  one  public  and  manifested  ap- 
pearing of  the  Son  of  man  (chap.  24 :  27, 39, 44,  so ;  25 : 

I,  13;   especially  comp.  chap.  24  :  30,  31  with  25  :  31)  ;    (3)   that 

whatever  selection  of  the  saints  takes  place  prior 
to  the  judgment  will  therefore  apparently  take 
place  in  an  unrecognized  manner,  may  be  taking 
place  now ;  (3)  that  there  is  but  one  true  judg- 
ment-day, and  that  the  judgment  of  all  mankind 
will  be  conducted  upon  the  same  general  princi- 
ples ;  a  part  will  not  be  judged  by  one  standard 
and  a  part  by  another,  for  the  servants  as  well  as 
the  non-believers  will  be  judged  according  to 

their  works  (Matt.  7  :  21-23  ;  24  :  45-51  ;  John  5  :  28,  29  ;  2  Cor. 

5:10;  Gal.  6:8).  And  that  this  is  not  inconsistent 
with  the  doctrine  that  they  will  be  saved  by 
faith  and  not  by  works  is  apparent  from  John 
15  :  3,  4,  6  ;  Ephes.  2  :  10  ;  James  3  :  17,  18  ;  for 
good  works  are  the  fruits  of  faith  (Heb.  chap.  ii). 
Whether  we  can,  from  the  unfulfilled  prophecies 
of  Scripture,  frame  a  more  definite  system  of 
last  things,  I  at  present  doubt.  Alford  himself, 
who  lays  down  the  millenarian  view  as  inter- 
preted above  very  positively  in  the  first  edition 
of  his  commentary,  in  a  later  edition  qualifies  his 
strong  assertion.  "Having  now  entered,"  he 
says,  "on  the  deeper  study  of  the  prophetic 
portions  of  the  N.  T.,  I  do  not  feel  the  same  con- 
fidence in  the  exegesis  I  once  did  as  to  prophetic 
interpretations  here  given  of  the  three  portions 
of  this  chapter  35.    But  I  have  no  other  system 


to  substitute,  and  some  of  the  points  here  dwelt 
on  seem  to  me  as  weighty  as  ever.  /  very  much 
question  whether  the  thorough  study  of  Scripture 
prophecy  will  not  make  me  more  and  more  distrust- 
ful of  all  human  systematizing,  and  less  willing  to 
hazard  strong  assertion  on  any  portion  of  the  sub- 
ject.'" With  the  spirit  of  this  self -distrust  and 
doubt  I  most  heartily  concur.  The  practical 
lessons  of  the  unfulfilled  prophecies  are  plain ; 
their  full  prophetic  meaning  I  am  more  and 
more  persuaded  can  be  interpreted  only  by  their 
fulfillment. 

Ch.  25  ;  1-13.  PARABLE  OF  THE  TEN  VIKGINS.— 
Daily  gbace  essential  to  pcttibe  glory. 

Pkeliminaet  Note. — To  imderstand  this  par- 
able, some  acquaintance  with  marriage  ceremo- 
nies as  they  formerly  existed  among  the  Jews, 
is  necessary.  This,  fortunately,  it  is  not  difficult 
to  obtain ;  for  not  only  ancient  literature  de- 
scribes them  very  fully,  but  the  Eastern  marriage 
ceremonies  of  the  first  century  have  remained 
substantially  unchanged. 

The  betrothal  was  itself  a  much  more  solemn 
act  than  with  us,  and  was  often  accompanied 
by  a  public  ceremonial.  Usually  a  period  of 
twelve  months  intervened  between  the  betrothal 
and  the  wedding  ceremony,  during  which  time  the 
bride-elect  continued  to  live  with  her  friends,  and 
all  communications  between  herself  and  the  bride- 
groom were  carried  on  through  the  medium  of  a 
"friend  of  the  bridegroom"  (john3::9).  No  religious 
ceremonies  appear  to  have  been  performed  at  the 
wedding,  but  it  is  thought  that  some  formal  ratifi- 
cation of  the  betrothal  took  place,  with  an  oath  ;  to 
this  custom  there  may  be  an  allusion  in  Ezek.  6 : 8 
and  Mai.  3  :  14.  The  essential  feature  in  the  wed- 
dmg  ceremony  consisted  in  takmg  the  bride  to  her 
future  husband's  home.  Throughout  the  day 
preceding  this  ceremony,  both  parties  fasted, 
confessing  their  sins,  and  seeking  forgiveness. 
It  is  thought,  also,  that  the  bride  prepared  her- 
self for  the  wedding- ceremony  by  a  bath,  taken, 
as  it  certainly  is  in  modem  times,  with  some 
pomp,  and  as  an  important  part  in  her  share  of 

the  wedding  ceremonial  (Ruth  3:3;  Ezck.  23  :  40  ;  Ephes. 

6 :  26, 27).  This  is  now  usually  done  on  the  preced- 
ing day.  When  the  evening  of  the  wedding  day 
arrived,  the  bridegroom,  attired  in  wedding  ap- 
parel ( Isaiah  61 :  lo),  of  which  a  peculiar  nuptial 
head-dress  was  a  characteristic,  set  out,  at  a  fixed 
hour,  accompanied  with  his  companions,  known 
as  "  children  of  the  bride-chamber"  (Matt.  9 :  15),  to 
bring  the  bride  either  to  her  new  home,  or  to 
some  other  place  appointed  for  her  reception. 
It  would  appear  from  some  modem  accounts, 
that  sometimes  the  bride  is  brought  to  the  house 
of  the  bridegroom,  who  remains  there  to  receive 
her.  This  marriage  procession  was,  and  still  is, 
the  essential  feature  in  the  Eastem  wedding; 
and  it  gave  a  peculiar  significance  to  the  Hebrew 


Ch.  XXV.] 


MATTHEW. 


^69 


phrase,  to  "take  a  wife."  It  was  a  symbol  of 
capture,  which  in  a  ruder  form  is  still  preserved 
among  some  barbarous  tribes  in  Africa,  and 
among  the  modei-n  Arabs,  with  whom  the  cap- 
ture and  removal  of  the  bride  is  accomplished 
with  considerable  show  of  violence.  The  bride, 
attired  in  her  bridal  costume  (jer.  2 :  32),  awaited 
the  arrival  of  the  bridegroom.  This  costume, 
when  she  was  a  maid,  was  always  white  (Rev. 
19  :  7,  8),  often  richly  embroidered  (ps.  45  :  u) ; 
essential  parts  of  it  were  a  wreath  of  myrtle  on 
the  head,  or,  according  to  some  authorities,  a 
chaplet,  gold  or  gilt;  a  peculiar  girdle  encir- 
cling her  waist,  and  a  white  veil  (cen.  24 :  es)  not 
only  concealing  her  face,  but  completely  covering 
her  person.  This  last  was  regarded  as  a  symbol 
of  her  submission  to  her  husband  (1  Cor.  11  :  10), 
With  her  maids  she  joined  the  procession,  which 


A  MODERN   MAERIAGE    PROCESSION   IN   JERUSALEM. 


'then  marched  back  through  the  streets  to  the 
appointed  place,  where  a  feast  was  prepared  for 
the  company.  Music,  torches,  and  every  demon- 
stration of  joy  accompanied  the  train.  The  for- 
mer, produced  largely  by  small  drums,  and  tam- 
bourines, is  described,  in  accounts  of  the  modern 
procession,  as  of  a  very  extraordinay  description. 
Often  gymnasts  or  others  accompany  these  pro- 
cessions, in  the  modern  ceremony,  performing 
their  feats  of  dexterity  before  an  admiring  throng. 
The  accompanying  illustration,  from  the  pencil  of 
Mr.  A.  L.  Rawson,  is  an  exact  reproduction  of  such 
processions,  as  they  may  be  seen  to-day  in  the 
streets  of  Jerusalem.  As  the  procession  neared 
the  bridegroom's  house  it  was  joined  by  other 
friends  of  the  bride  and  groom,  swelling'  its 
tumult  and  accompanying  it  to  its  destination. 
When  this  was  reached  the  procession  entered, 
including  the  invited  guests ;  the  door  was  then 
closed,  and  no  one  arriving  subsequently  was 
permitted  to  enter  (vers.  10-12,  note).  The  mar- 
riage contract  was  then  signed,  and  the  party 
sat  down  to  the  feast.  At  the  close  of  the  meal 
came  the  nuptial  benediction,  pronounced  ac- 


cording to  a  prescribed  form,  by  the  bridegroom 
himself;  if  the  bride  were  a  virgin,  parched 
corn  was  distributed  among  the  guests ;  and  the 
marriage  ceremony  was  concluded  by  conducting 
the  bride,  in  state,  to  her  bed-chamber.  The  ac- 
companying festivities,  however,  lasted  for  days, 
sometimes  for  a  fortnight.  For  Scripture  illus- 
trations of  marriage  ceremonies,  see  Gen.  ch.  24 ; 
Judges,  ch.  14 ;  Ruth,  ch.  4  ;  and  John  2  : 1-10. 
The  general  lesson  of  this  parable  appears  to 
me  to  be  plain,  though  it  has  sometimes  been 
missed,  and  oftener  not  clearly  stated.  The  ten 
virgins  go  forth  with  their  lamps  lighted  to  meet 
the  bridegroom.  They  thus  represent  professing 
Christians,  in  whom  the  light  of  piety  has  been 
really,  or  at  least  in  appearance,  lighted.  All 
slumber  and  sleep  while  the  bridegroom  tarries. 
The  sole  distinction  between  them  is  that  five 
have  oil  with  which  to  replenish  their  lamps,  and 
five  have  not.  Oil  was  used  in  the  Jewish  econ- 
omy to  bum  in  the  lights  of  the  temple,  and  to 
anoint  both  kings  and  priests.      It  was  thus  a 

symbol  of  divine  grace  (Psalm  45  :  7,  8 ;  Acta  10  :  38  ;  Heb. 

1 : 9).     By  anointing  with  oil  the  king  became  the 


270 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXV. 


CHAPTER    XXV. 


THEN  shall  the  kingdom  of  heaven  be  likened  unto 
ten  virgins,"  which  took  their  lamps,  and  went 
forth  to  meet  the  bridegroom." 
2  And  five"  of  them  were  wise,  and  five  were  foolish. 


3  They  that  were  foolish  took  their  lamps,  and  took 
no  oil^  with  them  ; 

4  But  the  wise  took  oil  t  in  their  vessels  with  their 
lamps. 

5  While  the  bridegroom  tarried,  they  all  slumbered » 
and  slept. 


I  Pb.46  !  14;  C8.6  :  8,9;  2  Cor.  U  :  2. 


John  3  :  29. . .  .w  chap. 


,  y  1  John  2  :  20 1  Th.  5  :  6. 


Lord^s  anointed.  It  is  by  the  grace  which  this 
oil  symbolized  that  we  are  made  kings  and 
priests  unto  God.  The  chief  lesson  of  the  para- 
ble, then,  I  take  to  be  this :  It  is  not  enough  to 
experience  religion  once  for  all,  and  to  join,  even 
with  a  real  experience,  the  professed  band  of 
Christ's  followers.  Our  prayer  must  be  for 
daily  grace,  as  for  daily  bread.  And  those  who 
have  been  content  merely  to  light  their  lamps, 
without  providing  a  supply  of  oil,  i.  e.,  to  begin 
a  Christian  life  without  recognizing  their  continual 
dependence  upon  God  for  continual  supplies  of  grace, 
will  at  the  last  find  the  door  of  his  kingdom  shut 
against  them.  Thus  the  distinction  is  not  be- 
tween those  who  merely  profess  and  those  who 
really  possess  religion,  but  between  those  who  are 
content  with  one  experience  and  those  who  rec- 
ognize their  need  of  continuous  supply  of  divine 
grace.  The  Galatians  were  foolish  virgins  (oai. 
3:1;  6 : 4,  t).  The  parable  emphasizes  and  is  inter- 
preted by  such  passages  as  John  15  :  4-6,  etc. ; 
2  Tim.  2:1;  Heb.  4  :  16  ;  12  :  15,  28 ;  2  Pet.  3  :  18. 
Parallel  to  it  is  the  lesson  of  the  manna,  which 
had  to  be  gathered  day  by  day  (Exod.  16:19-21). 
Thus,  too,  this  parable  emphasizes  the  soul's  de- 
pendence on  God,  the  next  parable  the  soul's 
duty  to  God ;  this  our  need,  that  our  obligation  ; 
this  measures  us  by  what  we  receive,  that  by 
what  we  do;  this  is  Calvinistic,  that  is  Armin- 
ian.  It  would  not  be  safe  to  conclude  that  any 
souls  really  lighted  from  on  high  will  apostatize 
and  forever  fall  away.  The  parable  represents 
the  virgins  as  they  appear  to  the  bystander,  the 
disciples  as  they  appear  to  the  world.  The 
event  alone  shows  who  have  oil  with  their  lamps 
and  who  have  not.  For  other  lessons  of  the  par- 
able, see  the  notes  in  detail.  Mr.  Amot  calls  atten- 
tion to  the  striking  contrast  between  the  insig- 
nificance of  the  story  and  the  solemn  sublimity 
of  its  lesson.  "  A  few  country  girls  arriving  too 
late  for  a  marriage,  and  being  therefore  excluded 
from  the  festival,  is  not  in  itself  a  great  event ; 
but  I  know  not  any  words  in  human  language 
that  teach  a  more  piercing  lesson  than  the  con- 
clusion of  this  similitude." 

1,  2.  Then  shall  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
be  likened  unto.  Then  connects  the  follow- 
ing parable  with  the  preceding  chapter.  The 
discourse  is  all  one.  It  is  in  the  second  coming 
of  Christ  that  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  this 
story  of  the  virgins. — Ten  virsrins.  No  special 
significance  attaches  to  the  number.    It  was  a 


usual  number  in  a  marriage  procession.  Nor 
any  to  the  fact  that  virgins  are  mentioned.  In 
all  ages  of  the  world  virgins  have  been  chosen  as 
bridesmaids.  The  Roman  Catholic  deduction  in 
favor  of  professed  virginity  deserves  to  be  men- 
tioned only  as  a  warning  against  that  literal 
interpretation  of  details,  which  is  by  no  means 
confined  to  Roman  Catholic  interpreters.  The 
deduction  of  Alford  and  Olshausen  that  both 
the  wise  and  the  foolish  are  true  disciples  of 
Christ,  appears  to  me  to  be  equally  unfounded. 
If  all  had  not  been  represented  as  virgins  the  pic- 
ture would  have  been  false  to  real  life. — Five 
of  them  were  wise  and  five  were  foolish. 
For  the  meaning  of  this  contrast  compare  Matt. 
7  :  25-27;  24  :  45  ;  2  Pet.  1  :  5-9.  Observe  that 
in  the  Scripture  godliness  is  always  represented 
as  wisdom,  and  ungodliness  as  folly  (Psaim  u :  1 ; 

Prov.  8  :  35,  36 ;  Ephes.  5  :  16). 

3,  4.  These  verses  mark  the  only  contrast 
between  the  two  classes.  See  Preliminary  Note. 
Observe  that  in  the  outset  no  distinction  is  visible 
between  the  wise  and  foolish  virgins ;  both  have 
lamps  burning,  but  the  wise  have  the  lasting 
supply  of  oil  (grace),  the  foolish  have  not.  So 
in  the  church  no  visible  line  separates  those 
whose  light  is  fed  by  their  own  resolution  from 
those  whose  dependence  is  a  continual  supply  of 
daily  grace  from  God.  The  Jewish  lamp  was  a- 
shallow  vessel  filled  with  oil.    The  wick  floated 


ASSTBIAN  LAMPS. 
(From  originals  in  British  Mueenm.) 

on  the  oil.  Our  illustration  represents  some 
lamps  exhumed  in  the  Assyrian  excavations. 
The  originals  are  in  the  British  Museum.  Others 
almost  exactly  like  these  have  been  recently  dis- 


Ch.  XXV.] 


MATTHEW. 


271 


6  And  at  midnight"  there  was  a  cry''  made.  Behold, 
the  bridegroom  cometh ;   go  ye  ouf^  to  meet  aim. 

7  Then  all  those  virgins  arose,  and  trimmed  their 
lamps. 

8  And  the  foolish  said  unto  the  wise,  Give  us  of  your 
oil ;  for  our  lamps  are  gone  out."" 

9  But  the  wise  smswered,  saying ,  Noi  so,-  lest  there 


be  not  enough  for  us  and  you  ;  but  go  ye  rather « to 
them  that  sell,  and  buy  for  yourselves. 

10  And  while'  they  went  to  buy,  the  bridegroom 
came  ;  and  they  that  were  ready  went  in  with  him  to 
the  marriage :  and  the  door  was  shut.e 

11  Afterward  came  also  the  other  virgins,  say ing,"" 
Lord,  Lord,  open  to  us. 


Rev.  16  :  15. . .  .b  1  Thess.  4  :  16. 


covered  in  Jerusalem.  In  the  marriage  proces- 
sion such  lamps  were  placed  on  sticks,  and  thus 
converted  into  torches.  In  separate  vessels,  oil 
was  carried  with  which  to  replenish  the  lamps. 

5.  While  the  Bridegroom  tarried.  In 
this  there  is  a  hint  that  the  Lord  would  not 
come  immediately,  nor  so  soon  as  his  church 
expected  him.  The  same  hint  is  given  in  chap. 
24  :  48.  Observe  that  there  the  wicked  servant 
thinks  the  Lord  delays,  so  watches  not  for  his 
coming ;  here  the  foolish  virgin  thinks  he  is 
coming  immediately,  so  makes  no  provision  of 
oil ;  an  indication  that  a  sinful  heart  can  find  in 
directly  contrary  beliefs  excuses  for  the  same 
real  neglect. — They  all  slumbered  and  slept. 
Literally,  nodded  and  fell  adeep.  The  fact  is 
hardly  to  be  spiritually  pressed.  If  at  all,  it 
seems  to  me  that  Calvin,  and  following  him, 
Arnot,  give  the  key  to  its  true  meaning.  "Dis- 
ciples in  the  body  cannot  be  occupied  always  and 
only  with  the  expectation  of  their  Lord's  ap- 
pearing. Sleep  and  food,  family  and  business, 
make  demands  on  them  as  well  as  on  others,  de- 
mands which  they  cannot  and  should  not  resist. 
If  the  coming  of  the  Bridegroom  be  delayed  till 
midnight  the  virgins  must  (naturally  will)  slum- 
ber; this  is  not  a  special  weakness  of  individ- 
uals, it  is  the  common  necessity  of  nature." — 
{Arnot.)  And  observe  the  implication,  if  the 
Christian  has  grace  in  his  heart,  he  is  always 
ready,  though  asleep ;  if  not,  he  is  unready, 
though  he  were  wakeful  and  seemingly  watch- 
ing. Not  what  death  finds  us  doing,  but  how 
death  finds  us  furnishM,  is  the  important  question, 

6,7.  At  midnight.  Observe  the  implication 
here,  which  underlies  the  instruction  of  the  pre- 
vious chapter,  that  the  coming  of  the  Lord  wUl 
be  unexpected. — There  was  a  cry  made. 
Either  by  watchers  more  wakeful,  or  by  the  first 
of  the  approaching  procession.  Parallel  to  this 
cry  is  the  "great  shout"  and  "the  voice  of  the 
archangel,"  which  shall  accompany  the  descent 
of  the  Lord,  (i  Thess.  4  =  le).— Trimmed  their 
lamps.  "  The  hand  lamp  naturally  was  small 
and  would  not  contain  a  supply  of  oil  for  many 
hours.  The  trimming  itself  implied  two  things, 
an  infusion  of  fresh  oil,  and  removal  of  whatever 
had  gathered  round,  and  was  clogging  the  wick. 
For  the  last  purpose  a  little  instrument,  often 
hung  by  a  slender  chain  from  the  lamp  itself, 


pointed,  for  the  removal 
of  the  snuffs  from  the 
flame,  and  with  a  little 
hook  at  the  side  by  which 
the  wick,  when  need  was, 
might  be  drawn  further 
out.  This  instrument 
is  sometimes  found,  still 
attached  to  the  bronze 
lamps,  discovered  in 
sepulchres."  — (Trench.) 
One  of  these  instruments 
is  to  be  seen  in  the  an- 
nexed cut,  hanging  just  above  the  lamp.  The 
illustration  is  copied  from  a  Roman  bronze. 

8,  9.  Gone  out.  Literally  going  out.  The 
apparent  piety  which  is  not  furnished  with  con- 
stant supplies  of  divine  grace  may  seem  bright  in 
life,  but  fails  in  the  hour  of  trial,  especially  of 
death. — Not  so.  In  the  Greek  the  negative  is 
expressed  much  more  emphatically  :  Bij  no  means 
(aijrtoTi).  Observe  the  significance  of  (1)  the 
request:  Give  us  of  your  oil.  "How  fondly  in 
such  a  crisis  the  empty  lean  on  the  full." — 
{Arnot.)  (2.)  The  answer :  Not  so;  lest  there  be  not 
enough  for  us  and  you.  In  this  answer  they  show 
their  wisdom.  No  one  can  supply  grace  for 
another's  need.  Incidently  there  is  here  a  wit- 
ness against  the  Roman  Catholic  doctrine  of 
works  of  supererogation,  i.  e.,  that  the  saints 
accumulate  a  store  of  good  works  from  which 
the  church  may  draw  for  those  who  have  no 
merit  of  their  own.  Comp.  Psalm  49  :  7  ;  Rom. 
14  :  12  ;  1  Pet.  4  :  18.  (3.)  The  counsel :  Go  ye 
rather  to  them,  that  sell,  and  biiy  for  yourselves. 
This  was  the  best  advice  possible  ;  but  it  was  too 
late  to  comply  with  it.  At  midnight  the  stores 
would  be  shut.  The  opportunity  for  purchasing, 
which  the  foolish  had  enjoyed  in  common  with 
the  wise,  was  now  past.  Alford's  interpretation 
of  the  language  here.  Go  to  them  that  sell,  as  "  no 
mean  argument  for  a  set  and  appointed  ministry 
and  moreover  for  a  paid  ministry,"  appears  to 
me  a  curious  illustration  of  the  literalism  that 
misinterprets.  Surely  the  ministry  are  not  shop- 
keepers to  sell  the  grace  of  God.  The  interpre- 
tation of  this  direction  is  to  be  found  in  Isaiah 
5.5  :  1  and  Rev.  3  :  18.  God  alone  dispenses 
divine  grace ;  and  the  very  point  of  the  parable 
here  is  that  one  disciple  cannot  supply  another 


272 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXV. 


12  But  he  answered  and  said,  Verily  I  say  unto  you, 
I'  know  you  not. 

13  Watch  J  therefore,  for  ye  know  neither  the  day 
nor  the  hour  wherein  the  Son  of  man  cometh. 

14  For''  ihe  kingdom  0/  heaven  is  as  a  man  travelling 


into  a  far  country,  who  called  his  own  servants,  and 
delivered  unto  tliem  his  goods. 

IS  And  unto  one  he  gave  five  talents,  to  another 
two,  and  to  another  one  ;  to  every  man  according  to 
his  several  ability  ;'  and  straightway  took  his  journey. 


i  Hab.  1 


...IRom.  12  :  6:  1  Cor.  12  :  4, 


10-12.  Mr,  William  Ward  in  his  "View  of  the 
Hindoos,"  quoted  in  Trench,  gives  an  account 
of  an  Oriental  wedding,  which  illustrates  the 
figure  here.  "After  waiting  two  or  three  hours, 
at  length,  near  midnight,  it  was  announced,  as 
if  in  the  very  words  of  the  Scripture,  Behold  the 
bridegroom  cometh,  go  ye  out  to  meet  him.  AU 
the  persons  employed  now  lighted  their  lamps, 
and  ran  with  them  in  their  hands  to  fill  up  their 
stations  in  the  procession.  Some  of  them  had 
lost  their  lights  and  were  unprepared ;  but  it  was 
then  too  late  to  seek  them,  and  the  cavalcade 
moved  forward  to  the  house  of  the  bride.  *  *  * 
The  bridegroom  was  carried  in  the  arms  of  a 
friend,  and  placed  upon  a  superb  seat  in  the 
midst  of  the  company,  where  he  sat  a  short  time, 
and  then  went  into  the  house,  the  door  of  which 
was  immediately  shut,  and  guarded  by  Sepoys. 
I  and  others  expostulated  with  the  door-keepers, 
but  in  vain."  Observe  the  significance  of  the 
spiritual  lesson.  The  foolish  virgins  are  now  in 
earnest,  but  it  is  too  late.  "The  salvation  of  the 
soul  depends,  not  on  frightened  earnestness  in 
the  moment  of  departure,  but  on  faith's  calm 
closing  with  Christ,  before  the  moment  of  de- 
parture comes." — {Arnot.) 

The  door  was  shut.  Christ  is  the  door 
(John  10 :  7, 9),  and  now  stands  open  to  all  who  will 
come  unto  the  Father  by  him  (Acts  2 :  39),  the  door 
which  admitted  Aaron  after  his  idolatry,  David 
after  his  adultery,  Peter  after  his  denial,  Saul  of 
Tarsus  after  his  persecution  of  the  church.  But 
this  door  does  not  stand  open  forever  (Luke  is :  24, 25). 
— Afterward  came  also  the  other  virgins. 
Not  having  obtained  the  oil,  but  without  it,  yet 
hoping  for  admission  notwithstanding.  This  at 
least  is  the  implication  of  the  narrative,  for  the 
shops  would  be  closed  at  midnight— and  of  the 
parable,  for  its  object  is  to  teach  that  divine  grace 
must  be  sought  now,  while  it  is  to-day  (Heb.  3 :  is). 
"  They  came  looking  for  mercy  when  now  it  was 
time  for  judgment." — (Augustine.)  To  the  mar- 
riage-feast (heaven),  none  are  admitted  without 
light  (holiness),  which  can  be  sustained  only  by 
oil  (divine  grace),  (Ephes.  5:5;  Heb.  12:14).  "The 
door  was  shut,  as  much  for  the  security  and  joy, 
without  interruption  of  those  within,  as  for  the 
lasting  exclusion  of  those  without  (oen.  7 :  16;  Rev. 
s-.ii).— (Trench.)  In  Rev.  21  :  25,  27,  the  gates 
of  the  heavenly  city  are  represented  as  always 
open,  and  the  implication  is  that  those  who  are 
without  are  excluded  by  no  external  or  arbitrary 
barrier,  but   by  their  own   nature  and   spirit. 


Com  p.  Rev.  22  :  11,  15.— I  know  you  not,  i.  e., 

recognize  you  not  as  bridesmaids.  Comp.  Matt. 
7  :  23,  and  note  ;  also  2  Tim.  2  :  19.  He  will  not 
know  those  at  the  last  who  knew  not  him  in  life. 
Comp.  Matth.  10  :  32,  33,  and  note. 

13.  Watch  therefore ;  for  ye  know 
neither  the  day  nor  the  hour.  The  words, 
Whe7-ein  the  Son  of  man  cometh,  are  omitted  by 
the  best  manuscripts.  But  they  undoubtedly 
interpret  aright  the  meaning  of  the  verse.  This 
carries  us  back  to  Matt.  24  :  42,  and  connects 
the  parables  of  this  chapter  with  the  warnings  of 
the  previous  chapter.  Thus  the  admonition  to 
watchfulness  is  the  text  of  the  whole  discourse ; 
and  this  and  the  foUowing  parable  both  empha- 
size and  interpret  that  admonition.  Watch,  that 
divine  grace  fail  you  not,  is  the  lesson  of  this 
parable  ;  Watch,  that  your  o^vn  powers  and  op- 
portunities are  not  neglected  or  misused,  is  the 
lesson  of  the  parable  of  the  talents. 

Ch.  25  :  14-30.  PARABLE  OP  THE  TEN  TAIENTS.— 
Deligencb  in  Duty  Essentiai  to  Future  Glory. 

This  parable  is  peculiar  to  Matthew.  Mark 
18  :  34-36  contains  an  abbreviated  form  of  it. 
Luke  19  :  11-27  contains  an  analogous  parable, 
that  of  the  ten  pounds,  which  has  sometimes 
been  confounded  with  this,  but  is  different  in 
structure,  and  was  uttered  on  a  different  occa- 
sion. The  central  teaching  of  this  parable  is  clear. 
Its  primary  application  is  to  his  immediate  disci- 
ples. Our  Lord,  when  he  ascended  up  on  high, 
gave  various  gifts  to  them,  adapting  his  divine 
grace  to  their  natural  capacities  (Ephes.  4 : 8-i2\  and 
for  their  use  of  these  gifts  of  the  Spirit,  he  here 
teaches  them  they  must  give  account  on  his 
return.  Secondarily  it  applies  to  all  his  disciples 
throughout  all  time ;  for  all  are  his  servants  and 
receive  their  all  from  him,  and  for  their  use  of  it 
must  give  account  to  him.  Thirdly  it  applies  to 
all  men;  for  all  receive  their  native  capacities 
and  their  opportunities,  their  characters  and  their 
circumstances,  from  God  ;  he  bestowes  them  not 
as  a  gift,  but  as  a  trust ;  and  for  their  use  thereof 
they  will  be  called  to  account.  The  sin  against 
which  Christ  admonishes  his  disciples  here  is  not 
that  of  the  unji^st  steward  (Lnke  i6;i),  for  here 
there  is  no  wasting  of  goods ;  nor  that  of  the 
prodigal  (Luke  is :  13),  for  here  there  is  no  riotous 
living ;  nor  that  of  the  unmerciful  servant  (Matt. 
18 :  25),  for  here  is  no  indifference  to  humanity  ; 
nor  that  of  the  evil  servant  (Matt.  24 :  49),  for  here 
there  is  neither  excess  nor  oppression.    Our  Lord 


Ch,  XXV.] 


MATTHEW. 


273 


i6  Then  he  that  had  received  the  five  talents  went 
and  traded  with  the  same,  and  made  them  other  five 
talents 

17  And  likewise  he  that  had  received  two,  he  also 
pained  other  two. 

18  But  he  that  had  received  one,  went  and  digged  in 
the  earth,  and  hid  his  lord's  money. 

19  After  a  long  time,"'  the  lord  of  those  servants  Com- 
eth, and  reckoneth  "  with  them. 

20  And  so  he  that  had  received  five  talents,  came  and 
brought  other  five  talents,  saying.  Lord,  thou  deliver- 
edst  unto  me  five  talents ;  behold,  I  have  gained  be- 
side them  five  talents  more. 

21  His  lord  said  unto  him,  Well  done,  thou  good  and 


faithful  servant:  thou  hast  been  faithful  over  a  few 
things,  I  will  make  thee  ruler"  over  many  things:  en- 
ter thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  lord. 

22  He  also  that  had  received  two  talents,  came,  and 
said,  Lord,  thou  deliveredst  unto  me  two  talents :  be- 
hold, I  have  gained  two  other  talents  beside  them. 

23  His  lord  said  unto  him,  Well  done,  good  and 
faithful  servant :  thou  hast  been  faithful  over  a  few 
things,  I  will  make  thee  ruler  over  many  things :  enter 
thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  lord. 

24  Then  he  which  had  received  the  one  talent,  came, 
and  said,  Lord,  I  knew  thee  that  thou  art  an  hard  man,' 
reaping  where  thou  hast  not  sown,i  and  gathering 
where  thou  hast  not  strawed  : 


ch.  24:48 n  ch.  18:  23,24 0  Luke  12:  44;  22:29;  Rev.  3  :  21 p  Job  21  :  15 q  Jer.  2:31. 


admonishes  us  that  non-use  is  a  sin  as  truly  as 
misuse,  neglect  as  truly  as  flagrant  disobedience. 
The  whole  parable  pivots  on  the  words  unprofit- 
able servant,  and  it  is  one  of  solemn  warning,  not 
only  to  every  church-member,  but  also  to  every 
person,  who  is  so  living  as  neither  to  grow  in  grace 
himself  nor  to  edify  others.  "  The  warning  here 
is  for  those  who  hide  their  talent,  who,  being 
equipped  of  God,  for  a  sphere  of  activity,  do  yet 
choose,  in  Lord  Bacon's  words,  'a  goodness  soli- 
tary and  particular,  rather  than  generative  and 
seminaL'" — {Trench.)  The  same  lesson  is  en- 
forced by  the  parable  of  the  barren  fig-tree 
(Luke  13 : 6-9).  For  comparisou  of  this  with  preced- 
ing parable  see  Preliminary  Note  on  the  Parable 
of  the  Ten  Virgins,  above.  For  special  lessons 
here  see  notes  below. 

14,  15.  A  man  traveling  into  a  far 
country.  By  this  is  figured  primarily  the  seem- 
ing withdrawal  of  Christ  from  his  church,  and 
secondarily,  the  seeming  withdrawal  of  God  from 
all  direct  participation  in  human  affairs.  See 
Matt.  31 :  33,  note.— His  own  servant.  Rather 
slaves.  These  among  the  Romans  were  not  only 
employed  in  the  usual  domestic  oflBces  and  in 
the  labors  of  the  field,  the  mines,  and  the 
factory,  but  also  as  factors  or  agents  for  their 
masters  in  the  management  of  business,  and 
were  often  entrusted  with  property  to  a  large 
amount. — Five  talents.  The  Hebrew  (silver) 
talent  is  variously  estimated  at  from  $1500  to 
$3350,  the  gold  talent  as  high  as  J55000.  See 
for  fuller  account  of  it,  note  on  Matt.  18  :  24. 
The  amount,  therefore,  here  represented  is  con- 
siderable. Its  spiritual  significance  is  partially 
conveyed  by  our  English  use  of  the  word  talent, 
as  equivalent  to  power  or  capacity,  especially 
mental,  a  use  which  has  grown  out  of  this  para- 
ble. But  it  also  includes  powers  which  are 
external,  as  well  as  those  which  are  inherent  in 
the  character,  and  therefore  wealth  and  position, 
Chrysostom  gives  the  meaning  well.  "  The  tal- 
ents here  are  each  person's  ability,  whether  in 
money,  or  in  teaching,  or  in  what  thing  soever." 
— To  every  man  according  to  his  several 
abilty.  If  there  be  any  lesson  in  this  it  is  not 
that  grace  is  given  according  to  the  measure  of 


faith,  for  faith  is  the  gift  of  God,  nor  that  grace 
is  adapted  to  the  natural  ability,  for  there  is  no 
real  distinction  between  natural  and  supernatural 
ability,  all  are  from  God.  In  human  life  we  grade 
our  trusts  according  to  the  natural  ability  of  the 
recipient ;  God  gives  to  different  men  in  different 
measures,  as  it  pleases  him,  but  always  grades 
his  gifts,  so  that  ability  and  opportunity  go 
together.  "No  one  is  burdened  beyond  his 
ability  (Exod.  4 :  10-12) ;  therefore  he  is  justly  com- 
pelled to  render  an  account." — {Bengel.)  Also, 
there  is  a  difference  in  endowments  and  therefore 

in  requirements  (Rom.  12  :  le ;  1  Cor.  12  : 4-31 ;  Ephes.  4 : 7-12). 

Observe  the  teaching  in  these  passages,  as  in  this 
parable,  that  there  are  no  absolute  gifts ;  all  arc 
trusts,  to  be  employed  in  God's  service  for  the 
edification  of  his  church  (i  Cor.  14 :  12). 

16,  18.  Traded  with  them.  Literally  la- 
bored with  them,  i.  e.,  he  added  to  them  by  his  own 
industry.  Whoever,  in  allegiance  to  his  divine 
Master,  and  by  his  diligent  use  of  God's  gifts, 
adds  to  the  spiritual  value  of  his  own  character 
(1  Pet.  1 : 6-10),  or  to  the  true  welfare  of  his  fellow- 
men   (Rom.  15:2;  1  Cor.  14  :  I2),    fulfills    the    part    of    a 

faithful  servant.  The  result  is  gain  to  God,  a 
true  addition  to  God's  wealth.— Digged  in  the 
earth.  A  common  method  of  hiding  treasure 
in  the  East.     Matt.  13  :  44-46,  and  note. 

19-23.  After  a  long  time.  A  hint  that  the 
second  coming  of  Christ  would  not  take  place 
immediately.  Compare  Matt.  34  :  48 ;  25 : 5,  note. 
Observe  (1)  the  language  of  the  servants,  Thou 
deliveredst  unto  me  five  talents ;  behold  /  have 
gained  beside  them  (literally  upon  them).  In  Luke 
it  is  "  Thy  pound  hath  gained  five  pounds. ' '  Both 
statements  are  true.  All  gain  in  spiritual  things 
is  both  ours  and  God's  ;  whether  in  personal  ex- 
perience (i  Cor.  16 ;  10 ;  Phu.  2 :  12, 13)  or  in  Christian 
work  (John  15 : 5 ;  1  Cor.  3 : 9)  wc  are  co-laborers  with 
God.  His  talent  makes  a  gain ;  yet  we  also  make 
it,  but  always  upon  his  talents,  i.  e.,  by  their 
means.  (3.)  The  language  of  the  Lord.  He  com- 
mends not  the  acquisition  but  the  fidelity.  "  Faith- 
fulness, not  success,  is  rewarded."  —  (Alford.) 
And  the  reward  conferred  is  a  larger  sphere  of 
labor :  "  I  wUl  make  thee  ruler  over  many  things.." 
This  is  yet  clearer  in  Luke:    "Have  thou  au- 


274 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXV. 


in  the  earth  :  lo,  there  thou  hast  that  is  thine, 

26  His  lord  answered  and  said  unto  hiin,  Thou  wick- 
ed" and  slothful  servant,  thou  knevvest  that  I  reap 
where  I  sowed  not,  and  gather  where  I  have  not 
strawed : 

27  Thou  oughtest  therefore  to  have  put  my  money 
to  the  exchangers,  and  then  at  my  coming  I  should 
have  received  mine  own  with  usury. 


28  Take  therefore  the  talent  from  him,  and  give  it 
unto  him  which  hath  ten  talents. 

29  For  unto '  every  one  that  hath  shall  be  given,  and 
he  shall  have  abundance :  but  from  him  that  hath  not 
shall  be  taken  away"  even  that  which  he  hath. 

30  And  cast  ye  the  unprofitable  servant  into  outer 
darkness :'  there  shall  be  weeping  and  gnashing  of 
teeth. 


•Prov.  26:13;  Rev.  21  :  8....S  ch.  18  :  32; 


ch.  13  :  12  ;   Mark  4  :  25 ;   Luke  8  :  18  ;   19  :  26. 


thority  over  ten  cities."  This  principle  of 
reward  is  constantly  illustrated  in  this  life,  where 
fidelity  in  the  smaller  sphere  leads  to  the  larger 
one.  But  it  receives  its  fulfillment  in  the  other 
life,  where  reward  is  not  merely  kingly  honors, 
but  kingly  responsibility  and  labor.  (2 Tim. 4:8; 
Uev.  2 :  10.  Comp.  Heb.  1 :  14.)  And  it  is  illustrated  here 
in  the  closing  sentence,  "Enter  thou  into  the 
joy  of  thy  Lord,"  whose  joy  was  and  is  in  domg 
good.  Matt.  18  :  13,  note.  Observe  Leighton's 
comment  on  this  promised  reward :  "  Here  some 
drops  of  joy  enter  into  us  ;  there  we  shall  enter 
into  joy,  as  vessels  put  into  a  sea  of  happiness." 

24-27.  The  spiritual  significance  of  this  ser- 
vant's report  and  his  Lord's  answer  appears  to 
me  to  be  this  :  One  of  the  most  common  causes 
of  spiritual  inactivity  and  indolence  is  a  morbid 
fear  of  making  mistakes,  of  losing  the  one  talent 
in  trading  instead  of  increasing  it,  of  doing  harm 
rather  than  good  by  work.  And  this  is  founded 
on  a  false  conception  of  God  as  a  hard  master, 
who  calls  to  rigorous  account  for  the  results  of 
our  work,  whereas  he  calls  us  to  account  only 
for  the  purposes  that  animate  us  (Rom.  s :  i ;  2  cor. 
8 :  12).  To  this  spirit  Christ  replies  in  effect,  If  it 
were  as  you  imagine,  God  a  hard  and  exacting 
master,  this  should  make  you  afraid  of  neglect 
and  indolence,  for  he  will  call  you  to  account  for 
non-use  as  well  as  for  misuse.  The  foundation 
of  the  fear  here  rebuked  is  want  of  faith.  The 
slothful  servant  does  not  recognize  that  he  is  to 
work  in  God  as  well  as  for  God.  Illustrating  it 
by  contraries  is  Augustine's  prayer :  "  Give  what 
thou  dost  command,  and  command  what  thou 
wilt."  Observe,  however,  the  implication  in  the 
Lord's  rebuke,  "  Thou  wicked  and  slothful  ser- 
vant." The  excuses  which  men  offer  for  idle- 
ness, whether  to  others  or  their  own  consciences, 
are  false  ;  the  real  reason  is  spiritual  sloth. 

One  talent.  There  is  a  significance  in  the 
fact  that  it  is  the  servant  with  one  talent  who  is 
idle,  which  Chrysostom  puts  well :  "  Let  no  man 
say,  I  have  but  one  talent,  and  can  do  nothing ; 
for  thou  canst  even  by  one  approve  thyself.  For 
thou  art  not  poorer  than  that  widow  (1  Kings  n :  12) ; 
thou  art  not  more  unmstructed  than  Peter  and 
John,  who  were  both  unlearned  and  ignorant 
men  (Acts  4 :  13)."  —  Money-changers.  These 
were  men  who  carried  on  a  business  midway  be- 
tween modem  banking  and  modern  pawnbrok- 


ing.  They  took  money  on  deposit  and  loaned  it 
out  on  interest,  paying  Interest  themselves  to  the 
depositors.  Their  interest  varied  from  ten  .to 
thirty-six  per  cent. ;  its  average  was  from  twelve 
to  eighteen  per  cent. — Usury.  Interest.  This 
does  not  determine  the  rightfulness  of  the  tak- 
ing of  usury,  or  even  of  interest.  Christ  simply 
employs  the  common  affairs  of  life  as  an  illustra- 
tion, without,  however,  passing  judgment  on 
the  principle  involved  in  them.  Taking  usury 
was  common  among  the  Greeks,  but  the  Jews 
were  forbidden  to  take  it  from  their  brethren 

(Eiod.  22  :  25 ;  Lev.  25  :  36 ;  Dent.  23  :  19),  but  might  take  it 

from  foreigners  (Deut.  23 :  20).  The  spiritual  sig- 
nificance of  the  language  of  verse  27,  "Thou 
oughtest,  therefore,  to  have  put  my  money  to 
the  exchangers,"  is  not  quite  clear.  Alford's 
interpretation  and  application  is  reasonable  and 
noteworthy:  "The  machinery  of  religious  and 
charitable  societies  in  our  own  day  is  very  much 
in  the  place  of  the  money-changers.  Let  the 
subscribers  to  them  take  heed  lest  they  be  not 
in  the  degraded  case  of  this  servant,  even  if  his 
excuse  had  been  genuine." 

28,  29.  The  principle  here  enunciated  is  illus- 
trated continually  in  life.  It  is  embodied  in  the 
proverb,  "Drawn  wells  are  never  dry,"  and  in 
the  aphorism  of  the  wise  man  in  Prov.  11  :  24. 
Non-use  leads  to  death.  The  limb  used  is 
strengthened,  disused  becomes  weak.  Bj'  exer- 
cise the  mental  faculty  acquires  strength,  by  in- 
dolence loses  power.  Even  money  can  increase 
only  by  being  used  for  others'  benefit.  But 
these  illustrations  point  to  the  final  fulfillment  of 
the  principle,  in  the  day  when  the  indolent  wDl 
find  both  his  power  and  his  oppoi-dmity  for  doing 
good  forever  taken  away  from  him  (John  9 : 4). 

30.  See  Matt.  8  :  12,  note,  where  the  bearing 
of  this  language  on  the  doctrine  of  future  pun- 
ishment is  considered.  Observe  that  the  same 
condemnation  is  visited  on  the  unprofitable  servant 
as  on  the  guest  without  a  wedding  garment  (Matt. 
22 :  13),  the  hypocrites  (chap.  24 :  51),  and  the  workers 
of  iniquity  (Luke  13 :  27,  2s).  Compare  with  the 
teaching  of  this  parable  the  parable  of  the  fig  tree 
(Luke  13 : 6-9),  that  of  the  viucyard  (uaiah  5 : 1-7),  and 
the  injunction  of  1  Tim.  4  :  14,  "  Neglect  not  the 
gift  that  is  in  thee  ;  "  and  observe  that  the  smaller 
the  apparent  gift,  the  more  reason  for  its  careful 
and  diligent  cultivation,  development,  and  use. 


Ch.  XXV.] 


MATTHEW. 


31  When  "  the  Son  of  man  shall  come  in  his  glory, 
and  all  the  holy  acgels  with  him,  then  shall  he  sit  upon 
the  throne  of  his  glorv  : 

32  And  before'^  huu  shall  be  gathered  all  nations; 
and  he  shall  separates'  them  one  from  another,  as  a 
shepherd '  divideth  Az's  sheep  from  the  goats  : 


275 

sheep  on  his  right  hand,"  but 


33  And  he  shall  set  I 
the  goats  on  the  left. 

34  Then  shall  the  King  say  unto  them  on  his  right 
hand.  Come,  ye  blessed  "  of  my  Father,"=  inherit  the 
kingdom  <•  prepared  =  for  you  from  the  foundation  of 
the  world : 


w  ch.  16:27;  19  :  28 ;  Dan.  7  :  13;  Zee.  14:5;  Mark  8  :  38;  Acts  1  :  11  ;  1  Tbess.  4  :  16;  2  Tliess.  1:7;  Jude  14;  Rev.  1  :7....x  Rom.  14: 
10;  a  Cor.  5:  10;  Rev.  20:  12.... y  ch.  13:49;  Ezek.  20  :  38.... z  Ps.  78  :52;  Johu  10:14,  27.... a  Heb.  1  :3....b  Ps.  115  ;  15.... c  Rom. 
8:  17  ;  IPet.  1  :4...  d  1  Theso.  2  :  12  ;   Rev.  5  :  10.... e  1  Coi-.  2:9;  Heb.  11  :  16. 


Ch.  25  :  31-46.  THE  LAST  JUDGMENT  DESrRIBED.- 
There  is  no  true  piett  without  practicax  philan- 
THROPT ;  NO  true  philanthropy  without  piett. 

These  verses  constitute  a  pictorial  and  dra- 
matic but  not  parabolic  description  of  the  last 
judgment.  Nowhere  else  does  Christ  describe 
definitely  that  event.  The  passage  clearly 
teaches  the  following  great  truths :  (1)  That 
there  will  be  a  final  judgment ;  (3)  that  it  will 
come  with  the  final  appearing  of  our  Lord  at 
the  end  of  the  world  ;  (3)  that  it  will  consist,  not 
of  a  trial,  but  of  a  public  announcement  of  the 
divine  judgment,  founded  upon  the  trial  which 
life  affords  ;  {i)  that  it  will  be  public — before  all 
nations  and  all  angels,  i.  e.,  all  created  beings 
known  to  us  to  exist ;  (5)  that  it  will  result  in  a 
public  separation  of  all  men  into  two  distinct 
classes,  not  into  a  great  variety  of  grades ;  (6)  that 
this  separation  will  be  based,  not  on  our  creeds, 
our  forms  and  ceremonies,  or  our  religious  pro- 
fessions, but  on  our  practical  charity  to  our  fel- 
low-men ;  (7)  that  the  decisions  of  this  judgment 
will  be  final,  unappealable,  and  irreversible.  See 
notes  below,  both  for  elucidation  of  these  lessons 
and  consideration  of  others  not  so  clear.  On  the 
general  relation  of  this  description  to  preceding 
parables,  see  Preliminary  Note. 

31-33.  When  the  Son  of  man  shall  come 
in  his  glory.  Compare  the  language  of  de- 
scription in  chap.  34  :  30,  31.  The  event  de- 
scribed is  apparently  the  same ;  an  incidental 
evidence  that  neither  the  destruction  of  Jerusa- 
lem nor  a  millennial  coming  prior  to  the  last 
judgment  is  there  described. — Then  shall  he 
sit— and  before  him  shall  be  gathered. 
The  language,  when  he  shall  come  *  *  then  he 
shall  sit,  points  to  a  definite  occasion  of  public 
judgment,  at  the  second  and  pitblic  coming  of 
Vhrifil,  but  not  necessarily  a  day  in  the  limited 
sense  of  that  term.  True,  "  it  is  not  implied  that 
we  shall  all  be  gathered  before  him  at  one  and  the 
same  moment "  {J.  If.  Morison),  but  it  is  im- 
plied that  it  shall  be  a  definite  occasion,  and  when 

Christ    comes    in    his    glory    (Matt.    13:40;  Acts  17:31; 

Rom.  2:16;  1  Cor.  4: 5). —All  angels— all  nations. 
"  How  great  publicity.''— (Bengel.)  The  term  all 
nations  is  limited  by  the  millenarian  commenta- 
tors to  the  heathen,  or  at  least  the  non-believing 
world.  See  Preliminary  Note  to  this  chapter. 
It  is  certainly  capable  of  this  interpretation, 
since  the  term  {i9-yog)  is  most  frequently  used  in 


the  N.  T.  to  signify  the  Gentiles  in  contradis- 
tinction to  the  Israelites,  and  is  frequently  ren- 
dered Gentiles  (Acts  4 :  27),  and  sometimes  heathen 
(Acts  4 :  25).  But  it  is  sometimcs  used  distinct- 
ively of  the  Jews  (Luke  7:5;  John  11  :  48,  50  ;  Acts  10  :  22), 

and  sometimes  includes  them  with  the  Gentiles 
(Matt.  28 :  19 ;  Luke  24 :  47),  and  it  is  therefore  certainly 
capable  of  the  meaning  which  our  English  ver- 
sion here  gives  to  it.  And  this  meaning  appears 
better  to  accord  with  the  description  elsewhere 

given  of  the  last  judgment  (Eocles.  12  :  U;  2  Cor.  5  :  lO; 

Rev.  20 :  12,  13).— He  shall  separate  them  one 
from  another.  Compare  Ezek.  34  :  17.  Ob- 
serve, the  separation  is  not  into  a  great  variety 
of  grades,  which  merge  into  one  another ;  it  is 
into  two  well-defined  classes.  This  description 
cannot  be  reconciled  with  the  conception  that 
the  other  world  will  be  one  simply  of  develop- 
ment, into  which  all  men  will  enter  at  the  stage 
of  progress  reached  here,  to  pass  by  a  process 
of  education  into  the  next  higher  class.  There 
are  but  two  classes,  though  there  may  be  grades 
of  character  and  condition  in  both.  Observe, 
too,  that  there  is  a  real  separation  between  the 
righteous  and  the  wicked  on  earth,  but  it  is  not 
made  apparent  till  the  judgment-day.  Then  the 
gulf  between  them  is  fixed  forever  (Matt.  13 :  37, 

note  ;  Luke  16  :  26). 

34.  Then  shall  the  King  say.  Christ  is 
the  King,  whose  kingdom  shall  be  then  mani 
fested  when  he  comes  to  judge  the  world  (john 

5  :  27  ;  Rom.  14  :  9  ;  Rev.  19  :  6,7). — Come.      We  COmC   tO 

Christ  both  for  salvation  here  and  for  glory  here- 
after ;  we  come  that  we  may  be  with  him  where 
he  is  (John  14:3;  17:24). — Ye  blessed  of  my 
Father.  Not,  Te  that  are  to  be  blessed,  but  Ye 
that  have  been  blessed ;  the  perfect  participle  is 
used.  They  are  blessed  because  all  the  fruits  of 
true  love  which  men  apparently  produce  are  really 
fruits  of  the  Spirit  (i  Cor.  3 : 6;  i  John  4 : 7, 12). — In- 
herit the  kingdom  prepared  for  you.  The 
kingdom  of  which  Christ  is  King,  and  which 
consists  in  righteousness,  peace,  and  joy  in  the 
Holy  Ghost  (Rom.  14 :  17).  We  enter  it  fully  when 
we  come  where  there  is  no  more  sin  or  tempta- 
tion (Rev.  21 :  27).  We  inherit  it  because  it  is  God's 
free  gift  (Rom.  6 ;  23),  and  is  given  only  to  those 
who,  being  born  again,  are  the  children,  and 
therefore  the  heirs,  of  God  (John  3 : 3, 5 ;  Rom.  a  -.  is, 
17;  GaL4:6, 7). — From  the  foundation  of  the 
Avorld,  i.   e.,   so  prepared  in   the  councils   of 


276 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXV. 


35  For  I '  was  an  hungred,  and  ye  gave  me  meat :  I 
was  thirsty,  and  ye  gave  me  drink  :  I  was  a  stranger,^ 
and  ye  toolc  me  in  : 

36  Naked,''  and  ye  clothed  me  :  I  was  sick,  and  ye 
visited  '  me  :  1  was  in  prison,'  and  ye  came  unto  me. 

37  Then  shall  the  righteous  answer  him,  saying. 
Lord,  when  saw  we  thee  an  hungred,  and  fed  thee  f 
or  thirsty,  and  gave  thee  drink  ? 


38  When  saw  we  thee  a  stranger,  and  took  thee  in  ? 
or  naked,  and  clothed  thee  ? 

39  Or  when  saw  we  thee  sick,  or  in  prison,  and  came 
unto  thee? 

40  And  the  King  shall  answer  and  say  unto  them, 
Verily  I  say  unto  you.  Inasmuch ''  as  ye  have  done  // 
unto  one  of  the  least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye  have 
done  it  unto  me. 


f  Isa.  68  :  7  ;  Eiek.  18 : 


b.  13:  2....kPraT. 


divine  love  ;  not  actually  made  ready,  for  Christ 
went  that  he  might  prepare  a  place  for  us  (john 

14:  2). 

35,  36.  For.  These  verses  give  the  reason 
why  those  on  the  right  hand  are  accepted.  They 
are  a  N.  T.  exposition  of  Prov.  19  :  17,  "He  that 
hath  pity  on  the  poor  lendeth  to  the  Lord." 
Comp.  1  Tim.  6  :  17-19  ;  1  John  3  :  16-18 ;  ch.  4,  and 
Scripture  references  given  below.  And  observe 
that  every  element  in  this  description  is  illus- 
trated by  Scripture.— I  was  a  hungered  and 
ye  gave  me  to  eat.  See  1  Kings  17  :  10-1.5 ; 
Ruth  3  :  14-17.— Thirsty  and  ye  gave  me 
drink.  Matt.  10  :  40-42.— I  was  a  stranger 
and  ye  treated  me  hospitably.  The  word 
here  rendered  took  in  is  the  same  rendered  in  Deut. 
22  :  2  and  Josh.  2  :  18  bring  in,  and  in  Judges 
19  :  15,  18,  took  in,  and  receive.  For  illustration 
of  the  spirit  of  hospitality  see  Numb.  10  :  29  with 
1  Sam.  15  :  6  ;  30  :  11, 12  ;  Acts  28  : 1,  2.— Naked 
and  ye  clothed  me.  Acts  9  :  36-39.— I  was 
sick  and  ye  visited  me,  more  literally,  looked 
after  me.  For  illustration  see  Luke  7  :  2,  3; 
10  :  30-37. — In  prison  and  ye  came  to  me. 
Jer.  38  :  7-13 ;  2  Tim.  1  :  16,  17. 

Respecting  these  verses  observe  (1)  in  Chry- 
sostora's  language,  "How  easy  are  these  injunc- 
tions. He  said  not,  I  was  in  prison  and  ye  set  me 
free ;  I  was  sick  and  ye  raised  me  up  again  ;  but 
ye  visited  me  and  ye  came  unto  me. "  (2. )  No  refer- 
ence is  made  to  spiritual  help.  The  case  is  one 
in  which  the  less  includes  the  greater,  as  the 
promise  of  reward  to  one  who  gives  a  cup  of  cold 
water,  includes  a  promise  for  all  larger  service. 
Even  the  lowest  forms  of  philanthropy,  if  they 
are  the  offspring  of  true  love,  have  their  reward. 
(3.)  A  real  personal  service  is  indicated,  one  in- 
volving some  sacrifice  of  time  and  property.  (4.) 
He  that  does  these  things  has  the  spirit  and 
follows  the  example  of  Christ,  for  we  were 
hungry  and  he  gives  us  to  eat  ( John  6 :  32-35),  thirsty 
and  he  gives  us  drink  (John  4 :  14 ;  6 :  55,  se),  strangers 
from  the  promise  and  he  receives  us  to  himself 
(Ephes.  2 :  18, 19),  naked  and  he  clothes  us  (Rom.  13 :  uj 

J  Cor.  5:3;  Gal.  3  :  27  ;  Rev.  3  :  is),  Sick  and  he  VisitS  US 
with  redeeming  love  (Psalm  147  :  3  ;  Jer.  3  :  22  ;  Hosea  14:4; 
tuke  1  :  68,  78  ;  Heb.  2  :  6),  in  prfSOU  and  he  COmCS  tO  US, 

shares  our  prison  fare,  and  so  ransoms  and  de- 
livers us.      (Rom.  8  :  2,  3  ;  Heb.  2  :  9,  10.) 

37-39.  Most  of  the  commentators  regard  this 


as  the  language  merely  of  humility.  But  igno- 
rance that  whatever  we  have  done  for  our  fellow- 
men  has  been  done  in  and  for  Christ  is  not 
Christian  humility.  It  argues,  on  the  contrary, 
a  defective  Christian  experience.  "Such  an 
answer  (as  that  here  given)  it  would  be  impossi- 
ble for  them  to  make,  who  had  done  all  distinctly 
with  reference  to  Christ,  and  for  his  sake,  and 
with  his  declaration  of  chap.  10  :  40-42,  before 
them." — {Alford.)  Nor  is  it  necessary  to  suppose, 
from  this  language,  that  only  the  heathen  are 
represented  as  here  in  judgment ;  though  that 
they  are  included,  and  wUl  be  accepted  if  they 
have  endeavored  to  live  according  to  the  law  of 
God  as  interpreted  by  their  conscience,  is  clearly 
declared  by  Paul  in  Rom.  2  :  7-11.  The  plain 
teaching  of  the  passage  is  this,  that  not  only 
those  who  have  in  this  life  recognized  Christ  as 
their  Lord  and  Master  will  be  accepted  by  him, 
but  also  those  who  have  never  done  so  and  yet 
have  actually  imbibed  his  spirit  and  followed  his 
example,  in  the  consecration  of  their  lives  to 
their  fellow-men  ;  for  they  give  thereby  evidence 
that  they  are  the  children  of  God,  born  of  the 
Spirit  of  God,  blessed  of  the  Father  (verse  34,  note), 
though  the  full  disclosure  of  his  grace  they  may 
not  apprehend  until  they  recognize  their  King 
m  the  day  of  judgment.  With  this  accords  a 
host  of  other  passages  of  Scripture.  Deut.  15  :  7 ; 
Job  29  :  13-16 ;  31  :  16-22  ;  Psalm  112  :  9  ;  Isaiah 
58  :  7-11 ;  Ezek.  18  :  7,  16 ;  Dan.  4  :  27  ;  Luke 
11  :  41 ;  Acts  10  :  31 ;  Heb.  6  :  10 ;  13  :  16  ;  James 
1  :  27 ;  1  John  2  :  10 ;  3  :  14 ;  chap.  4.  It  does  not 
conflict  with  the  doctrine  that  no  man  can  enter 
the  kingdom  of  God  unless  he  is  born  again  ;  but 
it  recognizes  love  to  man  as  the  best  outward 
evidence  of  the  new  birth  (1  John  4 : 7).  It  does  not 
conflict  with  the  doctrine  that  all  men  are  saved 
by  Christ ;  but  it  recognizes  the  truth  that  they 
may  be  saved  by  a  Redeemer  whose  redemption 
they  did  not  understand.  But  observe,  that  "it 
is  not  the  toorks,  as  siwh,  but  the  love  which 
prompted  them,  that  love  which  was  their  faith 
— which  felt  its  way,  though  in  darkness  to  him 
who  is  love — which  is  commended  "  {Alford) ; 
and  that  when  Christ  is,  in  the  day  of  his  glory, 
fully  disclosed  to  them,  they  recognize  him  as 
their  Lord. 

40.  Inasmuch  as,  i.  e.,  just  in  so  far  as, 
ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of 


Ch.  XXV.] 


MATTHEW. 


27? 


41  Then  shall  he  say  also  unto  them  on  the  left  hand, 
Depart'  from  me,  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting"  fire, 
prepared  "  tor  the  devil  and  his  angels  : 

42  For  I  was  an  hungred,  and  ye  gave  me  no  meat : 
I  was  thirsty,  and  ye  gave  me  no  drink  : 

43  I  was  a  stranger,  and  ye  took  me  not  in  :  naked, 
and  ye  clothed  me  not:  sick  and  in  prison,  and  ye 
visited  me  not. 


44  Then  shall  they  also  answer  him,  saying.  Lord, 
when  saw  we  thee  an  hungred,  or  athirst,  or  a  stran- 
ger, or  naked,  or  sick,  or  in  prison,  and  did  not  minis- 
ter unto  thee  ? 

45  Then  shall  he  answer  them,  saying.  Verily  I  say 
unto  you.  Inasmuch"  as  ye  did  it  not  to  one  of  the 
least  of  these,  ye  did  it  not  to  me. 

46  And  these  p  shall  go  away  into  everlasting  punish- 
ment :  but  the  righteous  into  life  eternal. 


1  ch.  13  :  40,  42  ;   Rev.  14  ;  1 


1  Jude  6  :  Rev.  20  : 


Dan.  12:2;   John  5  :  29. 


these  my  brethren.     Primarily,  his  disciples 

(Matt.  12 ;  60 ;  Hebrews  2 :  n),  but,  secondarily,  any  one 
of  the  great  family  of  man,  Ye  have  done  it 
unto  me.  "  Let  us  then  take  heed  not  to  neg- 
lect any,  nor  to  apply  ourselves  out  of  natural 
inclination  more  to  one  than  to  another,  but  to 
those  whom  either  the  Providence  of  God  sends 
us,  or  in  their  necessity  obliges  us  to  prefer." — 
(§  Mesne?.) 

41.  Depart  from  me.  As  the  reward  of 
the  saints  is  to  be  forever  with  the  Lord  (i  Thess. 
4 :  n),  so  the  punishment  of  the  wiclied  is  ever- 
lasting exile  from  his  presence  (2  Thess.  1 : 9).  The 
language  is  that  of  intense  moral  aversion  ;  and 
it  implies  the  hopelessness  of  the  doom.  For 
how  can  the  sinner  without  God,  redeem  himself 
from  his  sin  ?  (John  15 : 5) — Ye  accursed.  Under 
the  Jewish  law  persons  or  things  might  be 
devoted  to  Jehovah,  by  vow,  in  which  case  they 
became  his  irrevocably,  and  could  not  be  re- 
deemed. Cattle  were  put  to  death  (Lev.  27 :  26-29). 
Out  of  this  custom  grew  the  devotion  to  death,  as 
a  punishment,  of  an  individual  (exoA.  22 :  20),  or  an 

idolatrous  city  (Oeut.  13  :  12,  etc. ;  comp.  Deut.  2 :  34,  etc. ;  3  :  6  ; 
Josh.  6  :  17,  etc. ;  10  :  28,  etc. ;  11 :  ll).  Such  perSOUS  Or  things 

were  pronounced  accursed.  The  reference  here  is 
to  this  Jewish  custom.  Those  on  the  left  of  the 
judge  are  metaphorically  described  as  devoted  to 
death,  and  beyond  the  hape  of  redemption. — Into 
everlasting  fire  prepared  for  the  devil  and 
his  angels.  Fire  may  be  a  symbol  of  purifica- 
tion, which  it  certainly  is  not  here,  or  of  destruc- 
tion, or  of  torment.  The  language  here  conveys 
apparently  the  latter  shade  of  meaning.  Comp. 
Rev.  19  :  20 ;  20  :  10.  Observe  the  implication  of 
the  personality  of  the  devil.  How  could  a  fire 
be  prepared  for  abstract  evil,  or  for  the  sinful 
propensities  of  the  heart  ?  Contrast  this  verse 
with  verse  3i.  Come — depart;  Blessed — cursed; 
the  kingdom  — everlasting  fire.  Observe,  too, 
another  and  important  contrast.  "Blessed  of 
my  Father:  but  not  Cursed  of  my  Father,  be- 
cause all  man's  salvation  is  of  God,  all  his  con- 
demnation//-om  himself.  The  kingdom  prepared 
for  you,  but  the  fire  which  has  been  prepared  for 
the  devil  and  his  angels,  not  for  you;  because  there 
is  election  to  life,  but  there  is  no  reprobation  to 
death  ;  a  book  of  life,  but  no  book  of  death  ;  no 
hell/o/-  man  because  the  blood  of  Jesus  has  pur- 
chased life  for  all ;  but  they  who  will  serve  the 


devil  must  share  with  him  in  the  end." — (Alford.) 
On  the  word  everlasting,  see  note  at  close  of 
chapter,  verse  46. 

42-45.  Observe  there  is  here  no  charge  of 
positive  oppression,  only  of  neglect.  Comp. 
Luke  16  :  19-25.  But,  as  in  verses  37-39,  the  less 
includes  the  greater.  "How  severely  shall  they 
be  punished  who  take  away  the  goods  of  others, 
when  those  are  punished  after  this  manner,  who 
only  refuse  to  give  what  is  their  own.^'—{Qaesnel.) 
Observe,  too,  the  significance  of  their  ignorance, 
which  is  real,  not  pretended.  They  v.'ere  uncon- 
scious that  their  inhumanity  was  also  impiety. 
They  would  have  shown  honor  to  the  king  if  they 
had  recognized  him  ;  but  he  measures  their  char- 
acter by  their  treatment  of  his  subjects. 

46.  And  these  shall  go  away  into  ever- 
lasting punishment :  but  the  righteous 
unto  life  everlasting.  On  this  verse  volumes 
have  been  written,  and  on  its  interpretation  the 
best  scholars  are  not  fully  agreed.  Referring 
the  student  to  larger  treatises  for  an  investiga- 
tion of  verbal  criticism,  it  must  suffice  here  to 
say,  (1.)  That  the  same  Greek  word  is  used  in 
both  clauses  of  the  sentence,  rendered  in  the  one 
"eternal,"  in  the  other  "everlasting,"  and  that, 
therefore,  presumptively,  the  punishment  threat- 
ened is  as  lasting  as  the  life  promised.  (2. )  That 
the  etymology  of  the  word  here  rendered  ever- 
lasting is  m  dispute ;  some  scholars  find  its  ori- 
gin in  two  Greek  words  {utl  cur,  alvir),  ever  being, 
in  which  case  .our  word  everlasting  is  an  almost 
literal  translation :  others  trace  its  etymology  to 
a  word  («cu)  signifying  to  breathe,  and  so  find  its 
equivalent  to  be  primarily  a  life,  a  generation, 
hence  an  age  or  cycle  of  years.  The  former  ety- 
mology is  adopted  by  the  majority  of  modem 
scholars.  (3.)  The  word  certainly  does  not  always 
signify  in  the  Scripture  eternity.  Of  its  applica- 
tion to  a  period  of  time  which  was  really  limited 
the  following  passages  from  the  O.  T.  (Septua- 
gint)  are  illustrations  :  Gen.  17  :  8  ;  48  :  4 ;  Lev. 
16  :  34 ;  Numb.  25  :  13  ;  Hab.  3:6.  In  the  N.  T. 
it  is  used  also  of  time  limited,  in  Rom.  16  :  25 ; 
3  Tim.  1:9;  Titus  1  :  3,  where  the  phrase  since 
or  before  the  world  began  would  be  literally  since  or 
before  the  time  ages,  i.  e.,  the  beginning  of  the 
cycle  of  time ;  see  also  Philemon  15,  Thou 
shouldest  receive  him,  i.  e.,  the  fugitive  Onesi- 
mus,  forever,  though  here  the  idea  of  receiving 


The  accompanying  map  pre'^ents  the  supposed  sites  m 
the  citv  of  Jei  usalem  Tht  y  are  how  e\  er,  1  irgely  hy 
pothetical.  The  city  is  built  on  two  hills,  environed 
on  either  side  by  valleys,  that  of  the  Hinnom  and  that 
of  the  Kedron  ;  a  third  valley,  that  of  the  Cheesemon- 
gers, penetrates  the  heart  of  the  city,  dividing  it  into 
two  parts.  This  valley  is  now  largely  filled  up  with 
debris,  produced  by  the  frequent  sieges  to  which  the 
city  has  been  subject.  It  is  reasonably  certain  that  the 
ancient  Temple  stood  where  the  Mosque  of  Omar  now 
stands,  i.  e.,  on  the  eastern  hill,  known  in  Scripture  as 
Mount  Moriah,  and  the  palace  of  Herod  on  the  oppo- 
site hill.  Mount  Zion.  Across  the  valley  of  Jehosha- 
phat,  over  against  Jerusalem,  is  the  Mount  of  Olives. 
Somewhere  in  that  valley,  or  on  the  western  slope  of 
that  mount,  was  the  garden  of  Gethsemane.    Over  the 


mountain  about  two  miles  away,  was  Bethany,  the 
house  of  Mary  Maitha  andLazaiu'-  Chrii-t,  with  his 
disciples,  coming  from  Jericho,  by  the  road  marked  on 
this  map,  entered  Jerusalem  in  triumph  on  Saturday 
(ch.  21  ;  6-11)  by  one  of  the  eastern  gates  ;  every  night  he 
retreated  from  the  city  to  Bethany,  or  perhaps  to  soli- 
tude on  the  Mount  of  Olives  ;  and  from  this  mountain 
he  overlooked  the  city  with  his  disciples  at  the  time  of 
the  prophecy  contained  in  Matt.,  ch.  24  (see  ver.  a).  The 
other  localities  of  the  Passion  Week  are  quite  uncertain. 
I  believe,  however,  that  the  trial  before  the  Sanhedrim 
took  place  in  or  adjoining  theTemple  (Luke  22:66, note),  and 
the  trial  before  Pilate  at  the  Tower  of  Antonia  (John  is  : 
28,  note).  The  place  of  execution  and  burial  is  unknown  ; 
it  is  hardly  possible  that  it  can  be  the  traditional  site, 
which  is  indicated  on  this  map.    See  Matt.  2T  :  33,  note. 


Ch.  XXVL] 


MATTHEW. 


279 


CHAPTER    XXVL 


AND  it  came  to  pass,  when  Jesus  had  finished  all 
these  sayings,  he  said  unto  his  disciples, 
2  Ye  know  i  that  after  two  days  is  the  feast  of  the 
passover,  and  the  Son  of  man  is  betrayed  to  be  cruci- 
fied. 


3  Then  assembled  together  the  chief  priests,  and  the 
scribes,  and  the  elders  of  the  people,  unto  the  palace 
of  the  high  priest,  who  was  called  Caiaphas, 

4  And  consulted'  that  they  might  take  Jesus  by 
subtilty,  and  kill  hirn. 

5  But  they  said.  Not  on  the  feast  day,  lest  there  be 
an  uproar  among  the  people. 


q  Mark  14  : 


.  r  Psalm  2  :  2. 


the  slave  in  a  Christian  covenant  and  fellowship, 
to  be  literally  ever-during,  may  be  embodied. 
Of  the  other  G6  times  in  which  the  word  occurs 
in  the  N.  T.,  it  is  51  times  used  in  describing  the 
blessedness  of  the  saints,  3  times  is  applied  to 
the  Gospel,  3  times  to  God  or  his  attributes,  3 

times    (j  Cor.  4  :  is  ;  2  Thess.  2:16;  Heb.  6  :  2),    where    the 

word  everlasting  unquestionably  correctly  repre- 
sents it,  and  6  times  it  is  applied  to  future  pun- 
ishment. Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  ordinary 
usage  of  the  N.  T.  justifies  the  translation  here, 
everlasting.  (4.)  In  all  Scripture  usage,  I  think 
without  exception,  the  word  indicates  a  period 
of  time  as  long  an  the  existence  of  the  object  spoken 
of.  The  Jewish  nation,  as  long  as  it  preserved 
its  organic  existence,  possessed  the  Holy  Land, 
and  the  priesthood  service  (Gen.  n :  s ;  Lev.  le :  34). 
So  the  Gospel  was  a  mystery  from  the  beginning 
of  the  world's  existence  (2  Tim.  1:9).  If  this  be 
true,  then  whenever  this  word  is  predicated  of 
the  soul's  condition  it  signifies  one,  whether  of 
life  or  of  death,  of  blessedness  or  of  punishment, 
as  lasting  as  the  soul.  (5.)  There  is  nothing  in 
this  verse  to  indicate  the  nature  of  the  punish- 
ment threatened.  The  question  whether  it  con- 
sists in  ever-during  life  in  suffering,  or  real  soul- 
destruction,  must  be  solved,  if  at  all,  by  reference 
to  other  Scripture.  The  phrase  everlasting  2mn- 
ishment  implies  that  the  result,  not  the  punish- 
ment., will  be  everlasting,  as  the  phrase  eternal 
judgment  (Heb.  6 :  2)  signifies  not  a  judgment 
lasting  eternally,  but  one  having  eternal  results. 
(6.)  The  reward  promised  is  life  eter7ial,  and  this 
signifies  not  merely  existence,  which  might  or 
might  not  be  a  boon,  but  the  highest  and  noblest 
activity  of  the  soul,  in  all  its  God-given  powers, 
and  this  eternal,  i.  e.,  with  no  fear  of  decadence, 
infirmity,  or  lapse  into  sin. 

Ch.2G  !  1-16.  PREPARATION  FORTHE  CRTJCIFIXTON.- 

IN  THE    HEARTS  OP  THE  DISCIPLES;    BY  THE  ENEMIES 

OF  Christ  ;  by  the  unconscious  prophecy  or  love's 
offernsg;  by  the  treachery  op  an  apostle.— 
Though  forewarned  op  sorrow,  we  are  not  al- 
ways FOREARMED  AGAINST  IT  (ver.  1,  2,  with  Luke 
2t  :  31,  26).— Men    love   darkness   rather    than 

LIGHT,    BECAUSE    THEIR    DEEDS    ARE     EVIL    (ver.    3-.5 : 

comp.  .Tohn  3  :  19,  20).— The  true  disciple  rarely 

KNOWS  THE  TRUE  VALUE  OR  MEANING  OF  HIS  OWN  LIFE 

(ver.  6-13).— Christ  could  never  be  crucified  by 

THE  WORLD  BUT  FOR  TREACHKET  IN  HIS  OWN  CHURCH 

(ver.  14-16). 


In  these  verses  Matthew  groups  several  inci- 
dents that  point  to  the  crucifixion.  They  are 
four  in  number :  (1)  verses  1,  2,  Christ's  proph- 
ecy of  the  crucifixion ;  (3)  verses  3-5,  the  con- 
spiracy of  the  Jewish  authorities;  (3)  verses 
6-13,  Mary's  unconscious  preparation  for  the 
Lord's  burial  by  anointing  him  ;  (4)  verses  14-10, 
Judas'  agreement  to  betray  his  Lord.  Whether 
these  events  occurred  in  the  order  here  narrated 
is  uncertain.  See  note  on  verses  6-16  below. 
From  this  point  the  passion  of  our  Lord  properly 
begins.  His  mission  as  a  prophet  merges  in  his 
mission  as  a  sacrifice  ;  his  words  are  pregnant  to 
the  last,  as  his  soul  has  suffered  from  the  begin- 
ning. But  it  is  as  the  Sufferer  rather  than  as 
the  Teacher  he  appears  in  the  remaining  scenes 
of  his  life. 

1,  3.  When  Jesus  had  finished  all  these 
sayings.  The  discourse  contained  in  chapter 
23  was  the  last  delivered  by  Christ  in  public. 
That  contained  in  chapters  24  and  25,  and  those 
reported  by  John  in  chapters  14-16,  were  deliv- 
ered only  to  the  apostles,  the  former,  perhaps, 
to  but  four  of  them  (Mark  la :  s). — Ye  know.  Be- 
cause he  had  previously  foretold  his  passion.— 
After  two  days  is  the  Passover,  and  the 
Son  of  man  is  betrayed  (the  present  tense, 
with  a  future  force  ;  see  Mark  9  :  31,  note)  to  be 
crucified.  Whether  the  Jewish  Passover  took 
place  on  Thursday,  on  the  evening  of  which  the 
Lord's  Supper  was  instituted,  or  on  Friday,  the 
day  on  which  our  Lord  was  crucified,  is  confess- 
edly one  of  the  most  diflBcult  questions  in  N.  T. 
chronology.  So  far  as  this  verse  affords  a  note 
of  time  at  aU,  it  appears  to  me  to  sustain  the 
former  view.  If  this  prophecy  was  spoken  im- 
mediately at  the  close  of  the  discourse  reported 
in  chapters  24  and  25,  i.  e.,  on  Tuesday  evening, 
the  Passover  Supper  would  come  on  Thursday 
evening.  Alford  thinks,  on  the  contrary,  that 
this  is  a  solemn  declaration  that  "  the  deliverance 
of  our  Lord  to  be  crucified  and  the  taking  place 
of  the  Passover  strictly  coincided,"  because 
Christ  says,  "After  two  days  is  the  Passover, 
and  the  Son  of  man  is  betrayed  to  be  crucified." 
But  he  apparently  forgets  that  the  betrayal  took 
place  on  the  evening  of  the  day  preceding  the 
crucifixion ;  so  that  if  the  betrayal  and  the  Pass- 
over coincided,  the  Passover  and  the  Lord's 
Supper  also  coincided.  See  on  the  whole  ques- 
tion, Note  on  the  Lord's  Supper,  below. 


280 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXVI. 


6  Now  when  Jesus  was  in  Bethany,  in  the  house  of 
Simon  the  leper, 

7  There  came*  unto  him  a  woman  having  an  alabas- 
ter box  of  very  precious  ointment,  and  poured  it  on  his 
head,  as  he  sat  at  meat. 


8  But  when  his  disciples  saw  it,  they  had  indigna- 
tion, saying.  To  what  purpose  is  this  waste  ? 

9  For  this  ointment  migtit  have  been  sold  for  much, 
and  given  to  the  poor. 


3-5.  Then  assembled  together  the  chief 
priests,  etc.  That  is,  the  Sanhedrim  (Matt.  2:4, 
and  ncte).  Prcsumptlvely  this  conference  was  held 
on  Tuesday  night,  at  the  close  of  Christ's  public 
denunciation  of  the  Jewish  leaders  (chapter  23). — 
The  high  priest,  called  Caiaphas.  The 
high  priest  was  originally  the  highest  religious 
oflicer  in  the  land,  and  held  office  for  life  ;  but 
at  this  time  was  appointed  and  removed  by  the 
Roman  government  at  will,  so  that  in  107  years 
the  office  had  been  filled  with  27  appointees. 
He  was  the  head  of  the  Sanhedrim,  and  exer- 
cised some  political  and  judicial  as  well  as  eccle- 
siastical functions.  Caiaphas  was  a  son-in-law 
of  Annas  (John  18 :  u),  with  whom  he  seems  to  have 
in  some  way  shared  the  duties  of  the  office  (Luke 
3 : 2  and  note).  His  character,  as  a  wily  and  unscru- 
pulous politician,  is  indicated  by  his  counsel  re- 
specting Jesus  (John  11 :  49-5i),  and  by  his  conduct 
during  the  subsequent  trial  of  Jesus  (Matt.  26 :  57-65, 
notes).  Peter  was  at  a  later  period  brought  before 
him  and  Annas  (Acts  4 :  e).  He  was  appointed  high 
priest  27  A.  d.,  and  was  removed  36  or  37  a.  d. 
Nothing  is  known  of  his  history  subsequent  to 
his  deposition. 

5.  But  they  said,  Not  during  the  feast. 
Not  merely  the  feast-day,  i.  e.,  the  day  on  which 
the  Passover  was  sacrificed  and  eaten,  but  at  any 
time  during  the  festal  season,  which  lasted  for 
seven  days.  On  these  occasions  Jerusalem  was 
thronged  with  pilgrims.  Christ  was  popular 
with  the  Galileans,  and  the  leaders  feared  an 
attempt  by  them  at  resistance.  Perhaps  such  an 
attempt  would  have  been  made,  but  for  the  fact 
that  Christ  discountenanced  it  (verses  52-54). 

6-16.  The  anointing  of  Jesus  by  Mart, 
and  the  subsequent  treachery  of  judas. — 
This  anointing  is  also  described  by  Mark  (u  :  3-10) 
and  John  (12:2-8).  For  general  exposition  see 
notes  on  John  12  : 1-8.  From  his  account  it  ap- 
pears to  have  taken  place  at  the  house  of  Laza- 
rus and  his  sisters  Mary  and  Martha,  and  to  have 
been  performed  by  Mary,  who  poured  the  oint- 
ment on  Christ's  feet  as  well  as  on  his  head.  It 
is  not  to  be  confounded  with  the  anointing  men- 
tioned in  Luke  7  :  36-50,  though  this  has  been 
done.  There  is  nothing  in  common  between 
them,  except  the  name  of  the  householder,  Si- 
mon (Luke  7 :  40) ;  and  this  was  a  very  common 
name  in  Palestine.  The  occasion,  the  time,  the 
parties,  and  the  spiritual  significance,  are  all  dif- 
ferent. The  repetition  of  the  incident  is  not  at 
all  strange.     "  An  act  of  this  kind,  which  had 


been  once  commended  by  our  Lord  (as  in  Luke), 
was  very  likely  to  have  been  repeated,  and  espe- 
cially at  such  a  time  as  six  (V)  days  before  the 
Last  Passover,  and  by  one  anointing  him  for  his 
burial."— (4(/bj'd.)  The  time  when  this  anoint- 
ing here  described  took  place  is  uncertain. 
John's  account  apparently  indicates  six  days 
before  the  Passover,  i.  e.,  probably  Friday  pre- 
cedmg  the  crucifixion.  And  this  is  the  view  of 
Townsend,  Andrews,  Alford,  J.  H.  Morison,  and 
others.  These  writers  suppose  that  Matthew 
inserts  the  account  out  of  its  chronological 
order,  because  Judas  Iscariot's  treachery  is 
closely  connected  with  his  complaint  of  Mary's 
extravagance,  and  Christ's  rebuke  of  him  (john 
12 : 4, 7).  Matthew  and  Mark  apparently  indicate 
two  days  before  the  Passover,  i.  e.,  on  the  Tues- 
day night  preceding  the  crucifixion.  This  is  the 
view  of  Robinson,  Geo.  W.  Clark,  and  Dr.  Hack- 
ett  {Smith's  Bib.  Diet.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  1372,  note). 
This  view  appears  to  me  the  more  probable  one, 
for,  (1)  the  note  of  time  is  not  definite  or  con- 
clusive in  either  of  the  Evangelists  ;  (2)  the 
immediate  occasion  of  Judas' s  treachery  seems 
to  have  been  the  rebuke  administered  at  this 

supper  (comp.  Terse  14  here  with   John  12  :  4,  7)  ;     (3)  tf  hiS 

plan  was  formed  four  days  before,  why  was  it 
not  earlier  executed?  (4)  the  discourses  of 
Christ's  prophesying  the  overthrow  of  Judaism, 
his  own  crucifixion,  and  a  long  period  of  trial 
preceding  his  second  coming  (chap.  24),  might  well 
prepare  the  mind  of  Judas,  if  his  adhesion  to 
Christ  was  largely  induced  by  earthly  ambition, 
for  the  temptation  of  avarice  and  ambition,  com- 
bined with  resentment.  But  without  some  pre- 
vious disappointment  and  bitterness  of  soul, 
such  as  would  be  produced  by  the  final  over- 
throw of  all  his  hopes  of  preferment,  it  is  difficult 
to  understand  how  he  should  have  been  incited 
to  his  treachery. 

6,  7.  Bethany.  A  village  about  two  miles 
east  of  Jerusalem  (John  11 :  is),  being  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Mount  of  Olives.  See  map,  p.  238.  Itwas 
the  home  of  Mary  and  Martha,  where  Christ  was 
wont  to  visit  when  in  Jerusalem   (Luke  10 :  38-41; 

Matt.  21: 17;  Mark  11  :  11,12).    It  WaS  the  SCCUe  of  the  TCS- 

urrection  of  Lazarus  (John,  ch.  ii),  and  of  Christ's 
own  ascension  (Luke  24:  so).  It  is  not  mentioned 
in  the  O.  T.— Simon  the  leper.  Nothing  is 
known  of  him.  Whether  the  father,  or  the  hus- 
band of  one  of  the  sisters,  or  a  more  distant  rela- 
tive, is  merely  matter  of  conjecture.  He  is  not 
mentioned  in  the  other  incidents  referring  to 


Ch.  XXVI.] 


MATTHEW. 


281 


10  When  Jesus  understood  it,  he  said  unto  them, 
Why  trouble  ye  the  woman  ?  for  she  hath  wrought  a 
good  work  upon  me. 

11  For  ye '  have  the  poor  always  with  you  ;  but  me" 
ye  have  not  always. 

12  For  in  that  she  hath  poured  this  ointment  on  my 
body,  she  did  //  for  my  burial. 

13  Verily  I  sny  unto  you,  Wheresoever  this  gospel 
shall  be  preached  in  the  whole  world,  there  shall  also 


this,  that  this  woman  hath  done,  be  to.d  for  a  memorial 
of  her. 

14  Then  one'  of  the  twelve,  called  Judas  Iscariot, 
went  unto  the  chief  priests, 

15  And  said  unto  them.  What  will  ye  give  me,  and  I 
will  dehver  him  unto  you  ?  And  they  covenanted  ™ 
with  him  for  thirty  pieces  of  silver. 

16  And  from  that  time  he  sought  opportunity  to 
betray  him. 


1 14  :  19 ;  n  :  11 v  ch.  10  :  4. . . .  w  ch.  27  :  3  j  Zech.  11:12,  13. 


this  family  ;  hence  the  surmise  that  he  was  dead. 
He  could  not  at  this  time  have  been  a  leper,  and 
living  in  the  house,  for  in  that  case  he  could  not 
have  received  guests. — A  woman.  Mary,  the 
Bister  of  Martha  and  Lazarus  (John  12 : 3). 

8,  9.  His  disciples.  The  complaint  ap- 
pears to  have  originated  with  Judas  (John  12 :  4), 
but  may  have  been  caught  up  and  echoed  by  the 
others.— For  much.  John  and  Mark  specify 
the  cost,  300  pence  (denarii),  equal  to  $54,  but 
equivalent  to  nearly  a  year's  wages  of  an  ordi- 
nary laboring  man  (Matt.  20 : 2,  note). 

11.  Ye  have  the  poor  always  with  you. 
Mark  adds  significantly  ;  "Whensoever  ye  will, 
ye  may  do  them  good. ' ' 

13.  The  promise  of  this  verse  is  given  by  Mark, 
but  not  by  John.  On  it  Alford  well  remarks, 
"  This  announcement  is  a  distinct  prophetic  re- 
cognition by  our  Lord,  of  the  existence  of  written 
records,  in  which  the  deed  should  be  related  ;  for 
in  no  other  conceivable  way  could  the  universality 
of  mention  be  brought  about." 

14-16.  Judas  Iscariot,  i.  e.,  probably  Judas 
of  Kerioth,  a  town  of  Judea  (josh.  15 :  25).  On  his 
character  and  the  explanation  of  his  treachery, 
see  notes  on  chap.  27  :  3-10. — Chief  priests, 
i.  e.,  heads  of  the  priestly  courses.  Matt.  2  : 4, 
note.— Thirty  pieces  of  silver,  i.  e.,  thirty 
shekels,  equal  to  about  eighteen  dollars.     It  was 


A   SHEKEL. 

the  sum  fixed  to  be  paid  in  case  of  the  killing  of 
a  slave  by  an  ox  (Exod.  21 :  32.  comp.  Lev.  27 : 3).  The 
exact  sum  to  be  paid  for  Christ's  betrayal  was  a 
subject  of  prophecy  (zech.  11  =  12, 13).  The  smallness 
of  the  sum  forbids  the  idea  that  Judas  was  in- 
cited only  by  avarice,  unless  the  thirty  shekels 
be  regarded  merely  as  earnest  money ;  and  this 
hypothesis  appears  untenable,  for  no  more  ap- 
pears to  have  been  paid  to  him.  The  language 
in  Zechariah  and  in  Matt.  27  :  3,  indicate  that 
the  thirty  shekels  was  the  price  paid,  not  an 


earnest  to  bind  the  bargain.  Whether  the  priests 
actually  paid  him  the  money  at  this  time,  or  only 
agreed  to  pay  it,  is  not  clear  from  the  original, 
which  is  literally,  Tfiey  placed  to  him  thirty  shekels. 
This  may  mean  that  they  actually  delivered  it  to 
him,  as  is  indicated  by  Zechariah,  or  that  they 
put  it  to  his  credit,  on  condition  of  his  fulfillment 
of  his  promise.  The  latter  agrees  better  with  the 
accounts  in  Mark  (14 :  11)  and  Luke  (22 : 5).  In 
the  latter  passage  the  word  rendered  covenanted 
is  different  from  that  employed  here,  and  signi- 
fies a  covenant  or  agreement. 

Ch.  26  !  17-25.  PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  LAST 
PASSOVER. 

Of  the  institution  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  and 
the  concurrent  events,  we  have  four  accounts, 
viz..  Matt.  26  :  16-30;  Mark  14  :  12-25;  Luke 
22  :  7-30,  and  1  Cor.  11  :  23-25.  John  gives  no 
account  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  but  is  the  only  one 
who  reports  the  contemporaneous  feet-washing, 
and  the  discourses  of  Jesus  in  connection  with 
the  Supper.  That  he  omits  all  mention  of  the 
Supper,  and  reports  what  the  other  Evangelists 
do  not  mention,  is  an  incidental  indication  that 
he  wrote  with  the  other  histories  before  him,  and 
in  part  for  the  sake  of  supplying  what  they 
omitted.  A  harmonized  narrative  of  the  four 
Gospels  is  confessedly  difficult,  Alford  thinks 
"impossible."  It  is  at  best  but  hypothetical. 
The  most  probable  hypothesis  combines  these 
accounts  as  follows  :  Christ  gives  two  of  his 
disciples  directions  as  to  the  preparation  of  the 
Passover  supper  for  himself  and  the  twelve  (Mark 

14:12-16;   and  Lnke  22  :  7-13,  notes)  ;     WhCU    the    CVCU    iS 

come  he  goes  with  the  twelve  to  the  place  pre- 
pared for  them,  where  an  unseemly  strife  occurs 
as  to  which  shall  be  greatest  (Luke  22: 24-30,  notes) ; 
this  Christ  rebukes  by  washing  the  feet  of  the 
disciples  (John  13 : 1-20,  notes) ;  all  then  take  their 
places  at  the  table  (Matt.  26 :  20) ;  Christ  prophecies 

his  betrayal  (Matt.  26  :  21-26  ;  Mark  14  :  18-21 ;  Luke  22  :  21-23  ; 

John  13 :  21-26,  notes) ;  Judas  learning  that  his  treach- 
ery is  known,  goes  out  to  complete  it  (John  13 :  27-30, 
notes).  The  Supper,  which  has  been  interrupted 
by  this  incident,  now  goes  on  and  ends  with 
the  institution  of  the  Lord's  Supper  at  the  close 

of  the  Passover  feast  (Matt.  26  :  26-29,  notes ;  Mark  14  : 
22-25 ;  Luke  22  :  19,  20  ;   1  Cor.  11  :  23-25).     After,  Or  during, 

this  meal  Christ  gives  his  disciples  the  instruc- 


282 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXVL 


17  Now»  the  first  day  of  the  feast  of  unleavened 
bread,  the  disciples  came  to  Jesus,  saying  unto  him, 
Where  wilt  thou  that  we  prepare  for  thee  to  eat  the 
passover  ? 

18  And  he  said,  Go  into  the  city  to  such  a  man,  and 
say  unto  him.  The  Master  saith,  My  time  is  at  hand  ; 
1  will  keep  the  passover  at  thy  house  with  my  disciples. 

19  And  the  disciples  did  as  Jesus  had  appointed 
them  ;  and  they  made  ready  the  passover. 


20  Now  when  the  even  was  come,  he  sat  down  with 
the  twelve. 

21  And  as  they  did  eat,  he  said,  Verily  1  say  unto 
you,  that  one  of  you  shall  betray  me. 

22  And  they  were  exceeding:  sorrowful,  and  began 
every  one  of  them  to  say  unto  him.  Lord,  is  it  1  ? 

23  And  he  answered  and  said,  He>'  that  dippeth  his 
hand  with  me  in  the  dish,  the  same  shall  betray  me. 


Pa.  41  :  9  ;  55  :  12,  13. 


tions  and  utters  for  them  the  prayer  recorded  in 
John,  chaps.  14-17  inclusive. 

17.  Now  the  first  of  the  unleavened 
bread.  That  is,  the  first  day,  viz.  Thursday  the 
14th  day  of  Nisan,  The  feast  of  the  unleavened 
bread,  or  the  Passover,  properly  began  on  the  1.5th 
of  Abib  or  Nisan,  and  lasted  seven  days.  But  the 
preceding  day,  the  llth,  was  the  one  appointed  for 
the  slaying  of  the  lamb,  and  on  the  evening  of  that 
day  the  paschal  supper  was  eaten  (Eiod.  12:6;  Lev. 
23 : 5).  It  was,  therefore,  termed  the  first  day  of 
the  feast.  See  note  on  Lord's  Supper  below,  §  1. 
—The  disciples  came  to  Jesus.  The  move- 
ment for  the  observance  of  the  Passover  originat- 
ed, therefore,  with  them.  The  directions  were 
given  to  two  of  them  only,  Peter  and  John  ( Luke  22 : 1 
-1.3).— Where  wilt  thou  that  we  prepare  the 
Passover?  The  Scripture  directions  for  the 
preparation  of  the  Passover  are  contained  in 
Exod.  Iri  :  1-11,  llr-20,  but  are  modified  by  Deut. 


16  :  5,  6.  The  guest-chamber  was  already  pre- 
pared (Mark  14: 16),  and  the  lamb  had  probably 
been  previously  selected  for  the  sacrifice  (Exod. 
12:10).  The  other  preparations  would  consist 
of  making  ready  the  unleavened  bread,  the  bitter 
herbs,  etc.  Jewish  custom  required  that  the 
Passover  be  celebrated,  if  not  within  the  city 
walls,  at  least  within  the  distance  of  a  Sabbath 
day's  journey,  i.  e.,  about  three-quarters  of  a 
mile. 

18,  19.  The  account  of  this  direction  and  the 
apostle's  compliance  is  not  found  in  John.    It  is 


fuller  in  Mark  (14 :  12-16)  and  Luke  (22 : 7-13).  See 
notes  on  Luke. — My  time  is  at  hand.  Peculiar 
to  Matthew.  Its  meaning  can  hardly  be  other 
than,  The  time  for  my  passion  and  death  (John  7 :  e). 
30.  When  even  was  come.  The  lamb 
must  be  kUied  "  m  the  evening  "  (Eiod.  12:6),  or,  as 
it  is  rendered  in  the  margin  in  Exodus,  "  between 
the  two  evenings,"  a  phrase  interpreted  by  the 
rabbis  as  equivalent  to  between  the  declining  and 
the  setting  sun,  i  e.,  between  3  p.  m.  and 5  p.  m,,  or 
between  sunset  and  deep  twilight.  The  former 
was  the  more  general  view.  Deut.  16  : 6  specifies 
more  accurately,  "  about  the  going  down  of  the 
sun."  The  paschal  supper  followed,  on  the  same 
night  (Exod.  12:8). — He  sat  down  with  the 
twelve.  Literally,  Reclined  with  the  twelve.  The 
supper  appears  to  have  been  originally  taken 
standing  (Exod.  12 :  11) ;  but  whether  the  direction 
so  to  take  it  was  intended  except  for  the  Israelites 
at  the  time  of  the  exodus,  is  uncertain.  It  was 
not  observed  in  Christ  s 
time.  The  reclining  pos- 
ture had  been  borrowed 
from  other  nations  long 
prior  (Amos  6 : 4),  probably 
from  the  Babylonians  and 

Syrians  (Esther  1  :  5,  6  ;  7  :  8).  In 

taking  their  places  in  the 
manner  indicated  in  the 
annexe'd  cut,  John  reclined 
next  to  Christ  on  one  side  ; 
thus  he  might  easily  rest 
his  head  on  the  Master's 
bosom  (John  13 :  25).  Judas 
sat  near  Christ,  probably 
on  the  other  side,  for 
Christ  reached  to  him  a 

sop    or   morsel    (johnl3:26). 

Observe  that  only  the  twelve  participated  with 
Christ  in  this  supper.  The  proprietor  of  the 
house  was  probably  at  the  same  time  partaking 
the  Passover  in  another  room  with  his  own  family. 
On  Passover  week  every  Jew  in  Jerusalem  ex- 
tended the  hospitality  of  his  house  to  pious 
strangers.  Our  Lord  and  the  twelve  were  a  full 
paschal  company ;  ten  persons  were  the  mini- 
mum number.  Luke  (22 :  24-30,  notes)  gives  an  ac- 
count of  a  strife  among  the  disciples  which 
should  be  greatest,  probably  a  contention  which 
should  have  the  places  of  honor  at  the  table,  in 


Ch.  XXVL] 


MATTHEW. 


283 


24  The  Son  of  man  goeth  as  it  is  written  ^  of  him  : 
but  woe  unto  that  manTjy  whom  the  Son  ot  man  is  be- 
trayed !  it  had  been  good  for  that  man  if  he  had  npt 
been  born. 


25  Then  Judas,  which  betrayed  h'm,  answered  and 
said,  Master,  is  it  I  ?    He  said  unto  him.  Thou  hast  said. 

26  And  as"  they  were  eating,  Jesus  took  bread,  and 
blessed  zV,  and  brake  //,  and  gave  it  to  the  disciples, 
and  said.  Take,  eat ;  this  is  my  body. 


z  Ps.  22 :  1,  etc.  ;  Isa.  53  :  3,  etc.  ...  a  1  Cor.  11  :  23,  etc. 


which  case  it  doubtless  preceded  the  supper,  and 
was  followed  by  Christ's  washing  of  the  disciples' 
feet  (John  13 : 1-20,  notes)  in  rebukc  of  their  contention. 
21-35.  An  account  of  Christ's  prophecy  of 
his  betrayal  is  given  by  all  the  Evangelists,  but 
most  fully  by  John  13  :  21-25  ;  see  notes  there. 

22.  Unto  him.  Not  merely,  as  Alford,  To 
each  other.  They  both  inquired  among  them- 
selves (Luke  22 :  23),  and  of  Christ.— Lord,  is  it  I  ? 
Their  language  expresses  in  the  original  a  much 
stronger  negation  than  in  our  version.  Surely 
not  /,  Lord?  Compare  their  strong  assertion 
that  they  will  not  deny  him  (ver.  35).  To  their 
questioning  Christ  makes  no  response.  John 
then  asks  more  quietly,  Who  is  it  ?  (John  13  =  23-25). 

23.  This  answer,  apparently  given  only  to 
John  (John  13 :  25, 26),  docs  uot  designate  the  be- 
trayer to  the  disciples.  According  to  the  Jewish 
ritual  the  administrator  in  the  course  of  the 
supper  dipped  the  bitter  herbs  in  a  prepared 
sauce,  and  passed  the  dish  to  the  rest.  This 
Christ  now  did.  His  reply  to  the  question  of 
John  was  simply  an  emphatic  reiteration  of  his 
previous  declaration  (John  13 :  is),  "  He  that  eateth 
bread  with  me  hath  lifted  up  his  heel  against 
me."  That  it  did  not  designate  the  traitor  to 
any  of  the  disciples  is  clear  from  John  13  :  28  ; 
Judas  alone  perceived  that  his  treachery  was 
known  to  Christ. 

24.  This  verse  is  not  found  in  John.  In 
slightly  different  forms  it  appears  in  Mark  and 
Luke.     Compare  with  it  Acts  2  :  23,  and  Matt. 

.  18  :  7,  note.  Observe  the  incidental  confirmation 
of  the  doctrine  elsewhere  taught,  that  for  the 
ffcally  lost  soul  there  is  no  redemption.  It  could 
not  with  truth  be  said  of  one.  It  had  been  good 
for  that  man  if  he  had  not  been  born,  if  the  tem- 
porary punishment  of  his  sin  was  to  be  followed 
by  his  final  redemption,  and  his  glorious  realiza- 
tion, at  last,  of  the  image  of  God. 

25.  Alford  supposes  that  these  words,  which 
are  peculiar  to  Matthew,  are  "an  imperfect  re- 
port of  what  really  happened,  viz.,  that  the 
Lord  dipped  the  sop  and  gave  to  Judas,  thereby 
answering  the  general  doubt,  in  which  the  trai- 
tor had  impudently  presumed  to  feign  a  share." 
I  should  rather  think  that  Judas,  thunderstruck 
by  the  sudden  unveiling  of  his  secret  purpose, 
was  at  first  sUent ;  that  when  he  recovered  him- 
self he  sought  to  hide  his  confusion  by  repeating 
the  question,  or  rather  denial,  of  the  other  disci- 
ples, and  that,  in  the  intense  excitement  of  the 
scene,   they  neither  noticed   hie   question    nor 


Christ's  reply.  Jesus  added,  "  That  thou  doest 
do  quickly,"  on  which  Judas  left  the  room. 
That  he  was  not  present  during  the  institution 
of  the  Lord's  Supper  appears  to  me,  from  a 
comparison  of  the  narratives,  to  be  the  most 
probable  hypothesis  ;  but  John,  who  alone  men- 
tions that  Judas  left  the  room,  says  nothing 
whatever  concerning  the  institution  of  the  Lord  s 
Supper. — Thou  hast  said.  A  form  of  afllrm- 
ative,  equivalent  to  Thou  hast  said  correctly. 
Compare  chap.  27  :  11  and  Exod.  10  :  29.  The 
spirit  and  aim  of  this  disclosure  is  thus  well 
hinted  at  by  Chrysostom :  "He  said  not.  Such 
an  one  shall  betray  me  ;  but  '  one  of  you, '  so  as 
again  to  give  him  poAver  of  repentance  by  con- 
cealment. And  he  chooseth  to  alarm  all  for  the 
sake  of  serving  this  man. "  Christ's  tender  treat- 
ment of  Judas,  throughout,  is  one  of  the  mosi 
touchuig  and  significant  facts  in  his  life.  Was  it 
not  also  in  part  his  purpose  to  drive  the  traitor 
from  the  room  ?  Not  until  after  Judas  departs 
does  Jesus  open  his  heart  to  the  disciples  in  the 
discourse  preserved  by  John. 

Ch.26  ;2G-30,    THE  LORD'S  SUrPER.— A  memorial, 

A  PARABLE,  AND  A  PROPHECY.— It  IS  A  MEMORIAL  OF 

Christ  as  a  gift,  and  Christ  as  a  sacrifice.— It  is 

A  parable  of  the    TRUE  NATURE    OF   CHRISTIANITY, 

Christ  in  us.— It  is  a  prophecy  of  future  glory, 
perfect  communion  with  christ,  perfect  commu- 
NION OF  Saints.  See  note  on  Lord's  Supper  below. 
Preliminary  Note.  The  account  of  the  insti- 
tution of  the  Lord's  Supper  does  not  difEer  mate- 
rially in  the  three  Synoptics,  Matthew,  Mark 
14  :  22-25,  Luke  22  :  14-20,  and  m  1  Cor.  11  : 
23-25.  Luke,  however,  mentions  a  cup  before 
the  supper,  which  is  not  mentioned  by  the  other 
Evangelists  (Luke  22 :  n).  The  Rabbinical  books 
give  detailed  instructions  for  the  observance  of 
the  feast  of  the  Passover.  It  is  very  doubtful 
whether  the  ritual  therein  prescribed  was  ob- 
served in  Christ's  time.  But  the  following  gen- 
eral rules  respecting  the  Passover  throw  some 
light  on  Christ's  administration  of  the  supper 
described  by  Paul  and  the  Evangelists.  No 
uncircumcised  male  (Eiod.  12: 4?)  was  admitted. 
Women  partook  of  the  feast.  Usually  not  less 
than  ten  nor  more  than  twenty  sat  down  to  the 
table.  The  father  or  head  of  the  family  acted  as 
master  of  the  feast.  The  guests  reclined  at  the 
table  (verse  20,  note).  The  supper  was  commenced 
with  a  blessing  asked  by  the  head  of  the  family  ; 
he  next  passed  a  cup  of  wine,  referred  to  in 
Luke  22  :  17,  and  the  bitter  herbs  (Exod.  12 :  s). 


284 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXVI. 


which  were  eaten  either  with  or  without  being 
dipped  in  the  prepared  sauce.  This  was  the  sop 
referred  to  in  John  13  :  26.  Then  the  unleavened 
bread  was  passed,  whereupon  one  of  the  chil- 
dren asked  the  meaning  of  the  ceremonial ;  this 
was  explained  by  the  father  in  accordance  with 
Exod.  12  :  26,  27.  It  was  at  this  distribution  of 
the  bread  that  Christ  imparted  a  new  signifi- 
cance to  the  Passover,  by  departing  from  the 
original  and  Jewish  ritual,  and  declaring  that 
the  bread  was  henceforth  a  memorial  of  his 
death,  not  of  the  Jewish  national  deliverance 
(Matt.  26 :  26).  A  psalm  was  then  sung— Psalms  113, 
114— and  the  lamb  was  carved  and  eaten.  This 
was  followed  by  a  thu-d  and  fourth  cup  of  wine, 
or  wine  and  water,  and  one  or  the  other  of 
these  was  the  cup  which  Christ  blessed  and  de- 
clared to  be  a  symbol  of  his  blood  (see  ver.  27). 
The  supper  was  then  closed  by  chanting  Psalms 
115-118,  the  hymn  mentioned  here  in  verse  30. 

26.  As  they  were  eating.  Compare  Mark 
14  :  23.  This  clearly  indicates  that  the  Lord's 
Supper  was  instituted  during  the  progress  of  the 
Paschal  Supper,  not  as  a  separate  ordinance  at  its 
close.  See  note  on  the  Lord's  Supper  below. 
Nor  is  it  inconsistent  with  the  statement  in  Luke 
22  :  20,  1  Cor.  11 :  25,  that  he  took  the  cup  "  after 
supper,"  for  the  third  and  fourth  cup  of  the 
Passover  were  taken  at  the  close  of  supper,  and 
this  language  merely  distinguishes  the  cup  here 
mentioned  from  the  one  with  which  the  supper 
began,  which  is  mentioned  only  by  Luke  (22 :  n). 
— And  blessed.  Some  manuscripts  have  here 
"Gave  thanks."  But  the  reading  of  the  Re- 
ceived Text  is  preferable.  This  blessing  of  the 
bread  would  include  giving  thanks,  but  it  would 
also  embrace  the  invocation  of  the  divine  bless- 
ing upon  the  bread.  Comp.  1  Sam.  9  :  13.  The 
language  is  precisely  the  same  as  that  used  in 
Matt.  14  :  19,  Mark  6  :  41,  and  there  is  as  litlte 
reason  for  supposing  that  it  involves  a  mystical 
charge  in  the  one  case  as  in  the  other,  that  is,  no 
reason  at  all.  It  was  customary  for  the  father 
at  the  distribution  of  the  bread  to  pronounce  the 
benediction,  "  Blessed  be  he  who  causeth  bread 
to  grow  out  of  the  earth."  But,  says  Grotius, 
"not  so  much  for  the  old  creation,  rather  for  the 
new,  for  which  he  came  into  this  world,  he  pours 
out  prayer  and  renders  thanks  to  God  for  the 
redemption  of  the  human  race,  as  though  it  were 
already  accomplished."— And  brake.  The 
bread  that  was  broken  was  a  round  cake  or 
cracker  of  unleavened  bread.  See  Mark  8  :  6 
for  illustration.  Throughout  the  entire  Passover 
week  no  leavened  bread  was  allowed  in  the  house 
(Exod.  j2: 8, 15).  The  administration  of  the  Lord's 
Supper  was  subsequently  termed  the  "  breaking 
of  bread  "  (Acta  2 :  42;  1  Cor.  10 :  16).  lu  the  breaking 
and  distribution  of  bread  to  others  is  there  not 
symbolized,  not  only  our  covenant  and  commu- 


nion with  Christ,  but  also  our  duty  of  breaking 
and  distribution  to  others  what  we  receive  from 
him  ?  Is  there  not  also  significance  in  the  fact 
that  he  passed  by  the  lamb,  which  in  the  future 
history  of  the  church  it  would  often  be  incon- 
venient and  sometimes  impossible  to  provide,  and 
took,  as  the  symbol  of  his  body,  bread,  which  can 
always  be  obtained  ? 

Take,  eat ;  this  is  my  body.  Luke  adds, 
"  which  is  given  for  you  "  (22 :  19) ;  Paul,  "which 
is  broken  for  you"  (1  cor.  11 :  24) ;  and  both  add, 
"This  do  in  remembrance  of  me."  The  bread, 
then,  is  (1)  a  symbolic  reminder  that  Christ  is 
God's  unspeakable  gift  to  us  (john  3 :  le ;  2  cor.  9:15); 
(2)  that  the  gift  is  perfected  only  in  that  he  is 
broken  for  us  (John  3 :  14 ;  10  :  is  j  12 :  32) ;  (3)  that  it  is 
efficacious  only  as  we  partake  of  him,  i.  e.,  re- 
ceive him  into  ourselves,  so  that  he  becomes  one 
with  us,  as  he  is  one  with  the  Father  (John  17 :  23), 
as  the  bread  when  eaten  becomes  part  of  our 
nature,  and  so  the  sustainer  of  our  life.  Con- 
cerning the  proper  interpretation  of  Christ's 
declaration,  "  This  is  my  body,'''  from  which  the 
Romanists  deduce  the  doctrine  of  transubstan- 
tiation,  it  must  suffice  here  to  note  briefly,  (1) 
that  it  is  incredible  that  the  apostles,  with  their 
Lord  sitting  before  them  in  bodily  form,  should 
have  understood  Christ  to  mean  literally  that  the 
bread  was  his  body  ;  and  we  are  to  understand 
Christ  as  they  would  have  understood  him  ;  (2) 
that  his  language  here  closely  conforms  to  that 
of  the  Jewish  ritual.  When  the  lamb  was  passed 
the  master  was  asked  by  one  of  the  children, 
"  What  is  this ? "  and  the  father  replied,  "This 
is  the  body  of  the  lamb  which  our  fathers  ate  in 
Egypt."  Christ  uses,  but  modifies,  the  same 
formula.  Does  any  one  suppose  the  lamb  slain 
in  Egj'pt  was  miraculously  multiplied  through 
all  the  subsequent  ages  ?  (3)  that  Christ,  in  the 
fuller  discourse  reported  in  John,  chap.  6,  which 
is  a  prophetic  interpretation  of  this  supper,  care- 
fully guards  his  disciples  against  the  literalistn 
into  which  the  Romish  church  has  fallen.  In 
verse  63  he  distinctly  declares,  "  The  flesh  profit- 
eth  nothing,"  and  gives  the  explanation  that  the 
spirit,  received  by  receiving  his  words,  can  alone 
impart  life  ;  (4)  that  the  same  literalism  would 
make  havoc  of  the  symbolism  of  both  the  O.  T. 
and  the  N.  T.  Let  the  student  consider  the 
effect  of  its  application,  for  example,  to  the  fol- 
lowing passages  :  Gen.  15  :  1 ;  Psalm  31  :  3  ;  84  : 
11 ;  John  10  :  7,  11 ;  1  Cor.  10  :  4.  The  sacred 
writers  commonly  employ  the  verb  "to  be"  as 
equivalent  to  the  verb  "to  represent;"  e.  g., 
"  The  three  branches  are  three  days  "  (Gen.  40 :  12, 
18) ;  "  These  bones  are  the  whole  house  of  Israel " 
(Ezek.  37 :  11) ;  "The  field  is  the  world,  the  good 
seed  are  the  children  of  the  kingdom,  the  tares 
are  the  children  of  the  wicked  one  "  (Matt.  13 :  38) ; 
"The  seven  stars  are  the  angels,  the  seven  candle- 


Ch.  XXVI.] 


MATTHEW. 


285 


27  And  he  took  the  cup,  and  gave  thanks,  and  gave 
it  to  them,  saying,  Drink  ye  all  of  it : 

28  For   this   is    my   blood   of   the   new  testament,'' 
which  is  shed  for  many  for  the  remission  of  sins. 


29  But  I  say  unto  you,  I  will  not  drink  henceforth 
of  this  fruit  of  the  vine,  until  that  day  when  I  drink  it 
new  with  you  in  my  Father's  kingdom.'' 

30  And  when  they  had  sung  an  hymn,  they  went 
out  into  the  Mount  of  Olives. 


b  Jer.  31  :  31. 


sticks  are  the  seven  churches"  (Rev. i: 20).  The 
key-note  to  the  interpretation  of  the  supper  and 
Christ's  language  respecting  it  is  well  given  by 
James  Morison :  "  The  supper  is  a  parable  to 
the  eye,  the  touch,  the  taste."  See  below,  note 
on  the  Lord's  Supper,  §  4. 

Whether  Christ  ate  of  the  bread  and  drank  of 
the  wine  has  been  a  matter  of  some  discussion. 
There  is  no  clear  answer  to  the  question  in  the 
account.  Chrysostom  apparently  thinks  he  did, 
Alford  that  he  did  not.  James  Morison  suggests 
that  "He  was,  as  it  were,  giving  himself  to  his 
disciples.  To  have  given  himself  to  himself 
would  have  been  to  have  either  ignored  or  per- 
plexed the  profound  significance  of  the  ordi- 
nance." On  the  contrary,  Luke  implies  his  par- 
ticipation (See  Luke  22  :  15,  18,  note).      But  if  he  did  UOt 

participate,  this  would  be  no  reason  why  the 
modern  administrator  should  not  partake.  "  Al- 
though in  one  sense  he  represents  Christ  bless- 
ing, breaking,  and  distributing,  in  another  he  is 
one  of  the  disciples,  examining  himself,  confess- 
ing, partalsing."  —  {Alford.)  Christ's  language 
here,  "  Take,  eat,"  is  also  quite  inconsistent  with 
the  Romish  doctrine  that  the  Lord's  Supper  is  a 
continuous  sacrifice  of  Christ.  "He  bids  his 
disciples  take ;  and  therefore  it  is  he  alone  that 
offers.  What  the  papists  contrive,  as  to  Christ's 
offering  himself  in  the  Supper,  proceeded  from 
an  opposite  author.  And  certainly  it  is  a  strange 
inversion,  when  a  mortal  man,  who  is  commanded 
to  take  the  body  of  Christ,  claims  the  office  of 
offering  it ;  and  thus  a  priest,  who  has  been  ap- 
pointed by  himself,  sacrifices  to  God  His  own 
Son." — {Calvin.) 

27.  And  he  took  the  cup.  After  supper 
(Luke  22 :  20 ;  1  Cor.  u  :  25).  It  was,  therefore,  the  third 
or  fourth  cup  as  described  above,  at  the  close  of 
the  Supper,  and  after  the  bitter  herbs,  the 
unleavened  bread,  and  the  lamb  had  been 
eaten.  Of  the  form  of  the  ancient  cups  ^\  e 
give  three  illustrations — 
two  of  them  Egyptian 
drinking-cups,  such  as  are 
still  used  in  Egypt ;  the 
other,  an  ancient  Roman 

^ir,„     „.,r^  A„H  „     «      ROMAN    WINE-CUP. 

wme  -  cup.  —  And     gave 

thanks.  The  Communion  should  be  an  occa- 
sion, as  the  sacrifice  of  Christ  should  be  for 
us  an  inspiration,  of  thanksgiving (psaim  iie :  1.3 ;  r«v. 
5 : 6, 9).  From  the  Greek  verb  here  rendered  gave 
thanks  {n'y.aQiarko,  eucharisteo)  comes  one  of 
the  names  frequently  given  to  the  ordinance,  the 


Eucharist. — And  gave  it  to  them.  The  Ro- 
mish church  in  the  administration  of  the  Supper, 
distributes  only  the  bread  to  the  laity,  and  con- 
fines the  cup  to  the  priest.  The  Romish  writers 
do  not  claim  direct  Scripture  authority  for  such 
a  distinction,  but  they  assert  that  the  bread  is 
"  the  body  and  blood  and  soul  and  divinity  of 
Jesus  Christ  entire,"  so  that  there  is  no  necessity 
for  participating  in  his  blood  also.  They  cite 
Luke  24  :  30  and  Acts  2  :  42,  in  support  of  the 
doctrine  that  participation  in  the  bread  alone  is 
suflScient  to  constitute  a  full  and  true  commu- 
nion. Of  the  direction  here.  Drink  ye  all  of  it, 
they  say  that  the  command  was  given  to  the 
apostles  only,  and  therefore  applies  only  to  the 
priests.  The  argument  proves  too  much.  For 
only  the  apostles  were  admitted  to  the  original 
supper,  so  that  the  same  reasoning  would  ex- 
clude the  laity  altogether ;  and  if  one  kind  suffices 
for  the  laity,  by  a  parity  of  reasoning  it  suffices 
for  the  priesthood,  and  the  cup  might  be  abolished 
entirely. — Drink  ye  all  of  it.  "Whj',  con- 
cerning the  bread,  did  he  say  simply  that  they 
should  eat ;  but,  concerning  the  cup,  that  all 
should  drink?  It  is  as  though  he  designed  to 
counteract  the  cunning  of  Satan"  {Calvin),  i.  e.  by 
guarding  against  the  error  which  he  foresaw  would 
be  subsequently  introduced  into  the  church. 

28.  For  this  is  my  blood.  See  verse  26, 
note,  and  below  note  on  Lord's  Supper,  §  4.  Up 
to  this  time  the  blood  of  bulls  and  of  goats  had 
represented  Christ's  blood ;  henceforth  the  simple 
wine  of  this  memorial  supper  should  represent 
it  (Hebrews  9 :  13, 14).  —  Of  the  uew  covenant. 
Alford  and  Tischendorf  both  omit  the  word  new 
here.  But  in  Luke  its  presence  is  undoubted. 
Therefore,  the  ordinary  reading  undoubtedly 
correctly  represents  Christ's  words. — Which  is 


EGYPTIAN  CUPS. 

shed.  He  speaks  by  anticipation,  but  in  the 
present  tense,  because  his  passion  has  already 
truly  begun. — For  many.  In  a  sense  for  all, 
in  that  all  may  accept  and  become  partakers  of 
the  new  covenant  (Rev.  22 :  n) ;  not  for  all,  in  that 
all  will  not  accept  nor  become  partakers  (Rev. 


286 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXVI. 


22:16).  Parallel  to  the  many  here  are  the  many 
of  Kom.  5  :  19 ;  Hebrews  9  :  28,  and  the  great 
host  of  Rev.  5  :  11. — For   the    remission    of 

sins.  Not,  as  James  Morison,  "a  condensed 
way  of  exi^ressing  remission  of  the  penalty  due 
to  sin,"  but,  literally  for  the  remission,  i.  e.,  the 
putting  away  of  sin.  The  blood  of  Jesus  not 
only  secures  pardon  (Acts  5 :  3i),  but  cleanseth  from 
all  sin  (:  John  i  .•  i).  The  object  of  his  death  is  that 
we  may  have  eternal  life  (john  3 :  i4-i6),  and  be  re- 
deemed from  all  iniquity  (thus  2 :  u).  Observe 
Christ's  solemn  and  emphatic  endorsement  by 
the  very  institution  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  (1)  of 
the  O.  T.  doctrine  of  sacrifices,  i.  e.,  of  salvation 
through  the  shedding  of  blood  ;  (2)  of  the  N.  T. 
doctrine  that  the  sins  of  the  world  are  put  away 
by  Christ,  not  merely  through  the  influence  of 
his  life,  teachings  and  example,  but  by  his  blood, 
poured  out  for  a  sinful  world.  As  by  the  bread  he 
emphasizes  the  truth  that  our  spiritual  life  de- 
pends on  our  receiving  his  spirit  into  our  hearts, 
80,  by  the  wine,  he  emphasizes  the  trutli  that  his 
covenant  or  promise  of  grace  depends  on  the  pour- 
ing out  of  his  blood,  i.  e.,  on  him  as  a  sacrifice 

for  our  sins  (Matt.  20  :  28  ;  John  12  :  24,  32,  33  ;  15  :  13 ;  Rom. 
3  :  25 ;  5  :  6,  8,  10;  1  Cor.  15  :  3 ;  Hebrews  9  :  12, 16,  26,  28  j  10  :  10, 
19  ;  1  Pet.  2  :  24 ;  1  John  1:7;  Rev.  1:5;    5:9).         As   tO    the 

contrast  between  the  Old  and  New  Covenants, 
see  Gal.  i  :  21-31 ;  Hebrews  8  :  9-13 ;  10  :  10-18, 
and  compare  Deut.  28  : 1 ;  30  :  16,  with  Rom. 
7  :  25 ;  8  : 1.  But  in  the  O.  T.  the  promise  of  salva- 
tion from  sin  was,  as  it  is  m  the  N.  T.,  to  penitence 
and  faith.     See  Rom.  chap.  4  ;  Isaiah  55  :  7. 

29.  This  fruit  of  the  vine.  This  language 
is  used  after  tfie  blessing  has  been  pronounced  on 
the  cup,  showing  evidently  that  it  still  contained 
wine  simply,  and  that  the  language  "This  is  my 
blood"  is  to  be  interpreted  as  symbolical. — 
Drink  it  new.  Not  drink  new  wine,  but  drink 
it  anew.  (The  Greek  is  not  vine  but  ztniiJc.) 
The  new  heavens  and  the  new  earth  shall  have  a 
new  memorial  of  God's  love  in  Christ.  Observe 
(1)  that  the  Lord's  Supper  is  a  prophecy  as  well 
as  a  parable;  has  a  future  as  well  as  a  com- 
memorative aspect ;  looks  back  to  the  Passover, 
forward  to  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb  ;  (2) 
that  as  the  Lord's  Supper  superseded  the  Pass- 
over, so  the  heavenly  supper  will  supersede  the 
earthly  memorial.  Luke  (chap.  22 :  is)  reports  sim- 
ilar language  to  that  used  here  ;  but  in  connec- 
tion with  the  cup  before  the  Supper.  Perhaps 
the  words  were  repeated. 

30.  And  when  they  had  sung  an  hymn. 
Literally,  when  they  had  hymned. — Psalms  113, 
114,  115,  and  116,  were  ordinarily  chanted  at  the 
Jewish  Passover  ;  the  first  two  during,  the  last 
two  at  the  close  of  the  service.  These  were 
probably  the  Psalms  now  chanted. — They  went 
out  into  the  3Iount  of  Olives.    Luke  adds, 

'  as  he  was  wont,"  i.  e.,  during  this  passion  week. 


Compare  John  8:1.  This  may  have  been  foe 
solitude  simply,  or  also  in  part  for  safety.  He 
went  directly  to  the  Garden  of  Gethsemane. 
Before  going  out  to  the  Mount  of  Olives,  Christ 
uttered  a  part  at  least,  if  not  all,  of  the  discourses 
reported  in  John,  chaps.  14^16,  and  the  prayer  in 
John,  chap.  17. 

Note  on  the  Lord's  Supper. — Several  ques- 
tions relating  to  the  proper  interpretation  of  the 
account  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  as  given  by  the 
Evangelists,  we  consider  together  here.  The 
theological  and  ecclesiastical  questions  respecting 
the  proper  mode  of  observance  of  the  rite  in  our 
churches  of  to-day,  it  does  not  come  within  the 
province  of  a  commentary  to  discuss,  except  in- 
cidentally. 

1.  Time  of  observance.  There  is  no  doubt  that 
the  Lord's  Supper  was  instituted  on  Thursday 
evening,  the  day  before  the  crucifixion.  Between 
that  day  and  the  resurrection,  which  took  place 
on  the  first  day  of  the  week  (Matt,  as :  1),  two  full 
days,  Fridaj'  and  Saturday,  inteiTened.  But 
whether  it  was  observed  on  the  evening  of  the 
Passover  supper,  or  on  the  evening  preceding, 
i.  e.,  whether  Thursday  or  Friday  evening  was 
the  time  observed  by  the  Jewish  people  as  the 
Passover,  is  a  serious  question.  This  question  is 
of  no  particular  importance,  except  that  the 
supposed  discrepancy  between  John  and  the 
three  Synoptic  Gospels  has  been  made  the  occa- 
sion of  assault  on  the  credibility  of  the  gospel 
narratives.  I  shall  here  state  very  briefly  the 
diflSculty,  and  what  I  believe  to  be  the  true  solu- 
tion. For  a  fuller  exposition  the  student  is 
referred  to  Robinson's  English  Harmony  of  the 
Gospels,  VIII,  §§  133-158,  Intro,  note,  and  An- 
drews' Life  of  Our  Lord,  pp.  423-400. 

The  feast  of  the  Passover  properly  began  on 
the  15th  and  lasted  to  and  including  the  21st  day 
of  Nisan  (Numb.  28 :  17),  thus  making  a  feast  of  seven 
days.  But  the  Jews  calculated  their  feast  days, 
including  the  Sabbath,  from  the  sunset  of  the 
day  preceding.  Thus  the  feast  of  the  Passover 
strictly  began  on  the  evening  of  the  14th  of  Nisan. 
On  that  day  the  lamb  to  be  eaten  was  slain  be- 
tween three  and  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
and  on  the  evening  of  the  same  day  the  supper, 
prescribed  in  Exod.  12  :  17-20,  was  eaten  in  the 

various    households  (Exod.  12:6;  Lev.  23  :  6  ;  Nnmb.  9  :  3- 

5 ;  Deut.  16 :  s).  Thls  was  not  strictly  ot  a  festival 
character.  The  unleavened  bread,  the  bitter 
herbs,  the  dress  and  attendant  circumstances 
(Exod.  12:8-11 ),  all  reminded  the  nation  of  their 
bitter  bondage  in  Egypt.  "It  was,"  says  Light- 
foot,  ' '  a  thing  rubbing  up  the  remembrance  of 
affliction,  rather  than  denoting  gladness  and 
making  merry."  After  this  supper,  a  memorial 
of  the  fearful  night  when  the  dead  lay  in  every 
house  of  Egypt,  followed  the  more  joyous  festiv- 
ities which  rendered   the  week  one  of  national 


Ch.  XXVI.] 


MATTHEW. 


287 


rejoicing.  The  rites  which  characterized  this 
week  are  described  in  Numbers  28  :  18-25,  and 
Lev.  23  :  4-8.  There  were  also  introduced  by 
the  Jews,  subsequent  to  the  institution  of  the 
Passover,  voluntary  oflEerings,  which  were  called 
Khagigah  or  Chagigah.  These  more  joyous  offer- 
ings were  usually  presented  on  the  15th  of  Nisan, 
the  day  succeeding  the  supper  proper.  These 
facts  interpret  both  the  dilBculty  and  the  solu- 
tion. The  three  Synoptists  unquestionably  rep- 
resent Christ  as  eating  the  trae  Passover  with 
his  disciples.  Matthew  says  that  on  the  first  day 
of  the  unleavened  bread  (verse  n)  the  disciples 
came  to  Christ  for  directions  respecting  prepa- 
rations for  the  Passover,  i.  e.,  the  Passover  sup- 
per. Mark  and  Luke  are  still  more  definite. 
"  The  first  day  of  unleavened  bread  when  they 
killed  the  Passover,"  says  Mark;  "when  the 
Passover  must  be  killed  "  is  Luke's  language.  It 
would  be  almost  impossible  to  designate  more 
distinctly  the  lith  day  of  Nisan,  when  the  lambs 
were  slain  in  the  temple,  to  be  eaten  in  the  house- 
holds that  same  evening.  "  Philologically  con- 
sidered there  cannot  be  a  shadow  of  doubt  but 
that  Matthew,  Mark,  and  Luke  intended  to 
express,  and  do  express  in  the  plainest  terms, 
their  testimony  to  the  fact  that  Jesus  regularly 
partook  of  the  ordinary  and  legal  Passover  meal 
on  the  evening  after  the  lith  of  Nisan,  at  the 
same  time  with  all  the  Jews." — {Robinson.) 

John's  Gospel,  on  the  other  hand,  has  been  taken 
to  indicate  that  the  meal  described  by  the  Syn- 
optists must  have  been  taken  before  the  Passover 
supper,  i.  e.,  on  the  evening  of  the  13th  of  Nisan. 
And  Alford,  who  offers  no  explanation  of  the 
supposed  discrepancy,  declares  in  strong  terms 
that  "the  narrative  of  John  not  only  does  not 
sanction  but  absolutely  excludes  "  the  other  sup- 
position, i.  e.,  that  the  Lord's  Supper  and  the 
paschal  supper  were  contemporaneous.  The 
references  in  John's  Gospel  which  are  supposed 
to  sustain  this  assertion  are  the  following  :  John 
13  :  1,  "Now  hefore  the  feast  of  the  Passover" 
when  Jesus  knew  that  his  hour  was  come ; 
John  18  :  28,  "They  themselves  (the  Jews)  went 
not  into  the  judgment  hall  (on  Friday  morning, 
the  day  of  the  crucifixion)  lest  they  should  be 
defiled;  but  that  they  might  eat  the  Passover;" 
John  19  :  14,  "  It  was  the  preparation  of  the  Pas- 
sover, about  the  sixth  hour,"  a  phrase  which 
occurs  in  describing  the  trial  before  Pilate  on 
Friday  forenoon;  John  13  :  29,  "Buy  that  we 
have  need  of  against  the  feast,"  words  supposed 
to  have  been  uttered  by  Christ  to  Judas  during 
the  Lord's  Supper,  and  therefore  to  indicate  that 
the  feast  was  still  future.  Referring  the  reader, 
for  fuller  interpretation,  to  these  passages  and 
the  notes  upon  them,  it  must  suffice  here  to  say 
(1)  that  while  the  Synoptists  generally  mean  by 
"  the  Passover"  {to  nlaxa)  the  feast  of  the  pas- 


chal lamb,  John  generally  uses  the  same  term  to 
embrace  the  festivities  of  the  entire  week ;  (2) 
that  John  wrote  after  the  destruction  of  Jerusa- 
lem and  the  end  of  Judaism  as  the  divine  religion, 
and,  therefore,  it  might  be  expected  that  he 
would  write  with  less  precision  of  language  con- 
cerning Jewish  rites  and  ceremonials  ;  (3)  that  if 
we  believe,  as  I  think  we  have  abundant  reason 
for  believing,  that  John  wrote  with  the  Synoptists 
before  him,  and  to  supply  what  they  omitted,  it 
is  diflScult  to  conceive  that  he  would  have  left 
what  appears  to  be  a  glaring  contradiction  be- 
tween his  account  and  theirs,  if  we  assume  that 
by  the  word  "passover"  in  John  18:28,  and 
19  :  14,  he  means  the  paschal  supper ;  (4)  that 
there  is  no  contradiction  whatever,  if  we  under- 
stand by  his  use  of  that  term  the  festivities  of 
the  Passover  week,  which  did  not,  as  we  have 
shown,  sti'ictly  begin  until  the  15th  of  Nisan.  As 
to  the  argument  of  Alford  that  the  law  forbade 
the  Jews  departing  from  their  house  after  the 
paschal  meal  before  morning  (Exod.  12 :  22),  whereas 
Christ  and  his  apostles  went  out  at  the  close  of 
the  supper,  the  answer  is  that,  in  point  of  fact, 
this  prohibition,  even  if  intended  to  be  observed 
in  the  subsequent  memorial  services,  which  is 
doubtful,  was  in  Christ's  time  no  longer  observed. 
As  to  the  argument  that,  according  to  Rabbinical 
law,  a  trial  and  execution  could  not  take  place  on 
a  feast  day,  the  suflScient  reply  is  that  many  of 
the  rules  of  the  Rabbinical  law  were  violated  by 
the  proceedings  in  the  trial  and  crucifixion  of 
Jesus.  I  judge,  then,  with  Robinson,  that ' '  there 
is  nothing  in  the  language  of  John,  or  in  the  at- 
tendant circumstances,  which  upon  fair  interpre- 
tation requires  or  permits  us  to  believe,  that  the 
beloved  disciple  either  intended  to  correct  or  has 
in  fact  corrected  or  contradicted,  the  explicit  and 
unquestionable  testimony  of  Matthew,  Mark,  and 
Luke,"  and  with  Andrews,  that  "  there  is  no  dis- 
crepancy between  the  Synoptists  and  John.  The 
Lord  ate  the  true  paschal  supper  at  the  appointed 
time, — the  time  when  it  was  eaten  by  the  Jews  in 
general,  on  the  evening  following  the  14th  of 
Nisan,"  i.  e.,  as  we  should  say,  on  the  evening  of 
the  14th.  For  an  opposite  view,  see  Farrar's 
Life  of  Christ,  Appendix,  Excursus  X.  That  the 
Lord's  Supper  was  partaken  on  the  evening  of 
the  Jewish  Passover  is  maintained  by  Robinson, 
Andrews,  Kitto,  Smith,  Eddj%  Newcome,  and 
apparently  Lightf oot ;  it  is  doubted  or  denied  by 
Pressense,  Milman,  Ellicott,  Townsend,  Alford, 
Neander,  and  Farrar. 

2.  Relation  of  the  Lorcfs  Snpper  to  the  Passover. 
The  question  whether  our  Lord  simply  adopted 
and  modified  the  paschal  supper,  or  at  its  close 
instituted  a  new  and  independent  Christian  ordi- 
nance, is  a  matter  of  debate.  It  is  important 
only  in  throwing  light  on  the  significance  of  the 
ordinance.     The  paschal  supper  was  a  family 


288 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXVI. 


rather  than  a  church  ordinance,  was  observed  in 
the  home  circle,  the  father  administered  it,  and 
originally  killed  the  lamb  himself,  though  a  later 
law  required  the  sacrifice  to  be  performed  at  the 
temple  (oeut.  le :  i-e).  Matthe'w  and  Mark  in  their 
account  of  the  Lord's  Supper  both  say  "As  they 
were  eating  Jesus  took  bread"  (see  ver.  26;  Mark 
14 :  22).  Luke  and  Paul  both  say  that  he  took  the 
cup  "after  supper"  or  "when  he  had  supped" 
(Luke  22 :  20 ;  1  Cor.  11 :  25).  Some  eminent  scholars, 
among  whom  may  be  mentioned  Dr.  Conant  of 
this  country,  and  Dr.  Brown  of  Scotland,  follow- 
ing Calvin,  regard  the  Lord's  Supper  as  entirely 
separate  from  the  paschal  feast  and  instituted  at 
its  close.  The  more  general  opinion  is  that  the 
words  "  after  supper"  or  "when  he  had  supped  " 
indicate  simply  that  the  cup  referred  to  was  the 
third  or  fourth  in  the  paschal  supper,  which  was 
taken  toward  the  close  of  the  feast ;  and  that  as 
Jesus  adopted  but  gave  new  significance  to  bap- 
tism, so  he  employed  the  paschal  feast,  but  gave 
a  new  meaning  to  it.  This  substantially  appears 
to  be  the  view  of  Lightfoot,  Lange,  Ellicott,  Stan- 
ley, Alford,  Andrews,  and  Barnes ;  and  this  ap- 
pears to  me  the  better  view.  This  view  is  also 
sustained,  indirectly,  by  Paul's  reference  to  Christ 
as  our  Passover  in  1  Cor.  5  :  7. 

3.  Bid  Christ  intend  this  Supper  as  a  permanent 
Church  Ordinance?  The  language  of  the  Evan- 
gelists is  not  conclusive  on  this  question.  His 
words,  "This  do  in  remembrance  of  me"  (Luke 
22 :  19;  1  Cor.  II :  24, 25)  might  mean  Simply,  Hereafter 
keep  the  Passover  feast,  as  long  as  it  is  observed, 
in  remembrance  not  merely  of  the  Jewish  national 
deliverance,  but  of  the  new  and  grander  covenant 
in  my  blood.  The  command  is  not  in  words  more 
specific  or  significant  than  the  command  in  John 
13  :  14,  15,  to  wash  one  another's  feet.  But  the 
subsequent  practice  of  the  apostles  (Acts  2: 42, 46, 
20 : 7),  and  still  more  the  fact  that  directions  for 
the  Lord's  Supper  were  made  a  matter  of  special 
revelation  to  Paul  (1  Cor.  11 :  23),  seem  to  make  it 
clear  that  Christ  intended  the  ordinance  for  a 
perpetual  one,  and  that  his  apostles  so  under- 
stood it.  Whether  it  was  intended  to  be  strictly 
a  church  ordinance,  and  confined  to  members  of 
the  visible  church,  is  another  question,  and  one 
on  which  the  record  of  its  institution  throws  no 
Ught. 

4,  Significance  of  the  Loi-d^s  Slipper.  The  Ro- 
man Catholic  interpreters,  taking  literally 
Christ's  words,  "This  is  my  body,"  "This  is 
my  blood"  (verses 26, 23),  hold  that  Christ's  sacri- 
fice is  a  continuous  one  ;  that  by  the  blessing  of 
the  priest  the  bread  and  wine  are  now  converted 
into  the  "body  and  blood  and  soul  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ ;  "  that  hence  the  consecrated  ele- 
ments "  contain  Jesus  Christ  himself,  the  foun- 
tain of  all  grace,  and  become,  if  worthily  par- 
taken, the  pre-eminent  means  of  grace,  minister- 


ing to  the  spiritual  nature,  and  preparing  the 
body  for  the  glorious  change  of  the  resur- 
rection of  the  last  day."  The  objections  to  this 
view  are,  (1)  that  it  violates  the  fundamental  rule 
of  Scripture  exegesis,  in  not  taking  the  words  of 
Jesus  Christ  in  the  sense  in  which  they  would 
have  been  understood  by  his  hearers  at  the  time ; 
(2)  it  represents  the  sacrifice  of  Christ  as  contin- 
uous, while  the  Scripture  declares  it  to  have 
taken  place  once  for  all  (Heb.  9 :  28;  10 :  12-18) ;  (3)  it 
represents  the  need  of  man  to  be  a  participator 
in  Christ's  body  and  blood,  whereas  what  man 
needs  is  a  participation  in  Christ's  spirit,  without 
which  we  are  none  of  his  (Rom.  8:9);  (4)  it  rests 
on  the  assertion  of  a  continuous  miracle,  viz., 
the  change  of  bread  and  wine  into  flesh  and 
blood,  while  confessedly  there  is  nothing  to  indi- 
cate such  a  change ;  the  bread  is  still  in  appear- 
ance and  in  chemical  constitution  bread,  and  the 
wine  is  still  wine ;  and  thus  the  very  essence  is 
wanting  of  a  true  miracle,  which  is  an  external 
and  sensibk  sign  of  a  spiritual  truth  or  a  divine 
authority.    See  note  above  on  verse  26. 

In  studying  the  true  significance  of  this  sup- 
per, note  the  following  facts  :  (1.)  Its  simplicity. 
It  is  instituted  as  the  disciples  are  eating ;  out 
of  the  materials  of  the  supper ;  without  a  pre- 
scribed form  or  ritual ;  with  no  other  prepara- 
tion than  love  in  Christ  for  his  disciples,  and  in 
the  disciples  for  Christ.  (2.)  Historically  it  is 
connected  with  the  Passover,  which  prefigured 
and  interprets  it.  Thus  it  memorializes  our 
deliverance  from  the  bondage  of  sin  by  the  death 
of  Christ,  who  is  our  Passover  (Rom.  8 : 2 ;  1  cor.  5 : 7). 
(3.)  It  prophetically  points  to  the  future  mar- 
riage supper  of  the  Lamb  (ver.  29;  Mark  14  .-  25). 
(4.)  The  bread  and  wine  enter  into  and  become 
part  of  our  flesh  and  blood,  and  so  the  support 
of  our  life.  It  is  Christ  in  us  who  is  the  hope  of 
glory  (Rom.  8:9;  Gal.  2 :  2o).  (5.)  The  whcat  must 
be  bruised  and  broken,  and  the  grape  crushed 
and  bleeding,  before  we  can  eat  the  bread  or 
drink  the  wine.    It  is  by  the  death  of  Christ  that 

we  have   life    (see  above,  ver.  28,  note  ;   Gal.  3:13;  1  Pet.  4:1; 

Rev.  6:6).  Compare,  for  Christ's  own  interpreta- 
tion of  this  supper,  John  6  :  26-65.  Observe 
especially,  in  its  bearing  on  transubstantiation, 
verse  63.  * 

5.  Method  and  conditions  of  observance.  These 
are  evidently  not  to  be  determined  by  the  exam- 
ple of  Christ ;  for  the  original  supper  was  taken 
in  a  private  house,  an  upper  chamber,  at  night, 
around  a  table,  reclining,  women  excluded,  only 
the  ordained  apostles  admitted.  None  of  these 
conditions  are  maintained  to-day  by  any  Chris- 
tian sect.  If  the  conditions  are  determined  by 
Christ's  words,  these  prescribe  no  form,  give  no 
hint  who  shall  administer,  and  prescribe  no  con- 
dition of  participation  but  a  loving  remembrance 

of  Christ  himself  (Luke  22:19;  1  Cor.  11  :  24,  25).      And 


Ch.  XXVL] 


MATTHEW. 


289 


31  Then  saitli  Jesus  unto  them,  All  ye  shall  be  of- 
fended because  of  me  this  night :  for  it  is  written,''  I 
will  smite  the  shepherd,  and  the  sheep  of  the  flock 
shall  be  scattered  abroad. 

32  But  after  I  am  risen  again,'  I  will  go  before  you 
into  Galilee. 

33  Peter  answered  and  said  unto  him,  Though  all 


men  shall  be  oflfended  because  of  thee,  yet  will  I  never 
be  offended. 

34  Jesus  said  unto  him,  Verily  I  say  unto  thee,  That 
this  night,  betore  the  cock  crow,  thou  shalt  deny  mo 
thrice. 

35  Peter  said  unto  him,  Though  I  should  die  with 
thee,  yet  will  I  not  deny  thee.  Likewise  also  said  all 
the  disciples. 


ch.  28  :  7,  10,  16. 


with  this  agrees  the  words  of  Paul  (1  cor.  11 :  27-29), 
where  he  defines  eating  unworthily  to  be  eating 
without  "discerning  the  Lord's  body,"  i.  e.,  as 
the  context  shows,  lilve  an  ordinary  supper,  and 
without  remembrance  of  the  Lord. 

Ch.  28  :  31-35.  PROPHECY  OF  PETER'S  DENIAL— 
Let  him  that  standeth  take  heed  lest  he  fall. 

The  four  Evangelists  record  Christ's  prophecy 
of  Peter's  denial ;  Mark  14  :  27-31 ;  Luke  22  : 
31-38 ;  John  13  :  36-38.  The  prophecy  appears 
to  have  been  twice  uttered— once  before  the 
supper,  of  which  Luke  and  John  give  a  report, 
once  after  the  supper,  of  which  Matthew  and 
Mark  give  a  report.  Luke's  account  must  be 
compared  with  Matthew's  in  order  to  under- 
stand Peter's  spirit.  He  had  been  warned  of  his 
danger,  and  had  resented  the  warning ;  it  is  now 
repeated,  but  is  still  resented.  The  proverb, 
"Forewarned  is  forearmed,"  is  true  only  of 
watchful  souls. 

31.  Then.  After  the  supper,  but  not  neces- 
sarily after  they  had  left  the  room. — All  ye 
shall  be  offended.  Caused  to  stumble  and 
fall  into  sin.  Compare  Matt.  11  :  6,  note.  Christ 
is  sometimes  a  cause  of  stumbling ;  and  a  rock 
of  offence ;  so  the  Christian  will  be  at  times  in 
the  course  of  duty. — For  it  is  written.  The 
reference  is  to  Zech.  13  :  7,  which  Henderson 
translates  as  follows  :  "  Awake,  0  sword  !  against 
my  Shepherd,  and  against  the  man  who  is  united 
to  me,  saith  Jehovah  of  Hosts  ;  smite  the  shep- 
herd, and  the  sheep  shall  be  scattered."  The 
sword  is  simply  an  emblem  of  death  by  any 

instrument    (Exod.  5  :  21 ,-    2  Sam.  12  :  9  with  2  Sam.  U  :  24). 

It  is  therefore  an  appropriate  emblem  of  the 
crucifixion.  The  prophecy  itself  is  difficult ;  but 
that  it  refers  to  Christ  is  evident,  (a)  because 
Christ  is  the  only  Shepherd  who  can  be  described 
as  "  the  man  who  is  united  to  God ;  "  (b)  because 
Christ  here  explicitly  applies  it  to  himself.— I 
will  smite  the  shepherd.  Not  merely,  as 
Bengel,  "God  is  said  to  smite  Jesus,  since  he 
delivered  him  to  be  smitten."  Throughout  the 
N.  T.  Christ  is  represented  as  offered  up  by  his 
own  Father  or  by  himself,  though  it  is  also  ex- 
plicitly declared  that  he  was  slain  by  wicked  men 

(John  3:16;  Rom.  5:8;  Heb.  7  :  27 ;  9  :  14,  28 ;  comp.  John  18  :  11  ; 
Acts  2  :  2.'i). 

32.    I  Avill  go  before  you  into  Galilee. 

For  fulfillment  of  this  prophecy  see  Matt.  28  :  7 ; 


Luke  21  :  7 ;  John,  chap.  21.  The  connection 
and  significance  is  well  given  by  Quesnel :  "The 
sheep  forsake  the  shepherd,  but  he  forsakes  not 
his  sheep." 

33.  Peter  answered,  *  *  *  I  will  never 
be  oifended.  Christ  had  previously  warned 
Peter  of  his  peculiar  danger :  "Satan  hath  de- 
sired to  have  you,  *  *  *  but  I  have  pi'ayed 
for  thee  ' '  (Luke  22 :  32),  and  Peter  had  resented  the 
idea  that  he  needed  the  Lord's  prayers.  Now, 
when  Christ  wai'ns  aU  of  their  danger,  Peter 
should  have  been  the  first  to  heed  the  admoni- 
tion, but  is  the  most  outspoken  in  resenting  it. 
His  self-confidence  has  not  been  weakened  by  the 
previous  warning  ;  only  experience  can  weaken 
it.  "  Where  he  should  have  prayed  and  said, 
Help  us,  that  we  be  not  cut  off,  he  is  confident  iu 
himself  and  saith,  '  Though  all  men  should  be  of- 
fended in  thee,  yet  will  I  never.'  " — {C'hrysostom.) 

34.  Jesus  said  unto  him.  Mark  (i4:3o) 
gives  probably  his  exact  words  :  "Verily  (s^e  Matt. 
6 :  18,  note)  I  Say  uuto  thcc.  That  this  day,  even  in 
this  night,  before  the  cock  crow  twice,  thou 
shalt  deny  me  thrice."  The  first  cock-crow  is  at 
midnight,  but  inasmuch  as  few  hear  it,  the  cock- 
crowuag  is  generally  put  for  the  second  crowing, 
i.  e.,  the  early  dawn.  Matthew's  language  here, 
"before  the  cock  crow,"  is  thus  equivalent  to 
Mark's  "before  the  cock  crow  twice  ;  "  by  both 
the  early  dawn  is  indicated.  In  fact,  the  cock 
was  heard  to  crow  twice  during  the  thrice  re- 
peated denials  of  Peter  (Mark  14  :  68, 72). — Deny 
me.  Disown  me  as  Master  and  Lord.  Comp. 
Luke  22  :  34. 

35.  Peter  said  unto  him,  Even  if  it 
should  bind  me  to  die  with  thee  yet 
would  I  not  disown  thee.  His  language 
in  the  original  is  stronger  than  that  of  our  Eng- 
lish version.  —  Likewise  also  said  all  the 
disciples.  They  were  inspired  by  Peter's  en- 
thusiasm, and  imbibed  his  self-confidence. 

There  is  a  right  Christian  confidence,  but  it 
rests  on  the  presence  and  power  of  the  Lord  (phii. 
4: 13;  2  Tim.  1 :  12) ;  and  upou  a  consciousness  of 
personal  weakness  (2Cor.  12:9, 10).  Peter's  rested 
on  his  own  courage  and  fidelity,  and  failed  him 
in  the  hour  of  trial.  "A  man's  willingness  is  not 
sufficient  unless  he  receive  succor  from  above  ; 
but,  we  gain  nothing  by  succor  from  above,  if 
there  be  not  a  willingness  on  our  own  part." — 
{Chnjsostom.)    Comp.  Phil.  2  :  12,  13. 


290 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXVI. 


36  Then'  cometh  Jesus  with  them  unto  a  place 
called  Gcthseniane,  and  saith  unto  the  disciples,  Sit  ye 
here,  vvh)le  1  go  and  pray  yonder. 


37  And  he  took  with  him  Peter  and  the  two  sons  cf 
Zebedee,  and  began  to  be  sorrowiul  and  very  heavy. 


:  14  :  33,  etc. ;  Luke  2i  :  39,  etc. ;  John  : 


Ch.  20  :  36-46.  CHRIST'S  AGONY  IN  GETHSEMANE. 
— Christ's  nature,  experience,  and  office  illus- 
trated; HE  takes  on  him  not  merely  the  appear- 
ance but  the  reality  of  manhood  ;  becomes  a 
sympathizing  high  priest  ;  is  tempted  in  all  points 
LIKE  AS  WE  ARE  YET  WITHOUT  SIN  (Pliil.  2  :  7,  8 ;  He- 
brews 2:16-13;  4 :  15,  16).  — Christ's  love  for  us 
illustrated:    the  agony  of  Gethsemane  is  the 

AGONY  OF  A  SUFFERING  LOVE. — ThE  SINFULNESS  OF  SIN 
ILLUSTRATED  :  BY  THE  EXPERIENCE  OF  HORROR  IT  PRO- 
DUCES IN  Christ. — The  Christian's  conflict  illus- 
trated: THE  BATTLE  BETWEEN  THE  WILLING  SPIRIT 
AND  THE  WEAK  FLESH  ;  THE  ARMAMENT,  PRAYER;  THE 
VICTORY,  CALM  ACQUIESCENCE  IN  THE  DIVINE  WILL. 

This  inexplicable  experience  is  recorded  by 
Matthew,  Mark   (wisa^a),  and  Luke  (22:39-46). 


John  (18 : 1)  mentions  going  into  the  garden,  but 
not  the  agony,  an  indication  that  he  wrote  with 
the  other  Evangelists  before  him,  and  in  part  to 
supply  what  they  had  omitted.  Luke,  alone, 
(verses  43, 44)  mentions  the  appearance  of  the  angel 
strengthening  Christ  and  the  bloody  sweat ; 
otherwise,  the  three  accounts  are  substantially 
the  same.  The  verbal  differences,  especially  in 
their  reports  of  the  pi'ayer,  are  noteworthy  and 
instructive  ;  "  Shewing  us,  even  in  this  solemn 
instance,  the  comparative  indifference  of  the 
letter  when  we  have  the  inner  spirit." — (A/ford.) 
Observe  the  inconsistency  of  these  accounts 
with  the  modern  mythical  theory  of  the  origin 
of  the  Gospels.    Such  a  struggle  would  never 


GAKDEN  OF  gethsemane:  jebusalem  in  the  background. 


he  invented  and  imputed  to  the  God-man,  by 
his  adherents.  Even  Celsus  (3d  century)  and 
Julian  (4th  century)  held  it  up  for  contempt 
as  an  evidence  of  weakness  and  fear  ;  and  Renan 
and  Schenckel  endeavor,  in  vain,  to  reconcile 


it  with  their  conception  of  the  character  of  Jesus 
as  merely  a  lofty  and  noble  man. 

36.  Then  ;  probably  about  midnight ;  com- 
eth Jesus  to  a  place  called  Gethsemane. 

The    word    is    Hebrew,    and    means    oil-j^ress. 


Ch.  XXVL] 


MATTHEW. 


291 


38  Then  saith  he  unto  them,  My  «  soul  is  exceeding 
sorrowful,  even  unto  death  :  tarry  ye  here,  and  watch 
with  me. 


prayed,  saying,  O  my  Father,  if  it  be  possible, 
let  this  cup '  pass  from  me  !  nevertheless,^  not  as  I  will, 
but  as  thou  wilt. 


g  Ps.  116  :  3 ;  Is.  63  :  3,  10  ;  John  12  :  27 h  Heb.  5  :  7. ...  1  ch.  20  :  22. . . .  j  John  5  :  30 ;  6  :  S8  ;  Rom.  IS  :  3  j  PhU.  2  :  8. 


Wordsworth  comments  on  its  significance  as  an 
emblem  of  trial,  distress,  and  agony,  and  refers 
to  Isaiah  63  :  3  ;  Lam.  1  :  15  ;  Joel  3  :  13.  Comp. 
Rev.  14  :  20.  It  was  a  garden,  i.  e.,  an  orchard, 
outside  of  Jerusalem,  east  of  the  brook  Cedron, 
on  the  slope  of  the  Mount  of  Olives  beyond,  and 
was  a  spot  where  Christ  and  his  disciples  were 

wont  to  resort  (John  is  :  l  ;  Luke  22  :  29).      ItS   lOCatiOU 

cannot  be  identified  with  certainty.  Our  illus- 
tration shows  the  traditional  site,  which  is  en- 
closed with  a  low  wall  covered  with  white  stucco, 
and  comparatively  recently  erected.  A  series  of 
rude  pictures  are  hung  along  the  wall,  represent- 
ing different  scenes  in  Christ's  passion.  The 
place  is  under  the  control  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
priesthood.  If  not  the  genuine  garden,  which  is 
very  doubtful,  it  is  in  the  same  general  locality, 
and  the  olive-trees  are  of  very  great  antiquity, 
and  so  decayed  as  to  require  to  be  propped  up  to 
prevent  being  blown  down  by  the  wind. — Sit  ye 
here  while  1  go  and  pray  yonder.  Com- 
pare the  language  of  Abraham  in  Genesis  22  :  5, 
"  Abide  ye  here  with  the  ass,  and  I  and  the  lad 
will  go  yonder  and  worship."  "Jesus,  priest 
and  victim,  lays  himself  on  the  altar,  with  Abra- 
ham's faith  and  Isaac's  resignation." — {Stier.) 

37.  Peter  and  the  two  sons  of  Zebedee. 
James  and  John.  They  had  been  witnesses  of 
his  transfiguration  (Matt,  n :  i)  and  of  one  of  his 
greatest  miracles  (Mark  s :  37).  "  Jesus  Christ  im- 
parts his  sorrow  and  heaviness  of  heart  to  those 
whom  he  loves  the  most." — (Qicesnel.) — Began 
to  be  very  sorrowful  and  dejected.  So 
great  was  his  sorrow  now,  that  all  which  he  had 
previously  endured  was  as  nothing  ;  now,  as  for 
the  first  time,  he  began  to  experience  sorrow. 
Mark  says  that  he  was  ^^  sore  amazed,''^  and  the 
original,  which  is  aptly  rendered,  implies  that 
the  disclosure  of  the  sorrow  came  upon  him,  if 
not  literally  as  a  surprise,  at  least  with  new  and 
unexpected  force.  Luke  (23 :  44)  says  he  was  "  in 
an  agony,'"  i.  e.,  a  conflict,  for  this  is  the  literal 
meaning  of  the  original.  Combining  these  ac- 
counts we  have  a  hint  of  the  elements  which 
entered  mto  this  mystical  experience.  There 
was  a  conflict,  i.  e.,  between  his  dread  of  the  im- 
pending Passion,  and  his  desire  to  accomplish  it. 
(Luke  12: 50;  John  12 :  27, 28) ;  a  bitter  sorrow,  the 
secret  of  which  we  may  partially  conjecture,  it 
is  not  and  cannot  be  fully  interpreted  to  us ;  a 
dejection,  produced  by  the  seeming  failure  of  his 
earthly  mission,  the  rejection  of  him  by -his  na- 
tion, the  dullness  of  spiritual  vision,  even  in  his 
disciples ;  and  a  sense  of  surprise  and  horror  in 


the  full  and  unexpected  disclosure  made  in  that 
hour  of  the  burden  he  must  bear.  See  Lessons 
OF  Gethsemane  below. 

38.  My  soul  is  exceeding  sorrowful, 
even  unto  death.  A  proverbial  expression 
indicating  the  severity  of  the  suffering.  Comp. 
Jonah  4  :  9.  But  here  it  is  not  hyperbolic.  Cer- 
tainly it  is  not  to  be  interpreted  as  Bengel, 
"Such  sorrow  might  have  driven  an  ordinary 
man  to  suicide."  The  sorrow  itself  was,  if  not 
alleviated,  sulRcient  to  cause  death ;  it  brought 
him  to  death's  door.  "Our  Lord's  whole  inmost 
life  must  have  been  one  of  continual  trouble  of 
spirit.  He  was  a  man  of  sorrows  and  acquainted 
with  grief.  But  there  was  an  extremity  of  an- 
guish now,  reaching  even  to  the  utmost  limit  of 
endurance,  so  that  it  seemed  that  more  would 
be  death  itself.'' — (Alford.)  Rather,  more  would 
have  caused  death,  as  is  indicated  by  the  bloody 
sweat  produced  by  what  he  endured.  See  Luke 
22  :  44,  note.  —  Tarry  ye  here  and  Avatch 
with  me.  Not  because  "  in  the  abasement  of 
his  humanity  he  regarded  them  as  some  comfort 
to  him."  The  hunger  of  the  human  soul  for 
sympathy  and  love  is  not  a  part  of  its  abasement. 
It  is  in  the  O.  T.  attributed  to  God  (jer.  3 ;  u;  si :  20; 
Ezek.  33:11;  Hosea  11 :  s)  and  here  to  the  God-man. 
In  his  struggle  with  the  powers  of  darkness  he 
desired  the  fellowship  of  friends. 

39.  And  he  went  a  little  further;  about 
a  stone's  cast  (Luke).  The  distance  would  not 
exceed  forty  or  fifty  yards,  if  so  much ;  the  dis- 
ciples might  therefore  catch  the  leading  words  of 
Christ's  prayer  before  drowsiness  overpowered 
them.  This  separation  from  his  disciples  was 
because  he  would  be  alone.  "When  some  great 
necessity  urges  us,  because  the  fervor  of  prayer 
is  more  fully  indulged  when  we  are  alone,  it  is 
useful  for  us  to  pray  apart.  And  If  the  Son  of 
God  did  not  disregard  this  aid,  it  would  be  the 
greatest  madness  of  pride  in  us  not  to  apply  it 
for  our  own  advantage." — (Calvin.) — And  fell 
on  his  face.  Mark  says,  "on  the  ground;" 
Luke  says,  "he kneeled  down." — And  prayed, 
saying,  *  *  *  Let  this  cup  pass  from 
ine.  The  cup  is  in  the  O.  T.  an  emblem  both  of 
the  mercy  (Psaim  23 : 5),  and  of  the  wrath  (Pssim  75 : 8 ; 

Isaiah  61  :  22  ;  Jer.  25  :  15-17  ;  Ezek.  23  :  33)  of  God  ;  general- 
ly, the  latter.  The  cup  which  Christ  drinks,  of 
sorrow,  becomes  the  cup  of  our  salvation  (Psaim 

116  :  13  ;  Matt.  26  :  27,  28).        To  hun  it  is  Wrath,  tO  US  it 

is  mercy. 

In  studying  this  prayer  of  our  Lord,  compare 
the  accounts  in  the  three  Evangelists. 


292 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXVI. 


40  And  he  cometh  unto  the  disciples,  and  findeth 
them  asleep,  and  saith  unto  Peter,  What !  could  ye  not 
watch  with  me  one  hour  ? 


41  Watch,''  and  pray,  that  ye'  enter  not  into  tempta- 
tion;"" the  spirit"  indeed  is  willing,  but  the  flesh  is 
weak. 


k  Mark  13  :  33  ;  14  :  38 ;  Luke  22 :  40 ;  Eph.  6:18;  Rev.  16  :  15 1  Pr.  4  :  14, 15 m  Rev.  3:10 n  Is.  25 : 8, 9  j  Rom.  7  :  18-25  ;  GaJ.  6 :  17. 


Matthew. 

Oh  my  Father,  if  it  be  possi- 
ble, let  this  cup  pass  from  me  ; 
nevertheless,  not  as  I  will,  but 
as  thou  wilt. 


Mabk. 

Abba,  Father,  all  things  are 
possible  unto  thee :  take  away 
this  cup  from  me ;  neverthe- 
less, not  what  I  will,  but  what 
thou  wilt. 


Luke. 

Father,  if  thou  be  willing, 
remove  this  cup  from  me ; 
nevertheless,  not  my  will,  but 
thine  be  done. 


Observe  (1)  the  variation  in  expression.  Mat- 
thew says,  "If  it  be  possible;"  Mark,  "All 
things  are  possible;"  Luke,  "If  thou  be  will- 
ing." If  it  was  not  possible,  this  was  only  be- 
cause God,  in  his  supreme  wisdom,  did  not  will 
to  remove  the  cup,  i.  e.,  because  the  Divine  will 
could  not  be  carried  out  except  by  Christ's  Pas- 
sion and  death.  The  spirit  of  the  prayer  is  seen 
by  combining  the  accounts  thus :  Father,  all 
things  are  possible  to  thee  ;  if  thou  canst  accom- 
plish thy  Divine  purposes  and  let  this  cup  pass 
from  me,  remove  it.  Observe  (3)  the  spirit  of 
the  prayer  aa  embodied  in  all  these  accounts, 
(a.)  Its  simplicity  and  brevity  illustrate  his  own 
instructions  (Matt.  6 :  i,  s).  We  need  not  suppose 
that  the  report  is  a  verbatim  one ;  but  it  cer- 
tainly exhibits  the  essential  character  of  this 
prayer.  (6.)  Its  trustfulness.  In  the  address 
Abba,  Father,  and  the  expression  of  confidence 
in  the  Father's  power,  All  things  are  possible 
unto  thee.      Nothing  depends  on  Judas,  Caia- 

phas,  or  Pilate  ;  all  on  God  (comp.  verse  53 ;  John  19  :  11). 

(c.)  Its  earnestness  and  outspokenness  of  peti- 
tion, "  Take  away  this  cup."  Before  his  Father 
he  pours  forth  his  desire  without  hindrance. 
Comp.  Heb.  4  :  16.  (d.)  Its  supreme  petition. 
Not  as  I  wiU,  but  as  thou  wilt.  This  is  not 
merely  the  language  of  submission,  but  of  peti- 
tion ;  he  does  not  merely  say.  If  not  as  I  will, 
then  as  thou  wilt,  but,  Do  not  what  I  will,  rather 
what  thou  wilt.  But  (^Aip)  is  an  adversative 
particle  signifying  a  positive  preference  for  the 
petition  which  follows.  Thus  he  negatives  the 
erroneous  notion  of  prayer,  viz.,  that  it  is  the 
means  by  which  the  wish  of  man  determines  the 
will  of  God,  "Not  as  I  will ;"  and  teaches  the 
true  office  of  prayer,  viz.,  to  change  the  will  hu- 
man into  the  will  divine.  See  a  sermon  by  F.  W. 
Robertson  on  Matt.  26  :  39.  The  commentators 
see  in  this  prayer  a  plain  refutation  of  the  Mono- 
thelite  heresy,  which  held  but  one  will  in  the 
Lord  Jesus.  "The  distinction  is  clear  and 
marked  by  our  Lord  himself.  In  his  human 
said  he  willed  to  be  freed  from  the  dreadful 
things  before  him ;  but  this  human  will  was 
overruled  by  the  inner  and  divine  purpose,  the 


will  at  unity  with  the  Father's  will." — (Alford.) 
Similarly  Calvin,  Ryle,  and  others.  But,  in  the 
same  sense  and  to  the  same  extent,  the  experi- 
ence of  Paul  (Rom.  7 :  16-17),  and  of  every  Christian, 
shows  two  wills.  Such  metaphysical  refinements 
on  Scripture  belong  not  to  the  spirit  of  little 
children,  with  which  we  are  to  receive  this  and 
all  the  mysteries  of  the  kingdom  of  grace  (Matt. 
18 : 3).  The  experience  of  Christ  is  to  be  inter- 
preted, so  far  as  it  can  be  interpreted  at  all,  by 
our  own  I6sser  but  analogous  conflicts.  "It  is 
not  inconsistent  with  the  spirit  of  prayer  that 
Christ  here  asks  a  thing  that  is  impossible  to  be 
granted  to  him  ;  for  the  prayers  of  believers  do 
not  always  flow  on  with  uninterrupted  measure 
to  the  end,  do  not  always  maintain  a  uniform 
measure,  are  not  always  arranged  even  in  a  dis- 
tinct order,  but  on  the  contrary  are  involved  and 
confused,  and  either  oppose  each  other  or  stop 
in  the  middle  of  the  course,  like  a  vessel  stopped 
by  tempests,  which,  though  it  advances  towards 
the  harbor,  cannot  always  keep  a  straight  and 
uniform  course,  as  in  a  calm  sea." — (Calvin.) 

40.  And  he  cometh  unto  the  disciples. 
That  is  to  the  three,  Peter,  James,  and  John, — 
And  findeth  them  asleep.  "Sleeping  for 
sorrow  "  (Luke).  Obscrvc,  they  forget  sorrow  in 
sleep,  Christ  conquers  it  by  prayer.  Compare 
with  the  world's  forgetfulness  of  sorrow  the 
Christian's  victory  over  it,  Rom.  5  :  3 ;  8  :  35-39. 
— Unto  Peter.  Who  had  just  boasted  that  he 
would  never  forsake  his  Lord,  yet  forsook  him 
at  the  very  entrance-door  of  his  Passion.— One 
hour.  Not  to  be  taken  literally.  There  is 
nothing  definite  to  indicate  the  time  spent  in  the 
garden.  Andrews  supposes  that  they  reached  it 
about  midnight,  and  the  arrest  took  place  be- 
tween one  and  two  in  the  morning.  Certainly 
considerable  time  elapsed  between  the  arrest  and 
daylight. 

41.  Watch  and  pray.  Observe  the  double 
command.  Some  watch  without  praying,  some 
pray  without  watching.  Corresponding  to  this 
is  Paul's  direction  in  Phil.  3  :  12,  13.— That  ye 
enter  not  into  temptation.  Contrast  James 
1  :  2,  "Count  it  all  joy  when  ye  fall  into  divers 


Ch.  XXVI.] 


MATTHEW. 


293 


42  He  went  away  again  the  second  time,  and  prayed, 
saying,  O  my  Father,  if  this  cup  may  not  pass  away 
from  me,  except  1  drink  it,  thy  will  be  done. 

43  And  he  came  and  found  them  asleep  again  :  for 
their  eyes  were  heavy. 

44  And  he  left  them,  and  went  away  again,  and 
prayed  the  third  "  time,  saying  the  same  words. 


45  Then  cometh  he  to  his  disciples,  and  saith  unto 
them.  Sleep  on  now,  and  take  your  rest ;  behold,  the 
hour  is  at  hand,  and  the  Son  ot  man  is  betrayed  into 
the  hands  of  sinners. 

46  Rise,  let  us  be  going :  behold,  he  is  at  hand  that 
doth  betray  me. 


temptations."  It  is  a  joy  to  us  to  be  brought 
involuntarily  into  circumstances  that  try  our 
faith,  and  so  give  us  new  disclosures  of  our 
Saviour's  power  and  grace  ;  it  is  a  sorrow  to  us 
when  we  enter  into  temptation  voluntarily,  and 
so  entertain  it  with  the  will.  Thus  to  enter  into 
temptation  is  to  enter  into  sin. — The  spirit  in- 
deed is  eager,  but  the  flesh  is  weak.  The 
reference  is  unmistakably  to  Peter's  eager  decla- 
ration that  he  was  ready  to  suffer  imprisonment 
and  death  with  Christ  (Luke  22 :  33).  Thus  Christ 
looks  mercifully  upon  their  strong  desire,  and  so 
pardons  their  weak  performance.  It  is,  however, 
true  that  our  Lord  himself  illustrates  this  say- 
ing. "  At  that  moment  he  was  giving  as  high  and 
pre-eminent  example  of  its  truth  as  the  disciples 
were  affording  a  low  and  ignoble  one.  He,  in 
the  willingness  of  the  spirit,  yielding  himself  to 
the  Father's  will  to  suffer  and  die,  but  weighed 
down  by  the  weakness  of  the  flesh  ;  they,  having 
professed,  and  really  having,  a  willing  spirit  to 
suffer  with  him,  but,  even  in  the  one  hour's  watch- 
ing, overcome  by  the  burden  of  drowsiness." — 
{Alford.)  Observe  in  this  contrast  the  lesson  for 
us.  In  both  Christ  and  the  disciples  there  is  a 
willing  spirit,  in  both  weakness  of  the  flesh. 
But  in  Christ  the  spirit  conquers  the  flesh,  and 
he  is  victor  ;  in  the  disciples  the  flesh  conquers 
the  spirit,  and  they  are  defeated.  "Not  every 
one  that  saith  unto  me  Lord,  Lord,"  the  wilUng 
spirit,  "  but  he  that  doeth  the  will  of  my  Father," 
whose  flesh  obeys  the  will,  "  shall  enter  into  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  "  (Matt.  7 :  21). 

42.  He  Avent  away  again  and  prayed 
the  second  time.  "More  earnestly,"  says 
Luke,  who  adds  the  account  of  the  bloody  sweat 
(Luke  22 :  41,  note).  Obscrvc  the  Change  in  the  prayer 
which  Mark  and  Luke  do  not  indicate.  The 
continuance  of  the  trial  he  accepts  as  God's 
answer  to  the  petition,  "Let  this  cup  pass  from 
me;"  he  now  asks  only,  "Thy  will  be  done." 
The  wish  to  be  relieved  from  the  Passion  is  sub- 
dued ;  the  will  to  fulfill  the  Father's  will  is  su- 
preme. At  what  time  the  angel  appeared  to 
him,  strengthening  him,  as  described  in  Luke 
22  :  44,  is  uncertain.  I  should  agree  with  Alford 
in  placing  it  after  the  first  prayer,  and  consider- 
ing the  change  in  the  form  of  petition,  which 
Matthew  alone  notes,  as  due  to  that  gracious 
interposition.  His  prayer  was  heard  and  an- 
swered, as  was  Paul's  (2  cor.  12 : 8-10). 

43,  44.  And  he  left  them.    Observe  that 


he  makes  no  attempt  to  arouse  them  the  second 
time. — Saying  the  same  words.  Mark  uses 
the  same  language  in  describing  the  second 
prayer.  Matthew's  account  is,  apparently,  the 
most  specific  of  the  three.  Luke  does  not  men- 
tion the  third  prayer. 

45,  46.  Sleep  on  henceforth.  Not  merely 
now.  The  language  implies  that  the  opportunity 
for  watchful  sympathy  with  the  Master  has  for- 
ever passed.  He  will  make  no  further  demands 
upon  their  sympathies. — Rise,  let  us  be  going. 
The  language  of  the  next  verse  indicates  that 
the  Temple  officers,  with  Judas,  were  already  ap- 
proaching the  garden,  and  the  instant  arousal  of 
the  disciples  was  essential  to  their  safety.  The 
seeming  contradiction  of  the  two  directions  has 
given  rise  to  various  explanations.  The  best, 
because  the  simplest  and  most  natural,  is  that 
which  interprets  them  as  the  expression  of  in- 
flections of  feeling.  The  direction  to  "Sleep 
on  "  is  uttered  in  semi-soliloquy,  "partly  in  bit- 
terness, partly  in  reproach,  partly  In  a  kind  of 
irony,  partly  in  sad  earnest."  The  direction, 
"Rise;  let  us  be  going,"  is  a  practical  command, 
uttered  directly  to  the  disciples,  to  arouse  them 
to  the  danger  at  hand.  The  one  is  a  gentle  re- 
proach for  past  neglect ;  the  other  is  a  kindling 
command  for  the  present  exigency.  The  moral 
significance  of  the  two  is  admirably  drawn  out 
by  F.  W.  Robertson,  in  a  sermon,  which  em- 
bodies them  in  two  sentences :  "The  irreparable 
past;  the  available  future." 

Lessons  of  Gethsemahe.— The  mystery  of 
Gethsemane  is  a  subject  for  reverent  study, 
not  for  full  interpretation.  No  theology  can 
explain  Christ's  character,  no  psychology  can 
fathom  his  experieoce.  No  one  may  enter  into  the 
mysteries  of  his  experience  of  grief ;  but  no  one 
who  loves  his  Lord  can  pass  it  by  uncontemplat- 
ed. In  studying  it,  beware  of  any  interpretation 
which  professes  to  afford  a  complete  explanation. 
Such  interpretations  are  either  extra  Scriptural, 
or  anti-Scriptural ;  they  either  deny  the  agony, 
because  it  is  inconsistent  with  Christ's  divine 
nature,  or  belittle  it,  by  explanations  inconsistent 
with  the  heroism  of  his  human  nature.  Rever- 
ently recognizing  the  incomprehensible  mysteiy 
of  this  agony,  we  may  yet  discern  in  it  clearly 
certain  facts  and  lessons.  In  deducing  them  I 
quote  in  part  from  my  Jetius  of  Nazareth,  chap. 
31,  where  I  have  endeavored  to  give  a  fuller 
analysis  of  this  experience.     (1.)  A  real  spiritual 


294 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXVI. 


struggle  with  temptation  is  described.  The  lan- 
guage of  the  Evangelists  is  explicit.  Christ  is 
sorrowful,  dejected,  surprised,  in  an  agony.  See 
verse  37,  note.  Other  incidents  in  his  life  indi- 
cate   analogous   though   lesser   struggles    with 

temptation  (Matt.  4  :  l-ll,  note,  p.  40  ;  Luke  12  :  50  j  John  12  :  i?  ; 

16:32).  The  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  referring 
unmistakably  to  this  experience,  describes  it  as 
a  real  spiritual  conflict.  Heb.  5  :  7  declares  that 
Christ  suffered  being  tempted,  i.  e.,  temptation 
really  entered  into  his  soul  (Heb.  2 :  is ;  comp.  4 :  15). 
(3.)  The  nature  of  the  conflict  is  indicated. — This 
was  not  between  two  wills,  the  human  and  the 
divine  ;  the  conception  of  two  wills  in  one  per- 
son is  not  found  in  Scripture,  and  is  a  hypothesis 
of  later  theology,  to  account  for  the  person  and 
experience  of  Christ.  All  such  extra-Scriptural 
psychology  is  to  be  regarded  with  distrust. 
Christ  intimates  the  nature  of  the  conflict  as  one 
between  the  flesh  and  the  spirit,  the  natural  de- 
sire to  escape  the  anguish  of  the  Passion,  and 
the  higher  spiritual  purpose  to  fulfill,  at  what- 
ever cost,  the  mission  given  him  by  the  Father 
(yer.4i,  note).  Thus  it  is  partially  interpreted  by 
the  analogous  conflicts  in  Christian  experience. 
But  the  contrast  between  our  partial  and  his 
perfect  victory  is  noteworthy.  See,  for  examples, 
the  cases  of  Moses  (Eiod.  4 :  i-n),  Gideon  vJuiiges,  cbap. 

6),  Elijah  (1  Kings  19   :  l-u),  DaVid   (Psalms  42,  43,  73,  77, 

etc.),  Jeremiah  (i :  4-io,  ii ;  ch.  4,  etc.),  Jonah  (chap.  4), 
Paul  (Rom.  7 :  13-25).  (3.)  Some  hints  of  the  elements 
in  Christ's  agony  are  given  or  may  be  reverently 
surmised,  (a.)  Jesus  was  in  the  prime  of  man- 
hood ;  life  was  just  opening  before  him ;  his  soul 
was  eager  for  work,  and  conscious  of  rare  capa- 
bility to  perform  it ;  his  death  was  the  end  of  all 
human  hope  of  achievement.  (6.)  Into  this  one 
hour  was  crowded  by  prevision  the  combmed 
horrors  of  the  Passion,  its  cruelty,  its  shame,  its 
physical  torment,  its  spiritual  tortures.  "His 
flesh  with  all  its  capacities  and  apprehensions, 
was  brought  at  once  into  immediate  and  simul- 
taneous contact  with  eveiy  circumstance  of 
horror  and  pain  that  awaited  him  (John  is :  4) ; 
which  is  never  the  case  with.  us.  Not  only  are 
the  objects  of  dread  gradually  unveiled  to  our 
minds,  but  hope  is  ever  suggesting  that  things 
may  not  be  so  bad  as  our  fears  represent  them." 
— (Alford.)  (c.)  To  his  own  anguish  was  added 
that  of  others  vicariously  borne :  his  mother's 
grief,  his  disciples'  dejection  and  dispersion,  the 
doom  of  his  country  (Luke  19 :  41-44),  which  he  had 
vainly  striven  to  succor  and  save  (Mitt.  23 :  37),  and 
the  future  perils,  persecutions,  conflicts,  and  de- 
feats of  bis  church — all  seen  in  instantaneous 
vision,  (d.)  The  torment  of  unloving  hearts 
added  torture — the  kiss  of  Judas,  the  denial  of 
Peter,  the  desertion  by  all  the  disciples  save  one, 
theory  "Crucify  him,  crucify  him,"  coming  from 
those  for  whom  he  died,  and  all  this  a  prophecy 


of  future  betrayals,  denials,  crucifixions.  "He 
saw  the  seeming  fruitlessness  of  his  sacrifice  ;  he 
saw  his  cross  despised  by  some,  ignored  by  many 
more  ;  he  heard  the  story  of  his  love  repeated  in 
a  thousand  pulpits  by  cold  lips,  and  falling  in  a 
thousand  congregations  on  dull  ears."  (e.)  The 
sense  that  all  was  voluntarily  borne,  might  have 
been  easily  escaped,  might  still  be  escaped.  He 
laid  down  his  own  life  ;  no  man  took  it  from  hira 
(verse  63;  John  10 :  is).  Was  he  uot  throwing  away  a 
life  which  duty  as  well  as  instinct  demanded  he 
should  preserve  ?  (/.)  The  Tempter  added  sub- 
tle suggestions  of  evil,  hinted  at  (john  i4 :  so)  but 
unreported.  "  He  who  employed  in  the  wilder- 
ness all  his  arts  of  flattery,  employed  in  the  garden 
all  his  inconceivable  enginery  of  malice."  Such 
seems  to  me  to  be  some  of  the  human  elements 
of  anguish  and  conflict  which  enter  into  this 
hour  ;  but  they  alone  do  not  interpret  it.  For 
(4.)  Thei-e  was  an  element  in  that  conflict  which  we 
can  never  fully  appreciate.  Of  this,  the  later 
writers,  Paul  especially,  gives  some  hint,  but  in 
language  which  the  heart  rather  than  the  reason 

must   interpret   (Rom.  S  :  3 ;  2  Cor.  B  :  21  :  Gal.  3  :  1.3).      To 

Christ  "death  as  the  punishment  of  sin,  bore  a 
dark  and  dreadful  meaning,  inconceivable  by  any 
of  us,  whose  inner  will  is  tainted  by  the  love  of 
sm.  Psalms  40  :  12  ;  38  :  \-\Q.''—{Alford.)  "  To 
see  as  in  the  revelation  of  an  instantaneous 
vision  the  dark  deeds  and  darker  thoughts  of 
generations  past  and  generations  yet  to  come  ; 
to  turn  from  the  setting  sun  of  the  past  to  the 
rising  sun  of  the  future,  and  alike  in  the  night 
and  in  the  morning  horizon  of  history  see  only 
written  the  deep  damnation  of  a  lost  world  ;  and 
then  to  feel  the  dark  pall  of  this  accursed  load 
settling  strangely  down  upon  the  soul — a  soul 
whose  divine  purity  trembled  with  unutterable 
horror  at  the  lightest  thought  of  sin — this,  infi- 
nitely more  than  human  experience,  is  incapable 
of  any  other  interpretation  than  that  which  it 
receives  from  the  superhuman  agony  of  hira 
who,  for  our  own  sakes,  endured  it."  (.5.)  The 
method  of  ChnsVs  conflict  and  the  secret  of  his 
victory.  By  his  experience  he  explains  and  quali- 
fies his  teaching :  "  Sufficient  for  the  day  is  the 
evil  thereof."  He  looks  intently  and  courage- 
ously on  the  future  ;  he  summons  all  his  powers 
to  consider  it  and  equip  himself  for  it ;  he  pours 
forth  in  full  freedom  of  prayer  his  wish,  "Let 
this  cup  pass  from  me  ;  "  he  compels  that  wish 
to  yield  to  the  supreme  purpose  of  his  life,  "Thy 
will  be  done  ; "  and  he  receives  the  gracious  an- 
swer by  the  presence  of  the  angel  strengthening 

him   to  do  that  will   (Luke  22  :  43  ;  comp.  Heb.  6:7).      (6, ) 

The  completeness  of  Chrisfs  victm-y.  He  did  not 
cease  the  struggle  until  he  had  conquered  ;  once 
ended  it  was  never  renewed.  In  all  the  terrible 
scenes  of  the  Passion  which  ensued,  he  never 
wavered,   hesitated,  faltered,   or  showed  signs 


Ch.  XXVL] 


MATTHEW. 


295 


47  And  while  he  yet  spake,  to,P  Judas,  one  of  the 
twelve,  came,  and  with  him  a  great  multitude,  with 
swords  and  staves,  from  the  chiet  priests  and  elders  of 
the  people. 


48  Now  he  that  betrayed  him  gave  them  a  sign,i 
saying,  Whomsoever  I  shall  kiss,  that  sam^  is  he  :  hold 
him  fast. 

49  And  forthwith  he  came  to  Jesus,  and  said,  Hail, 
Master  ;  and  kissed  "■  him. 


p  Acts  1  :  16 q  Ps.  38  :  12 r  2  i 


,  3  :  27 ;  20  :  9  ;  Pb.  28  :  3. 


of  fear.  At  the  last  he  not  only  endured  the 
cross,  but  despised  the  shame  (Heb.  12 : 2).  For 
a  fuller  study  of  the  spiritual  significance  of 
Gethsemane  I  may  refer  the  reader  to  Abbott's 
Jesus  of  Nazareth,  from  which  I  have  quoted  in 
this  paragraph. 

Ch.  26  :  47-56.  BRTRAYAL  AND  ARREST  OF  JESUS.— 
Christ  interprets  and  exemplifies  his  own  teach- 
ing :  OF  non-kbsistance  to  violence  (Matt.  5  :  39-41): 

OF  LOVE  TO  ENEMIES  (Matt.  5  :  44)  :  OP  CHEERFUL  FUL- 
FILLMENT OF  THE  DiviMB  WILL  (Matt.  6 :  10 ;  7  :  21 ; 
12  :  50). 

The  arrest  of  Jesus  is  described  by  the  four 
Evangelists,  Mark  14  :  43-53  ;  Luke  33  :  47-53  ; 
John  18  :  3-13.  Matthew  and  John  were  eye-wit- 
nesses ;  Mark  is  thought  to  have  derived  much 
of  his  information  from  Peter ;  Luke's  account  is 
briefer  than  the  others.  John  alone  mentions 
the  falling  of  the  guard  to  the  ground.  Here,  as 
throughout  his  Gospel,  there  are  evidences  that 
he  wrote  to  supply  what  the  other  Evangelists 
omitted.  The  witnesses  of  this  event  had  just 
been  aroused  from  sleep ;  their  eyes  were  still 
heavy  ;  they  were  surprised,  terrified,  confused  ; 
the  discrepancies  in  their  accounts  are  those  of 
independent  narrators  ;  they  are  not  irreconcila- 
ble, but  the  exact  order  of  events  narrated  is 
somewhat  hypothetical.  I  think  it  to  have  been 
substantially  as  follows :  Christ's  prayer  is  broken 
in  upon  by  the  tramp  of  the  approaching  guard, 
and  the  gleaming  of  their  lights  as  they  issue 
from  the  gate  of  the  city ;  their  approach,  ob- 
served across  the  intervening  brook  Cedron,  he 
interprets  as  God's  final  answer  to  his  prayer — it 
is  the  divine  will  that  he  should  drink  the  bitter 
cup.  He  proceeds  to  the  entrance  of  the  garden 
and  arouses  his  disciples  (ver.  46) ;  Judas,  who 
leads  the  band,  draws  near  to  kiss  Jesus  accord- 
ing to  the  pre-arranged  signal ;  is  abashed  by  the 
Lord's  reproachful  question,  "Betrayest  thou 
the  Son  of  man  with  a  kiss  ?  "  and  makes  no  reply 
(ver.  49, 50 ;  Luke  22 :  4s) ;  the  band  sharc  his  confu- 
sion, and  under  the  influence  of  the  superhuman 
majesty  of  our  Lord,  fall  backward  (John  is :  4-6) ; 
the  disciples  emboldened,  ask  permission  to  re- 
sist (Luke  22 :  49) ;  and  Peter,  more  impetuous  than 
the  rest,  does  not  wait  for  an  answer,  but  initiates 
the  attack  (ver.  51 ;  John  18 :  10) ;  Christ  rebukes  him 
(ver.  52-54) ;  heals  the  wounded  servant  (Luke  22 :  si) ; 
and  demands  of  the  oflScers  that  they  let  the  dis- 
ciples go  their  way  (john  is :  s) ;  the  disciples,  for- 
bidden to  resist,  interpret  this  as  a  hint  to  escape. 


and  flee  (ver.  se) ;  at  the  same  time  the  oflBicers, 
who  have  recovered  from  their  momentary  awe, 
proceed  to  bind  Jesus  (john  is :  12),  disregarding  his 
dignified  remonstrance  against  being  treated  as  a 
thief  (ver.  55).  For  a  full  understanding  of  all  the 
elements  in  this  midnight  scene  all  the  accounts 
should  be  carefully  compared,  but  especially 
Matthew  and  John.  See  notes  here  and  on 
John. 

47.  And  while  he  yet  spake.  He  had 
barely  time  to  arouse  the  disciples  before  Judas 
arrived  ;  not  improbably  their  arrival  awakened 
the  eight,  who  were  sleeping  at  or  near  the  en- 
trance to  the  garden.  —  Judas,  one  of  the 
twelve,  came.  There  is  a  solemn  significance 
in  the  fact  that  the  three  Synoptists  all  note  that 
the  betrayer  was  "one  of  the  twelve."  John 
(18 : 1)  explains  Judas'  knowledge  of  Christ's  re- 
treat.— And  with  him  a  great  multitude. 
A  comparison  of  the  various  accounts  shows  the 
composition  of  this  multitude.  There  were,  (1) 
a  police  force  from  the  temple.  They  are  called 
in  John  18  : 3,  "  officers  from  the  chief  priests 
and  Pharisees,"  in  Luke  23  :  53,  "  captains  of  the 
Temple."  These  were  a  portion  of  the  Temple 
police,  a  strictly  Jewish  force,  composed  of 
Levites,  and  frequently  referred  to  both  in  O.  T. 

and  N.  T.  history  (2  Kings  11  :  9  ;  John  7  :  32 ;  Acts  4  :  l-s). 

These  were  all  armed  with  "staves,"  answering 
to  the  modem  policeman's  baton  ;  (3)  a  Roman 
force,  furnished  probably  at  the  request  of  the 
Sanhedrim,  by  the  Roman  authorities.  This  is 
the  "  band  "  referred  to  in  John  18  :  3-13.  They 
were  armed  with  a  peculiar  short  sword,  one- 
edged,  defined  here  and  in  Mark  as  a  machcera 
(ftdxatQu).  Our  illustration,  from  an  engraved 
gem,  indicates  its  probable  character ;   (3)  ser- 


THE  MACELSBA. 

vants  of  the  high-priest  (ver.  si),  who  accompanied 
the  band,  perhaps  to  assist  in  the  arrest,  perhaps 
merely  led  by  curiosity  and  that  contagion  of 
malice  which  induced  their  subsequent  persecu- 
tion of    Jesus   (ver.  67 ;  Mark  14  :  65)  ;    (4)    Cgrtaln    of 

the  priests  and  elders  in  person,  to  make  sure  of 
the  consummation  of  the  arrest  (Luke  22 :  52).  The 
force  was  provided  with  lanterns  and  torches 
(John  18 : 3,  note)  to  scarch  in  any  dark  places  in  the 
garden.    Judas  preceded  the  guard  (Luke  22 :  47).— 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXVI. 


50  And  Jesus  said  unto  him,'  Friend,  wherefore  art 
thou  come  ?  Then  came  they  and  laid  hands  on 
Jesus,  and  took  him. 

51  And,  behold,  one  of  them  which  were  with  Jesus 
stretched  out  his  hand,  and  drew  his  sword,  and  struck 
a  servant  of  the  high  priest's,  and  smote  off  his  ear. 

52  Then   said  Jesus  unto    him,   Put  up  again  thy 


sword   into   his    place:    for'  all    they   that  take    the 
sword,  shall  perish  with  the  sword. 

53  Thinkest  thou  that  I  cannot  now  pray  to  my 
Father,  and  he  shall  presently  give  me  more  than 
twelve  legions  of"  angels  ? 

54  But  how  then  shall  the  scriptures  be  fulfilled, 
that  "  thus  it  must  be  ? 


Ps.  41  :  9  J  55  :  13. 


;  Gen.  9:6;  Ezek.  S5:6,  6;  Rev.  13  :  10 u  cli.  4  :  11 ;  2  Kings  6  : 


.7  :  9 V  Luke  24  :  20, 


From  the  chief  priests  and  elders.  Mark 
adds  "the  scribes."  Probably  by  this  descrip- 
tion is  intended  the  Sanhedrim,  tlie  chief  judicial 
and  legislative  body  of  the  Jews  (.sto  Prei.  Note,  p.  268.  j, 
though  their  act,  in  planning  and  ordering  the 
arrest,  may  have  been  informal  and  unoflacial. 
Comp.  John  7  :  50,  51,  where  Nicodemus  protests 
against  a  similar  course  of  action,  as  illegal. 

48,  49.  Gave  them  a  sign.  That  is,  had 
given  them  the  sign  previously.  It  was  neces- 
sary, inasmuch  as  in  the  darkness  Christ  might 
be  confounded,  by  the  oflScers,  with  the  disci- 
ples. The  whole  account  indicates  anxiety  lest 
he  should  escape  as  he  had  done  before  (John  7 :  45, 

46  ;  8  :  69  J  10  :  39), — Hold    him    faSt.       Mark  (U  :  44, 

note)  says,  "Lead  him  away  securely."  This  fear 
of  a  rescue  affords  a  singular  evidence  of  the 
moral  incapacity  of  Judas  to  understand  the 
character  of  Jesus.  The  guards  evidently  shared 
his  apprehensions  or  they  would  not  have  bound 
Jesus.  But  it  is  not  so  strange  as  the  misappre- 
hension of  the  eleven,  who  actually  asked  per- 
mission to  attempt  such  a  rescue  (Lute  22 :  49). 

49,  50.  Hail,  Rabbi;  and  kissed  him. 
The  kiss  was  a  customary  salutation  amongst 
near  relatives  and  friends,  both  in  patriarchal 
and  later  times,  (oen.  27 :  26, 27 ;  29 :  11, 13 ;  33 : 4 ;  45 :  is ; 

Exod.  4:  27;    2  Sam.  15  :  6  ;    19:39;    Rom.  16:16;    2  Cor.  13:12; 

1  Thess.  6 :  26 ;  1  Pet.  5 :  u).  The  trcachcrous  klss  of 
Judas  recalls  that  of  Joab  (2  Sam.  20 : 9, 10). — Com- 
rade. Not  "JVie«fZ."  {itaiqt  not  (pUog.)  Christ 
never  sacrificed  truth  to  courtesy  or  convention- 
alism. This  word,  mistranslated  "  friend,"  occurs 
in  the  N.  T.  only  here  and  in  Matt.  20  :  13 ;  23 :  13  ; 
it  conveys  reproach. — Wherefoie  art  thou 
come  ?  This  is  not  asked  for  information,  but 
as  an  appeal  to  the  conscience  of  Judas.  He 
replies  with  the  treacherous  kiss.  Christ  re- 
sponds with  a  final  appeal,  "Judas,  betrayest 
thou  the  Son  of  man  Mith  a  kiss  ? "  (Mark),  but 
receives  no  answer.  These  are  his  last  words  to 
the  apostate  disciple.  The  incident  recorded  by 
John  18  : 4-9,  I  regard  as  occurring  after  this 
conference  with  Judas,  who  was  in  advance  of 
the  rest,  and  before  the  final  seizure  of  Jesus  by 
the  band. 

51.  One  of  them  which  were  with  Jesus. 
Mark's  language  is  still  more  indefinite  ;  he  says 
a  "by-stander."  John  alone  gives  the  name  of 
the  assailant,  Peter,  and  of  the  assailed,  Malchus. 
The   hypothesis  is  reasonable  that   the    other 


Evangelists  concealed  the  names,  in  order  not  to 
involve  their  co-disciple  in  danger  from  the 
Jewish  authorities,  John  did  not  write  until 
after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  when  the 
Jewish  authorities  had  no  longer  power  to  avenge 
this  assault.  We  may  reasonably  surmise  that 
Malchus  was  one  of  the  foremost  to  lay  hands 
on  Jesus,  and  that  Peter  aimed  the  blow  at  his 
head,  but  was  too  impetuous  to  be  sure-aimed. 
Christ  healed  the  wound  inflicted  (Luke  ';2 :  51). 
Before  this  assault  some  of  the  disciples  asked 
permission  to  resist  (luIio  22 :  4o),  but  Peter  did  not 
wait  for  the  Lord's  answer.  The  sword  {aa/uiQu, 
machmra)  was  the  short  one-edged  sword  of  which 
we  have  given  an  illustration  above. 

52-54.  Pecviliar  to  Matthew.  Parallel  to  these 
verses  is  John  18  :  11 ;  "Put  up  thy  sword  into 
his  sheath  :  the  cup  which  my  Father  hath  given 
me,  shall  I  not  drink  it  ?  "  Observe,  the  sword  is 
Peter's,  not  his  Lord's  ;  thy  sword,  not  mine  ;  and 
the  place  of  the  Christian's  sv/ord  is  its  sheath, 
from  which  he  may  draw  it  only  at  the  divine 
command. — All  they  that  take  the  sword 
shall  perish  with  the  sword. — Not  a  com- 
mand, as  Alford  interprets  it ;  so  rendered  it  is 
self- contradictory,  and  would  even  justify  Peter, 
who  meant  that  Malchus,  who  had  taken  the 
sword  of  injustice,  should  perish  by  the  sword 
of  a  just  resistance  and  retribution  ;  not  an  un- 
qualified and  absolute  assertion,  for  it  is  not  true 
of  all,  and  the  right  to  bear  and  use  the  sword  is 
elsewhere  distinctly  recognized  in  the  N.  T.  (Rom. 
13 : 4) ;  but  the  statement  of  a  general  law,  that 
violence  begets  violence,  and  that  those  Avho  are 
most  ready  to  resort  to  physical  force  for  self- 
protection,  are  the  most  liable  to  suffer  from  it, 
while  non-resistants  are  the  least  sufferers,  a 
truth  abundantly  illustrated  by  the  history  of 
the  Friends.  —  Twelve  legions  of  angels. 
One  each  for  Christ  aud  the  eleven.  A  legion, 
in  the  Roman  army  organization,  consisted  of 
6000.  Compare  Christ's  declaration  here  with 
John  10  :  18  and  with  the  language  of  his  prayer 
in  Gethsemane.  The  choice  was  still  open  to  him 
to  escape  the  Pas.sion,  to  conquer  his  foes  by 
force.  But  so  he  could  not  become  the  conquerer 
of  the  world  by  the  patience  of  love.  His  sub- 
mission was  not  a  passive  acquiescence  in  the 
inevitable,  but  a  supreme  choice  to  fulfill  the 
Father's  mission  in  the  Father's  way. —But 
how   then    shall    the    Scriptures   be   ful- 


Ch.  XXVI.] 


MATTHEW. 


297 


55  In  that  same  hour  said  Jesus  to  the  multitudes.  Are 
ye  come  out,  as  against  a  thief,  with  swords  and  staves 
for  to  take  me  ?  I  sat  daily  with  you  teaching  in  the 
temple,  and  ye  laid  no  hold  on  me. 


56  But  all  this  was  done,  that  the  scriptures''  of  the 
prophets  might  be  fulfilled.  Then  all  the  disciples  for- 
sooU  him,  and  fled. 


3:  15;  Ps.  22:  1,  etc. ;  69: 


Dan.  9  :  24,  26 ;  Zech.  13  :  7  ;  Acts  1  :  16. 


filled  ?  That  is,  How  shall  the  divine  will  be 
fulfilled  y  for  the  Scriptures  are  the  reflection  of 
that  will,  and  they  had  clearly  disclosed  that  the 
world  was  to  be  conquered,  not  by  irresistible 
might,  but  by  suffering  love  (isaiaU  ch.  53).  The 
act  of  Peter  exemplifies  the  folly  of  misdirected 
zeal.  It  was  the  only  circumstance  which  could 
give  any  color  to  the  chara:es  afterward  brought 
by  the  priests  against  Jesus  before  Pilate  (luUc 
23:2,6).  Peter  carries  out  in  action  the  spirit 
which  Christ  had  before  rebuked  in  him  (Matt. 
16 :  22, 23)  and  in  his  co-disciples  James  and  John 

(Luie  9  :  54-56). 

55.  Are  ye  come  out  as  against  a  thief? 

Judas  had  cautioned  the  guard  to  lead  Jesus 
away  securely  (Mark  u :  44),  and  when  they  finally 
arrested  him  they  bound  him  (john  is :  ij).  This 
indignity,  it  appears  to  me,  probably  called  forth 
the  remonstrance  of  this  verse.  Compare  the 
language  of  Luke  23  :  .53,  53. — I  sat  daily  Avith 
yon  teachiiis:  in  the  Temple.  The  offence 
with  wliieh  he  was  charged  was  one  of  teaching, 
not  of  robbeiy  or  violence  ;  it  was  open,  public, 
unconcealed,  and  the  time  to  arrest  him  was  the 
time  of  his  teaching ;  he  had  neither  hid  himself 
nor  surrounded  himself  with  his  followers  for 
self-protection ;  the  indignity  of  this  midnight 
arrest  was,  therefore,  gratuitous. 


56.  That  the  writings  of  the  prophets 
might  be  fulfilled.  Whether  these  words  were 
uttered  by  Christ  or  added  by  Matthew,  is  un- 
certain. The  fact  that  they  are  found  subse- 
quently in  Mark's  account  renders  the  former 
hypothesis  preferable.  For  prophecies  referred 
to,  consult  marg.  ref.— And  they  all  forsook 
him  and  fled.  But  Peter,  and  probably  John, 
only  for  a  little  way.  Finding  they  were  not 
pursued,  they  turned  and  followed  the  band  to 
the  high  priest's  house  (john  is :  is). 

Cli.  20  !  57-68.  TRIAL  OF  JESUS  BEFORE  CAIAPIIAS 
ATsD  THE  COUNCIL.  —  Wicked   ends  beget  wicked 

INSTRUMENTS.  —  CHRIST     SOUGHT    MAN'S     LIFE;     MAN 

SOUGHT  Christ's  death.— The  common  cause  of 
slander  (ver.  61,  with  John  2  :  19,  21).— The  best 
ANSWER  to  slander— silence  (vcr.  63). — Christ's 
solemn  testimony  to  his  own  divine  nature  and 
mission  (ver.  64). —  '■  Despised  and  rejected  op 
men  "  (ver.  67,  68). 

Pkeliminabt  Note. — Harmony  of  the  narra- 
tives. The  N.  T.  certainly  records  three,  possibly 
four,  distinct  judicial  or  quasi-judicial  examina- 
tions of  Jesus  prior  to  his  crucifixion.  The  con- 
trast in  the  four  Gospel  narratives  appears  from 
the  following  tabular  view.  Matthew  and  Mark 
differ  only  verbally. 


Matt.  28  :  57  to  27  :  2.   Mark  14  :  63  to  16  :  1. 

Jeaus  is  led  to  Caiaphas' 
palace,  the  council  assembles, 
witnesses  are  summoned,  a 
trial  proceeds,  Jesus  Is  con- 
victed, the  denial  of  Peter  oc- 
curs, whether  at  the  same  time 
and  place  is  not  clear,  the  con- 
viction is  followed  by  insults 
and  huffe tings, and  by  a  second 
council  (27  :  1)  to  insure  the 
execution  of  the  sentence  pro- 
nounced ;  thence  Jesus  is  led 
away  to  Pilate. 


Luke   22  :  54-71. 

Jesus  is  led  to  the  high 
priest's  palace,  Peter  denies 
him,  he  is  insulted  and  buf- 
feted, but  no  formal  trial  Is  re- 
ported until  at  daybreak  the 
Sanhedrim  is  assembled,  and 
Christ  is  led  to  it ;  the  trial 
takes  place,  he  i^  convicted 
and  at  once  conducted  to  Pi- 
late (23 :  1). 


John  18  :  13-27. 

Jesus  is  taken  to  thehouse  of 
Annas,  a  preliminary  exami- 
nation ensues,  whether  at  the 
house  of  Annas  or  Caiaphas  is 
not  clear ;  during  this  prelimi- 
nary examination,  the  denial 
by  Peter  takes  place,  and 
thence  Christ  is  led  to  Pilate. 
There  is  no  report  of  a  formal 
trial  by  the  Sanhedrim. 


It  is  evident  from  a  comparison  of  these  reports 
that  with  our  imperfect  knowledge  we  cannot  be 
certain  as  to  the  order  of  the  events  described, 
and  equally  evident  that  there  is  no  necessary  or 
irreconcilable  inconsistency.  Some  scholars  sup- 
pose that  the  examination  reported  in  John 
18  :  19-23  took  place  before  Annas,  was  followed 
by  an  informal  trial  in  the  palace  of  Caiaphas 
(Matt.  26  :  67-5s),  succceded  by  a  formal  trial  at 


daybreak  (27 : 1),  the  latter  being  described  by 
Luke  (22 :  66-71) ;  others  suppose  that  Jesus  was 
sent  at  once  from  Annas  to  Caiaphas,  that  the 
preliminary  examination  described  in  John  took 
place  in  the  palace  of  Caiaphas  while  the  Sanhe- 
drim was  assembling,  was  followed  by  a  second 
examination  before  the  Council  reported  by  Mat- 
thew, which  was  in  turn  succeeded  by  a  formal 
trial  and  sentence  hinted  at  in  Matthew  27  : 1, 


298 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXVL 


but  more  fully  reported  iu  Luke  21  :  66-71 ;  still 
others  suppose,  and  this  appears  to  me  the  more 
natural  and  probable  supposition,  that  Matthew, 
Mark  and  Luke  report,  though  in  a  different 
form,  the  same  proceedings,  and  that  the  real 
order  of  events  was  probably  substantially  as 
follows :  Christ  was  first  led  to  the  house  of 
Annas,  the  leading  spirit  of  the  priestly  party  ; 
thence  at  once  to  the  house  of  Caiaphas,  where 
the  examination  described  by  John  took  place, 
and  the  denial  by  Peter,  recorded  by  all  the  Evan- 
gelists; meanwhile  the  Sanhedrim  had  assem- 
bled, and  the  formal  trial  was  had  as  described 
by  Matthew,  Mark  and  Luke,  though  whether 
in  the  palace  of  Caiaphas  or  the  council-chamber 
adjoining  the  Temple  (luIso  22 :  cg,  note)  is  uncertain, 
as  is  also  the  question  whether  the  buffetings  and 
insults  took  place  after  the  formal  condemnation 
as  implied  by  Matthew,  or  during  the  prelimi- 
nary examination  as  implied  by  Luke,  or  twice. 
According  to  this  view  the  meeting  of  the  San- 
hedi-im  referred  to  in  Matthew  27  : 1,  was  not  a 
trial  but  a  private  conference  to  determine  on  the 
necessary  measures  to  secure  the  execution  of 
the  death  sentence  agreed  upon.  The  reasons 
for  this  opinion  will  partly  appear  in  the  notes 
hereafter.  See  especially  on  ver.  59 ;  ch.  37  : 1 ; 
Luke  33  :  07-70  ;  Jolm  18  :  24. 

The  trial.  The  court  convened  to  try  Jesus 
Christ  was  the  Sanhedrim  or  Sanhedrin.  The 
origin  of  this  assembly  is  traced  in  the  Mishna 
to  the  seventy  elders  whom  Moses  associated 
with  him  in  the  government  of  Israel  (Numb.  11 :  ic), 
but  this  is  doubtful.  It  is  now  more  generally 
thought  to  have  arisen  subsequent  to  the  Mace- 
donian supremacy  in  Palestine.  It  consisted  of 
chief  priests;  that  is,  the  heads  of  the  twenty-four 
priestly  classes ;  scribes,  that  is,  rabbis  learned  in 
the  literature  of  the  church  ;  and  elders,  who  were 
chosen  from  amongst  the  most  influential  of  the 
laity.  Hence  a  common  designation  in  the  N.  T. 
is  "  chief  priests  and  scribes,"  or  "elders  and  chief 
priests  and  scribes,"  01: "  chief  priests  and  elders  " 
(Matt.  2: 4 ;  16 :  21 ;  27 :  i).  Jewish  tradition  puts  the 
number  of  members  at  seventy-one.  The  high 
priest  usually  presided ;  the  vice-president  sat 
at  his  right  hand.  The  other  councillors  were 
ranged  in  front  of  these  two  in  the  form  of  a 
semicircle.  Two  scribes  or  clerks  attended,  who 
on  criminal  trials  registered  the  votes,  one  for 
acquittal,  the  other  for  condemnation.  The  place 
in  which  the  sessions  of  the  Sanhedrim  were  or- 
ilinai-ily  held  was,  according  to  the  Talmud,  a 
hall  called  GazzU\  supposed  to  have  been  situa- 
ted in  the  south-east  corner  of  one  of  the  courts 
near  the  Temple  building.  The  language  of 
Luke  (22 :  66,  note)  indicates  that  the  trial  of  Jesus 
was  held  in  this  council-chamber.  The  Sanhe- 
drim had  lawful  and  exclusive  jurisdiction  in  all 
cases  where  capital  punishment  could  be  inflicted, 


although  the  power  of  inflicting  capital  punish- 
ment had  been  taken  from  them  by  the  Romans 
(John  18 :  31,  note).  If,  as  I  supposc,  this  trial  took 
place  after  Peter's  denial,  the  hour  is  fixed  by 
the  cock  crowing  at  about  four  o'clock ;  the  day 
Friday,  AprU  7,  a.d.  30. 

Methodic  of  procedure.  The  Jewish  methods  of 
judicial  procedure  are  fully  given  in  the  Rab- 
binical books.  Their  rules  constitute  an  elabo- 
rate and  on  the  whole  a  merciful  code.  The 
court  could  not  be  convened  by  night ;  the  ac- 
cused could  not  be  condemned  on  his  own  con- 
fession ;  two  witnesses  were  necessary  to  secure 
sentence  of  death ;  these  witnesses  must  be 
examined  in  the  presence  of  the  accused ;  he 
had  the  opportunity  of  cross-examination ;  a 
perjurer  was  liable  to  the  penalty  which  would 
have  been  visited  in  case  of  conviction  upon  the 
prisoner ;  the  latter  had  a  right  to  be  heard  in 
his  own  defence ;  a  verdict  could  not  be  ren- 
dered on  the  same  day  as  the  trial,  nor  on  a 
feast-day  ;  the  discovery  of  new  evidence,  even 
after  the  preparations  for  execution  had  com- 
menced, entitled  the  condemned  to  a  new  hear- 
ing. These  rules  were  utterly  disregarded  in 
this  trial.  The  letter  of  the  law  forbidding 
night  trials  was  observed  (Luke  22 :  ec),  but  its 
spirit  was  violated  by  a  midnight  examination 
and  a  hasty  trial  in  the  twilight  of  the  dawn.  A 
quorum  of  the  court  was  present,  but  it  was 
convened  with  haste  so  great,  and  with  notice  so 
inadequate,  that  one  at  least  of  the  most  influen- 
tial friends  of  Jesus  had  apparently  no  opportu- 
nity to  participate  in  its  deliberations  ( Luke  23 :  si ; 
22 :  70,  and  Mark  14 :  64).  Witncsses  wcrc  Summoned, 
and  discrepancies  in  their  testimony  were  noted  ; 
but  the  just  and  reasonable  rule  requiring  the 
concurrent  testimony  of  two  was  openly  and 
almost  contemptuously  disregarded.  An  oppor- 
tunity was  formally  offered  Jesus  to  be  heard  in 
his  own  behalf,  but  no  adequate  time  was  af- 
forded him  to  secure  witnesses  or  prepare  for 
his  defence,  and  the  spirit  of  the  court  denied 
him  audience,  though  its  formal  rules  permitted 
him  a  healing.  Finally,  all  other  means  of  se- 
curing his  conviction  having  failed,  in  violation 
alike  of  law  and  justice,  he  was  put  under  oath 
and  required,  in  defiance  of  his  protest,  to  bear 
testimony  against  himself.  The  law  requiring 
a  day's  deliberation  was  openly  set  aside,  and 
with  haste  as  unseemly  as  it  was  illegal,  the 
prisoner  was  sentenced  and  executed  within 
less  than  twelve  hours  after  his  arrest,  within 
less  than  six  after  the  formal  trial. 

The  sentence  and  its  significance.  The  crime  of 
which  Jesus  Christ  was  accused  and  found 
guilty,  and  for  which  he  was  sentenced  to  death 
by  the  Sanhedrim,  was  blasphemy  (see  ver.  65.  Comp. 
John  19  : 7).  This  was  a  well  recognized  and 
clearly  defined  crime  among  the  Jews.    It  con- 


Ch.  XXVL] 


MATTHEW. 


399 


57  And  '^  they  that  had  laid  hold  on  Jesus  led  Aim 
away  to  Caiaphas  the  high  priest,  where  the  scribes 
and  the  elders  were  assembled. 

58  But  Peter  followed  him  afar  off,  unto  the  high 
priest's  palace,  and  went  in,  and  sat  with  the  servants, 
to  see  the  end. 


59  Now  the  chief  priests,  and  elders,  and  all  the 
council,  sought  false  witness  against  Jesus,  to  put  him 
to  death  : 

60  But  found  none :  yea,  though  many  false  wit- 
nesses came,  yet  found  they  none.  At  the  y  last  came 
two  false  witnesses, 


Mark  14  :  53,  etc. ;  Luke  22  :  54,  etc. ;  John  18  :  12,  etc y  Ps.  27  :  12 : 


sisted  of  any  act  which  tended  to  turn  the  hearts 
of  the  people  from  Jehovah,  who  was  both  their 
God  and  their  King.  This  was  not  only  irreli- 
gion,  but    treason,    and    was    punishable    with 

death    (Eiod.  22  :  20  ;    Numb.  25  :  1-5  ;    Deut.  13  :  1-5  ;    18  :  9-20  j 

aee  Matt.  12 :  32,  note).  Illustratious  of  this  Crime  and 
its  fruits  are  afforded  by  Numbers  16  :  1^0; 
1  Kings  18  :  17-40.  Jesus  was  accused  of  blasphe- 
my because  he  had  proclaimed  himself  to  be  equal 
with  God,  and  had  claimed  and  received  divine 
honors.  To  this  accusation  there  were  but  two 
possible  defences ;  one  that  he  had  made  no  such 
claim,  the  other  that  he  was  indeed  the  Jehovah 
of  the  O.  T.  manifested  in  the  flesh,  and  being  a 
new  revelation,  the  supplement  and  completion 
of  the  old.  On  this  trial  he  took  the  latter 
course.  Put  under  oath,  called  on  to  declare  in 
the  most  solemn  manner  his  position  and  claims, 
he  asserted  that  the  charge  that  he  had  pro- 
claimed himself  the  Son  of  God  was  true,  and 
that  the  assertion  itself  was  true.  Thus  his 
declaration  (ver.  64,  note)  of  his  Divine  Sonship  con- 
stitutes Christ's  solemn  testimony  to  himself, 
uttered  at  the  momentous  crisis  of  his  life,  under 
the  solemn  sanction  of  an  oath,  in  the  course  of 
judicial  proceedings,  in  the  presence  of  the 
highest  council  of  the  realm,  in  the  far  more 
sacred  presence  of  God  and  his  recording  angels, 
at  the  peril  of  his  life,  and  with  a  clear  compre- 
hension of  the  meaning  which  not  only  priests 
and  people  would  attach  to  it,  but  with  which  it 
would  be  forever  invested  by  humanity.  If  it 
had  not  been  true  it  would  have  been  blasphemy. 
"It  is  not  easy,"  says  one  of  America's  most 
distinguished  jurists.  Prof.  Greenleaf,  "to  con- 
ceive on  what  ground  his  (Christ's)  conduct 
could  have  been  defended  before  any  tribunal, 
except  upon  that  of  his  superhuman  character. 
No  lawyer,  it  is  conceived,  would  think  of  plac- 
ing his  defence  upon  any  other  basis."  See,  for 
a  fuller  description  of  the  trial  and  a  fuller 
statement  of  this  question  and  the  Scripture 
passages  bearing  upon  it,  Abbott's  Jesus  ofNiaza- 
reth,  chaps.  33,  35.  , 

57.  Led  him  aAvay  to  Caiaphas.  First, 
however,  to  Annas,  by  whom  he  was  sent  to 
Caiaphas  (John  is :  13, 24).  He  was  the  son-in-law 
of  Annas,  was  appointed  high-priest  by  the  Ro- 
man Procurator  about  27  a.  d.,  held  the  office 
during  the  whole  administration  of  Pilate,  was 
deposed  36  or  37  a.  d.  He  had  predetermined 
the  death  of  Jesus  (John  ii :  50).    Both  Annas  and 


Caiaphas  were  creatures  of  the  Roman  court; 
both  belonged  to  the  Saddusaic  party ;  both, 
that  is,  were  openly  infidel  concerning  some  of 
the  fundamental  truths  of  the  Hebrew  faith. — 
Were  assembled.  In  preparation  for  the 
trial.  They  had  planned  the  arrest  (Matt.  26 : 3-5, 
14, 16),  and  had  furnished  the  temple  guard  to 
consummate  it  (John  is :  3). 

58.  Peter  followed  him  afar  off.  This 
has  been  the  text  for  many  a  denunciation  of 
Peter ;  but  he  could  not  have  followed  in  any 
other  way.  His  fault,  if  any,  was  for  following 
at  all. — Unto  the  courtyard  of  the  high- 
priest.  Not  the  jMlace,  but  the  open  courtyard 
around  which  the  palace  was  built  (ver.  69,  note). — 
To  see  the  end,  i.e.,  what  the  end  would  be. 
Curiosity,  not  devotion,  led  him  into  danger. 

59.  AH  the  council.  This  seems  to  indi- 
cate that  Matthew  is  describing  a  meeting  of  the 
entire  Sanhedrim,  and  hence  probably  the  for- 
mal and  official  trial  of  Jesus.  If  so,  the  pre- 
liminary examination  before  Caiaphas,  and  Pe- 
ter's accompanying  denial  of  his  Master  (John  is : 
13-2?),  took  place  between  ver.  58  and  59  here, 
and  Matthew  goes  back  from  his  description  of 
the  trial  to  describe  subsequently,  and  out  of  its 
chronological  order,  Peter's  denials  (ver.  69-75). — 
To  put  him  to  death.  Not  to  ascertain  the 
truth,  but  to  destroy  one  whom  they  considered 
a  personal  enemy,  was  this  trial  conducted  (john 

5:18;  7:  19,  25;  S:37,  40;  11  :  50). 

60.  But  found  none.  That  agreed  together. 
Two  witnesses  were  required  by  Jewish  law  for 

conviction   (Dcut.  19  :  15  ;    John  8  :  17  ;    2  Cor.  13  :  l).       The 

charge  against  Jesus  of  declaring  himself  the 
Son  of  God  and  so  making  himself  equal  with 
God  (John  10 :  33)  was  ouc  which  it  was  impossible 
to  substantiate  by  any  witnesses  outside  the  im- 
mediate circle  of  Christ's  disciples,  for  his  min- 
istry had  been  one  of  singularly  commingled 
boldness  and  caution — boldness  in  the  truths  he 
uttered,  caution  in  the  methods  of  his  utterance. 
He  never  publicly  proclaimed  himself  the  Mes- 
siah. He  forbade  the  evil  spirits  from  announ- 
cing his  character  (Mark  i :  34).  He  received  the 
confession  of  his  disciples,  but  refused  to  permit 
them  to  repeat  it  to  others  (Matt.  16 :  20).  Interro- 
gated by  the  Jews  whether  he  was  the  Christ, 
he  had  refused  a  direct  reply,  and  had  referred 
them  to  his  works  (John  10 :  24, 25,  note).  He  had 
given  the  same  response  to  the  public  questioning 
of  John's  disciples.    In  most  of  his  later  ministry 


300 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXVI. 


6i  And  said,  This  fellow  said,'  I  am  able  to  destroy 
the  temple  of  God,  and  to  build  it  in  three  days. 

62  And  the  high  priest  arose,  and  said  unto  him,  An- 
swerest  thou  nothing  ?  What  is  it  which  these  wit- 
ness against  thee? 

63  But ''Jesus  held  his  peace.  And  the  high  priest 
answered  and  said  unto  him,  I  adjure"  the^  by  the  liv- 


ing God,  that  thou  tell  us  whether  thou  be  the  Christ,' 
the  Son  ol  God. 

64  Jesus  saith  unto  him,  Thou  hast  said  ;  neverthe- 
less 1  say  unto  you.  Hereafter''  shall  ye  see  the  Son  of 
man  sitting  on  the  right  hand '  of  power,  and  coming 
in  the  clouds  of  heaven. 


he  had  veiled  his  meaning  in  parables,  which  re- 
vealed the  truth  to  honest  inquirers,  but  hid  it 
from  his  foes.  "  Probably  no  two  witnesses  could 
be  found  out  of  the  ranks  of  the  disciples  who 
had  ever  heard  out  of  his  own  lips  an  avowal  of 
his  Messiahship."  (Andrew's  Life  of  Christ,  p. 
501.)  In  John  4  :  26  and  9  :  37,  the  declaration 
of  his  Messiahship  was  made  to  docile  believers 
if  not  to  actual  followers. 

61.  I  am  able  to  destroy  the  Temple  of 
God,  etc.  Observe  in  reference  to  this  charge, 
(1)  that  Christ  had  not  said  so,  he  had  said  (john 
2:19)  that  the  Jews  would  destroy  the  temple, 
which  he  would  restore ;  (2)  that  they  under- 
stood, at  least  partially,  that  he  had  referred 
to  his  own  body  (Matt.  27  :  40, 63) ;  (3)  that  in  their 
testimony  these  false-witnesses  did  not  agree 
(Mark  14 :  53) ;  the  nature  of  their  discrepancy  is, 
perhaps,  indicated  by  the  variations  in  the  testi- 
mony as  reported  by  Matthew  and  Mark ;  (4) 
even  if  he  had  used  the  words  attributed  to  him 
they  would  have  formed  no  ground  for  a  death- 
sentence.  The  charge  illustrates  the  growth  of 
calumny.  "  False  evidence  takes  up  some  truth  ; 
and  a  great  calumny  can  often  be  made  by  no 
great  change  of  words."  —  (Bengel.)  Observe, 
too,  that  Scripture  imputes  falsehood  to  those 
who  pervert  the  truth  as  well  as  to  those  who 
invent  a  lie. 

62,  63.  And  the  high-priest  arose.  An- 
gered by  the  failure  of  the  prosecution  and  by 
the  stinging  rebuke  of  Christ's  silence.  By 
that  silence  he  eloquently  condemned  the  preju- 
dice of  the  court  and  declared  his  own  conviction 
of  the  uselessness  of  defending  himself  before  it. 
— Jesus  held  his  peace.  The  best  answer 
to  wilful  calumny  is  ordinarily  silence. — I  adjure 
thee  by  the  living  God.     An  ordinary  formula 

of   administering    an    oath.       (see  Gen.  24  :  3,  Jahn's  Bib. 

Archeology.)  By  this  act,  therefore,  the  high-priest 
put  Christ  under  oath  to  testify  concerning 
his  own  claim  and  character.  The  high-priest's 
action  was  illegal,  since  by  Rabbinical  laws  the 
accused  could  not  be  condemned  on  his  own 
confession.  Comparing  Luke's  account  (22 :  67-7i) 
it  appears  that  Christ  first  protested  against  the 
illegality,  that  his  protest  was  overborne  by  a 
clamorous  demand  from  all  the  members  of  the 
court,  and  that  to  this  demand  Christ  acceded  by 
giving  the  testimony  recorded  in  the  following 
verse.    Thus  he  literally  fulfilled  his  declaration, 


"  I  lay  down  my  life  ;  no  man  taketh  it  from  me, 
but  I  lay  it  down  of  myself  "  (john  10 :  17,  is.) — The 
Messiah,  the  Son  of  God.  These  phrases  are 
not  used  by  the  high-priest  as  synonymous.  In 
Luke's  account  they  are  represented  as  embodied 
in  two  questions  (Luke  22 :  67, 7(^).  The  O.  T.  prophets 
indicate  that  the  Messiah  was  to  be  in  a  peculiar 

sense  the  Son  of  God  (Psalm  2  :  7  ;  46  :  6,  7  ;  Isaiah  7  :  14  ;  9 :  6 ; 

Micah  5 : 2).  But  it  is  clcar  from  Jewish  Rabbinical 
writings,  from  the  treatment  accorded  to  Jesus, 
and  from  the  ready  facility  with  which  false 
Christs  were  at  this  time  and  a  little  later  received 
by  the  Jews,  that  they  did  not  generally  believe 
that  their  Messiah  would  be  other  than  a  great 
prophet  and  a  king,  coming  to  achieve  victory  for 
the  nation.  The  demand  of  the  high-priest  here 
is,  therefore,  twofold.  He  asks  :  Dost  thou  claim 
to  be  the  Messiah  ?  Dost  thou  claim  to  be  the 
Son  of  God  ?  To  both  questions  Christ  replies, 
using  language  singularly  explicit  in  defining  the 
sense  in  which  he  claims  to  be  the  Son  of  God. 
The  language  of  the  succeeding  verse  utterly 
forbids  our  interpreting  this  phrase  when  applied 
to  Christ  as  parallel  to  its  use  when  applied 
to  ourselves,  e.  g.,  1  John  3:1. 

64.  Thou  hast  said.  A  Jewish  form  of 
affirmation  equivalent  to  "I  am  "  (Mark  u :  62).  It 
is  found  also  in  ordinary  Greek  ;  e.  g.,  "  Thou  thy- 
self, said  he,  sayest  this,  Oh  Socrates"  {Xenop7ion''s 
Memorabilia,  Book  III.)  A  simple  assent  to  the 
question  in  the  case  of  the  Jewish  oath  sufficed 
(see  Numb.  5 :  22).  Christ,  howcvcr,  adds  a  solemn  de- 
claration of  his  future  coming  as  a  divine  Judge. 
—Nevertheless.  Rather,  more  than  that  {nXiiv), 
i.  e. ,  not  only  am  I  the  Messiah  and  the  Son  of  God, 
but  I  shall  come  hereafter  to  judge  the  world. — 
Hereafter.  Literally  henceforth,  i.  e.,  from  this 
time  forward,  including  also,  the  far  future. 
The  time  of  Christ's  humiliation  draws  to  its 
end,  and  with  his  resurrection  commences  his  era 
of  glory  and  power,  consummated  at  the  judg- 
ment-day (i  Cor.  15 :  24-28). — The  Sou  of  Man.  A 
common  appellation  of  the  Messiah,  borrowed 
by  Christ  from  Daniel  and  used  by  him  to  desig- 
nate himself  (see  Matt.  10 :  23,  note). — On  the  right 
hand  of  power.  Equivalent  to  "power  of 
God  "  (Luke  22 :  69).  "  The  Hcbrews  oftcu  called 
God,  Yoyfer.''— (Bengel.)  Comp.  Psalm  110:1. 
— And  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven. 
For  judgment  (Matt.  25 :  31 ;  John  6 :  27).  Observc  the 
contrast  in  this  verse  betweeu  the  present  and 


Ch.  XXVI.] 


MATTHEW. 


301 


65  Then  the  high  priest  rent  his  clothes,  saying,  He 
hath  spoken  blasphemy  ;  what  further  need  have  we  of 
witnesses  ?  behold,  now  ye  have  heard  his  blasphemy. 

66  What  thinlc  ye  ?  Tney  answered  and  said,  He  is 
guilty  of  death.' 


67  Then  8  did  they  spit  in  his  fa-e,  and  buflfeted  him  ; 
and  others  smote  him  with  the  palms  of  their  hands, 

68  Saying,  Prophesy  unto  us,  thou  Christ,  Who  is  he 
that  smote  thee  ? 


f  Lev.  24  :  16 ;  John  19:7 g  Isa.  60  :  6. 


the  future.  They  now  sitting  to  judge  him, 
he  will  then  sit  to  judge  them  ;  they  are  now 
strong  and  he  apparently  weak,  then  he  will  sit 
on  the  right  hand  of  power  and  they  will  call  in 
vain  on  the  mountains  and  rocks  to  hide  them 
(Rev.  6 :  16).  "  As  the  Passiou  advances,  its  amaz- 
ing co7ilrasts  grow  in  affecting  interest.  The 
Deliverer  in  bonds ;  the  Judge  attainted ;  the 
Prince  of  Glory  scorned ;  the  Holy  One  con- 
demned for  sin ;  the  Son  of  God  as  a  blasphe- 
mer ;  the  Resurrection  and  the  Life  sentenced  to 
die.  The  Eternal  High-Priest  is  condemned  by 
the  high-priest  of  that  year." — (Stier.)  On  the 
significance  of  Christ's  testimony  here  to  him- 
self, see  Prel.  Note. 

65.  Then  the  high-priest  rent  his  clothes. 
This  was  a  common  Jewish  sign  of  grief.  Of 
rending  clothes  at  hearing  blasphemy,  see  an 
illustration  in  3  Kings  18  :  37 ;  It)  :  1.  Lightfoot 
quotes  from  the  Rabbinical  books  the  rule  "  when 
witnesses  speak  out  the  blasphemy  which  they 
heard,  then  all,  hearing  the  blasphemy,  are 
bound  to  rend  their  clothes."  The  rending  of 
clothes  was  ordinarily  forbidden  to  the  high- 
piiest  (Lev.  10  :  e),  but  the  prohibition  probably 
applied  only  to  private  mourning.  His  act  here 
may  have  been  a  natural  expression  of  abhor- 
rence at  what  he  sincerely  regarded  as  language 
of  blasphemy.  More  probably  it  was  a  simulated 
and  theatrical  expression  for  the  purpose  of 
producing  an  effect  upon  the  court. — He  hath 
spoken  blasphemy.  By  claiming  to  be  the 
Son  of  God.  On  the  nature  of  blasphemy  under 
the  Jewish  law,  see  Prel.  Note  and  ref.  there. — 
He  is  liable  to  death.  The  Jewish  law 
made  it  a  capital  offence  to  turn  the  people  away 
from  allegiance  to  the  true  God  (Deut.  i3 :  i-s).  Of 
this  Christ  was  accused,  and  for  this  condemned 
to  die  (John  19 : 7).  In  fact,  however,  the  doctrine 
of  the  divinity  of  Christ  has  not  weakened  but 
strengthened  the  allegiance  of  the  human  race 
to  the  Father  (john  u:6;  phu.  2:ii).  Quesnel's 
practical  commentary  on  this  sentence  is  note- 
worthy. "The  Author  of  Life,  and  Life  eternal 
itself,  is  then  judged  worthy  of  death  ;  and  can 
we  complain  after  this  of  the  injustice  of  human 
judgments  as  to  ourselves?  " 

67,  68.  Buffeted  him.  The  original 
(x<iiu(plt^i<i)  signifies  to  strike  with  the  fist. — 
Smote  him  with  the  palms  of  their  hands. 
The  original  (/i«7r;f(o)  signifies  in  Scripture  usage 
to  strike  a  flat  blow  with  the  back  or  the  palm  of 


the  hand,  or  with  a  staff.  Comp.  Matt.  5  :  39,  where 
the  verb  is  the  same. — Saying,  Prophesy  unto 
us.  They  had  first  blindfolded  him  (Luke  22:  C4). 
These  indignities  were  inflicted,  not  by  the  mem- 
bers of  the  court,  but  by  the  servants  (Mark  u :  65 ; 
Luke  22 :  64),  who  doubtlcss  reflected  in  a  meaner 
way  the  vindictive  spirit  of  their  masters.  Luke 
represents  them  as  preceding,  Matthew  and 
.Mark  as  following,  the  sentence  of  the  court. 
The  former  appears  to  me  mor6  probable.  The 
blow  struck  by  the  officer  of  the  high-priest, 
and  narrated  by  John  only  (ch.  is :  22),  is  distinct 
from  these  indignities.  Chrysostom  notes  the 
evident  truthfulness  of  the  Evangelical  narra- 
tives, which  conceal  nothing  of  the  apparent 
humiliation  of  their  Lord.  Such  is  not  the  na- 
ture of  a  myth.  He  eloquently  portrays  the 
indignity  :  "  For  what  could  be  equal  to  this 
insolence'?  On  that  Face,  which  the  sea,  when 
it  saw  it,  had  reverenced,  from  which  the  sun, 
when  it  beheld  it  on  the  cross,  turned  away  his 
rays,  they  did  spit,  and  struck  it  with  the  palms 
of  their  hands,  and  smote  upon  the  Head  ;  giv- 
ing full  swing  in  every  way  to  their  own  mad- 


Ch.  26  :  69-75,  DENIALS  OF  OUR  LORD  BY  PETER.— 
The  danger  of  belf-confidence  (Prov.  11 :  2).— The 
GROWTH  OF  SIN  ILLUSTRATED  (Jamos  1 :  14, 15). — See 
Thoughts  below. 

Preliminary  Note. — The  denial  of  our  Lord 
by  Peter  is  recorded  by  the  four  Evangelists, 
Mark  14  :  66-73 ;  Luke  33  :  .54-63  ;  John  18  : 
1.5-17,  35-37.  I  believe  that  they  all  occurred  as 
indicated  in  John's  account,  during  an  informal 
examination  of  Jesus  in  the  house  of  Caiaphas. 
For  greater  distinctness,  the  three  Synoptists 
have  described  it  disentangled  from  this  contem- 
poraneous examination.  If  this  supposition  be 
correct,  it  preceded  the  formal  trial  of  Jesus  by 
the  Sanhedrim,  as  is  indicated  by  Luke,  though 
narrated  subsequently  by  Matthew  and  Mark. 
The  four  accounts  are  varied  in  their  details, 
and  scholars  are  not  agreed  in  respect  to  their 
true  order.  Any  harmony  is  of  necessity  hypo- 
thetical, though  I  believe  with  Dean  Alford  that 
"if  for  one  moment  we  could  be  put  in  posses- 
sion of  all  the  details  as  they  happened,  each  ac- 
count would  find  its  justification,  and  the  rea- 
sons of  all  the  variations  would  appear."  The 
following  tabular  statement  will  facilitate  the 
student  in  comparing  these  four  narratives  : 


303 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXVL 


FIRST   DENIAL. 


Matthew  26  :  69-75. 

And  Peter  sat  without 
in  the  hall,  aud  a  maid 
came  to  him,  saying, 
*'  Thou  also  wast  with  Je- 
sus of  Galilee."  But  he 
denied  before  them  all, 
saying,  "  I  know  not  what 
thou  sayest."  And  when 
he  had  gone  out  into  the 
porch, 


Another  damsel  saw 
him,  aud  saith  to  those 
who  were  there,  "  This 
one  also  was  with  Jesus 
the  Nazarene."  And  again 
he  denied  with  an  oath, 
"I    do    not    know    the 


And  after  a  while  came 
unto  him  they  that  stood 
by,  and  said  to  Peter, 
"Surely  thou  also  art 
one  of  them;  for  thy 
speech  makes  thee  mani- 
fest." Then  began  he  to 
curse  and  to  swear,  say- 
ing, "  I  know  not  the 
man."  And  immediately 
the  cock  crew.  And  Pe- 
ter remembered  the  word 
of  Jesus  which  said  unto 
him,  "  Before  the  cock 
crow,  thou  shalt  deny  me 
thrice."  And  he  went  out 
and  wept  bitterly. 


Mark  14  :  66-72. 

And  as  Peter  was  down 
in  the  hall,  there  cometh 
one  of  the  maids  of  the 
high-priest ;  and  when  she 
saw  Peter  warming  him- 
self, she  looked  upon  him 
and  said,  '"Thou  also 
wast  with  Jesus  the  Naz- 
arene." But  he  denied, 
saying,  "  I  know  not, 
neither  understand  I  what 
thou  sayest."  And  he 
went  out  into  the  porch, 
and  the  cock  crew. 


Luke  22  :  64-62. 

And  when  they  had  kin- 
dled a  tire  in  the  midst 
of  the  hall,  and  were  set 
down  together,  Peter  sat 
down  among  them.  But 
a  certain  maid  beheld  him 
as  he  sat  by  the  fire,  and 
earnestly  looked  upon 
him,  and  said,  "  This  man 
was  also  with  him."  And 
he  denied,  suying,  "  Wo- 
man, I  know  him  not." 


SECOND  DENIAL. 


And  a  maid  saw  him, 
and  began  to  say  to  those 
standing  by,  "■  This  is  one 
of  them."  But  he  again 
denied  it. 


THIRD 

And  a  little  while  after 
they  that  stood  by  said 
again  to  Peter,  "  Surely 
thou  art  one  of  them  ;  for 
thou  art  a  Galilean  "  (and 
thy  sijeech  agreeth  thereto 
is  not  in  the  best  manu- 
scripts). And  he  began 
to  curse  and  to  swear, 
saying,  "  I  know  not  this 
man  of  whom  ye  speak." 
And  the  second  time  the 
cock  crew.  And  Peter 
called  to  mind  the  words 
that  Jesus  said  unto  him, 
"Before  the  cock  crow 
twice,  thou  shalt  deny  me 
thrice."  And  rushing 
out,  he  wept. 


And  after  a  short  time 
another  (masculine  gen- 
der) saw  him,  and  said, 
"  Thou  art  also  of  them." 
And  Peter  said,  "Man,  I 
am  not." 


DENIAL. 

And  about  the  space 
of  one  hour  after,  another 
(masculine  gender)  confi- 
dently affirmed,  saying, 
"  Of  a  truth  this  man  also 
was  with  him  ;  for  he  is  a 
Galilean."  And  Peter 
said,  "Man,  I  know  not 
what  thou  sayest."  And 
immediately,  while  he  was 
yet  speaking,  'the  cock 
crew.  And  the  Lord 
turned  aud  looked  at  Pe- 
ter, and  Peter  remem- 
bered the  word  of  the 
Lord,  how  he  had  said 
unto  him,  "Before  the 
cock  crow,  thou  shalt  deny 
me  thrice."  And  Peter 
went  out  and  wept  bit- 
terly. 


John  18  :  15-27. 

Another  disciple,  who 
was  known  to  the  high- 
priest  (probably  John), 
came  into  the  hall,  leaving 
Peter  at  the  gate  without. 
He  spoke  to  the  maid  who 
kept  the  gate,  and  she  ad- 
mitted Peter.  And  she 
saith  to  him,  "  Art  not 
thou  also  one  of  this  man's 
disciples?"  He  saith,  "I 
am  not." 


And  the  servants  and 
officers,  having  made  a 
fire  of  coals  because  it  was 
cold,  stood  there  warming 
themselves,  and  Peter 
was  with  them,  standing 
and  warming  himself. 
They  said,  therefore,  to 
him,  "  Art  not  thou  also 
one  of  his  disciples?" 
He  denied  it,  and  said,  "  I 
am  not." 


One  of  the  servants  of 
the  high-priest  (being  his 
kinsman  whose  ear  Peter 
cut  off)  saith  to  him, 
'Did  not  I  see  thee  in 
the  garden  with  him?" 
Again,  therefore,  Peter 
denied.  And  immediate- 
ly a  cock  crew. 


If,  as  is  probably  the  case,  John  is  "  that  other 
disciple  known  to  the  high-priest"  (john is :  15, le), 
he  is  the  only  one  of  the  Evangelists  who  was  an 
eye  and  ear  witness,  and  this  fact  would  render 
it  probable  that  his  order  is  the  correct  one  ; 
though  it  is  not  the  one  usually  adopted  by  the 
harmonists.  May  he  not  have  written  it  in  part 
to  correct  accounts  which  were  derived  at  second- 
hand ?  Following  his  account  the  facts  would 
appear  to  be  as  follows :  Jesus  is  led  to  the  palace 


of  the  high-priest  Caiaphas,  where  he  is  subjected 
to  a  preliminary  and  informal  examination  while 
the  Sanhedrim  are  assembling ;  Peter,  whose  re- 
sistance to  the  guard  has  rendered  him  legally 
liable  to  arrest  and  punishment,  and  who  is  the 
only  one  of  the  eleven  who  is  so  (comp.  John  is :  in 
with  ver.  26),  is  admitted  to  the  courtyard  of  the 
palace  (ver.  69,  note)  through  the  influence  of  John  ; 
as  he  enters,  the  portress  asks  him  if  he  is  not  a 
disciple,  and  he  denies  it ;  he  joins  the  group 


Ch.  XXVL] 


MATTHEW. 


303 


60  Now"  Peter  sat  without  in  the  palace:  and  a 
damsel  came  unto  him,  saying,  Thou  also  wast  with 
Tesus  of  Galilee.  ,.         .        ,  , 

70  But  he  denied  before  them  all,  saying,  I  know  not 
what  thou  sayest.  . 

71  And  when  he  was  gone  out  mto  the  porch,  an- 


other maid  saw  him,  and  said  unto  them  that  were 
there,  This/tV/ow  was  also  with  Jesus  of  Nazareth. 

72  And  again  he  denied  with  an  oath,  I  do  not  know 
the  man. 

73  And  after  a  while  came  unto  him  they  that  stood 
by,  and  said  to  Peter,  ijurely  thou  also  art  one  of  them  ; 
tor  tuy  speech  bewrayetli  ttee. 


Mark  14  :  66,  etc. ;  Luke  22  :  66,  etc. ;  John  18  :  16,  etc. 


about  the  fire  in  the  centre  of  the  courtyard,  is 
a  second  time  interrogated  and  a  second  time 
denies  ;  he  then  retreats  again  to  the  gateway, 
is  again  pressed  with  the  charge,  this  time  by  a 
kinsman  of  Malchus,  and  repeats  his  denial  more 
vehemently  than  before ;  just  at  this  juncture 
Jesus  is  perhaps  led  out  to  trial,  his  look  (Luke 
22: 61)  and  the  crowing  of  the  cock,  recalls  Peter 
to  himself,  and  in  the  confusion  mcidental  to  the 
transference  of  the  prisoner  to  the  council-cham- 
ber, he  makes  good  his  escape.  This  order  of 
events  seems  to  me  more  natural  than  to  sup- 
pose, as  is  ordinarily  done,  that  Peter  first  denied 
his  Lord  in  the  courtyard,  then  retreated  to  the 
door  and  repeated  his  denial,  and  then  returned 
agam  to  the  centre  of  the  yard,  courting  anew 
danger  and  temptation.  The  order,  however,  is 
problematical ;  the  main  facts  are  not.  These 
are,  that  Peter  thrice  denied  his  Lord,  the  last 


time  at  cock  crowing,  followed  his  sin  by  repent- 
ance (not,  however,  mentioned  by  John),  the 
circumstances  exactly  fulfilliag  our  Lord  s  proph- 
ecy ;  and  that  he  fell  into  his  sin  from  a  spirit  of 
self-confidence,  from  a  want  of  prayer  and  watch- 
ing, and  from  a  disregard  of  his  Lord's  warning. 
The  variations  in  the  narratives  are  such  as  wc 
might  expect  from  independent  historians,  but 
it  is  impossible  to  reconcile  them  with  the  hy- 
pothesis that  the  accounts  were  dictated  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  to  the  Evangelists  as  amanuenses. 
It  is  noticeable  that  Peter  was  questioned  by  a 
number  (Mark  14 :  70 :  John  18 :  25),  and  Peter's  denials 
were  reiterated  and  vehement ;  the  variations  in 
the  language,  as  reported  by  the  Evangelists, 
may  indicate  either  that  they  do  not  report  the 
exact  words  used,  or  that  different  Evangelists 
report  different  phrases  employed. 
69.   Peter  was  sitting  Avithout  iu   the 


Area  or 
open  Court 


4- 


e     e     e    " 


Tiiiii 


INTERIOR   COURTYARD   OF   ORIENTAL  HOUSE. 


PLAN  OF   ORIENTAL   HOUSE. 

a,  a.  Doors.  B.  Porch.  C.  Harem. 
D,  D.  Other  rooms.  B,  E.  Galleries 
between  court  and  rooms.    F.  Stairs. 


courtyard.  Of  the  high-priest's  house  (Mark 
14 :  54).  The  denials  could  not,  therefore,  have 
taken  place  in  the  palace  of  Annas,  unless  Annas 
and  Caiaphas  occupied  the  same  dwelling.  An 
Oriental  house  is  usually  built  around  a  quad- 
rangular interior  court  into  which  there  is  a  pas- 
sage, sometimes  arched,  from  the  street,  through 
the  front  part  of  the  house  ;  this  is  closed  by  a 
heavy  folding  gate  with  a  smaller  wicket  for 
single  persons.  This  entrance  is  tended  by  a 
a  porter  (answering  to  the  French  concierge)  who 
in  this  case  was  a  maid  (john  i8 :  n).  In  the  larger 
palaces  this  servant  sat  in  a  porter's  lodge  at 


the  entrance.  The  courtyard  was  very  generally 
paved  or  flagged,  and  was  sometimes  ornamented 
with  beds  of  flowers  and  was  open  to  the  sky. 
The  accompanying  cut  and  plan  illustrates  this 
description.  Peter  entered  through  the  arched 
gateway  a,  a,  warmed  himself  at  an  open  fire, 
kindled  in  the  courtyard,  in  a  portable  stove 
(see  John  18 :  18,  note),  from  which  point  he  could 
probably  see  and  partially  overliear  the  prelimi- 
nary examination  of  Jesus,  taking  place  in  one 
of  the  rooms  d,  d,  which  frequently  open  in 
front  upon  the  courtyard. 
70-74.  I  know   not  what  thou  sayest. 


304 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXVI. 


74  Then  began  he  to  curse  and  to  swear,  saying^  I 
knuw  not  the  man.    And  immediately  the  cock  crew. 


75  And  Peter  remembered  the  '  word  of  Jesus,  which 
said  unto  him,  Before  the  cock  crow,  thou  slial't  deny 
me  thrice.     And  he  went  out,  and  wept  bitterly. 


!  34  ;  Luke  22  :  31-34. 


"A  shuffling  answer;  he  pretended  he  did  not 
understand  the  charge,  and  knew  not  whom  she 
meant  by  Jesus  of  Galilee,  or  what  she  meant  by 
being  with  him-^'—iyMaUlmtJo  Henvij.)— Howe,  out 
into  the  porch.  The  gateway  or  vestibule 
marked  in  tue  plan,  b. — With  an  oath.  Perhaps 
Peter  the  tisherman  was  a  profane  man,  and  in  the 
time  of  temptation  the  old  habit,  long  cast  off,  re- 
asserted itself.  That  he  possessed  originally  the 
vices  common  to  a  seafaring  life  is  perhaps  in- 
dicated by  Luke  5  : 8. — Thy  speech  bewiayeth 
thee.  Makes  thee  manifeot.  The  Galilean  ac- 
cent was  peculiar  ;  the  Galileans  could  not  pro- 
nounce accurately  the  gutturals.  The  kinsman 
of  Malchus,  whose  ear  Peter  had  cut  off,  joined 
his  accusers  at  this  time  (John  is :  se).  Evidently 
he  was  now  beset  by  a  throng  whose  suspicions 
could  not  be  easily  allayed.  Comp.  the  four 
accounts  of  this  last  scene. — To  curse  and  to 
swear.  The  first  word  indicates  that  he  invoked 
imprecations  upon  himself  if  his  denial  were  not 
true.  The  second  word  signifies  an  appeal  to 
the  Deity  in  attestation  of  his  truth.  Matthew 
Henry  observes  that  "  we  have  reason  to  suspect 
the  truth  of  that  which  is  backed  by  rash  oaths 
and  imprecations.  None  but  the  devil's  sayings 
need  the  devil's  proofs."  —  The  cock  crew. 
Mark  relates  that  the  cock  crowed  twice,  vers. 
(J8,  7:2 ;  the  others  speak  only  of  his  crowing 
once.  This  accords  also  with  their  respective  ac- 
counts of  our  Lord's  prophecy.  "The  cock  often 
crows  about  midnight  or  not  long  after;  and 
again  always  about  the  third  hour  or  daybreak. 
When,  therefore,  '  the  cock  crowing '  is  spoken 
of  alone,  this  last  is  always  meant.  Hence  the 
name  cock  crowing,  for  the  third  watch  of  the 
night,  which  ended  at  the  third  hour  after  mid- 
night (Mark  13  •  35),  Mark,  therefore,  here  relates 
more  definitely;  the  others  more  generally." — 
(Robinson.)  The  O.  T.  does  not  mention  the  cock, 
and  it  is  said,  on  the  authority  of  the  Rabbinical 
books,  that  no  cock  was  allowed  to  be  kept  in 
Jerusalem.  But  (1)  the  Rabbinical  books  are 
very  doubtful  authority  on  such  a  matter.  They 
state  with  tolerable  accuracy  the  rules  of  the 
Jewish  ritualists,  but  are  poor  authority  for  the 
practices  of  the  Jewish  people  ;  and  (2)  the 
cock  crowing  might  have  been  heard  from  the 
hillside  outside  the  walls,  over  against  Jerusa- 
lem. 

7.5.  Peter  remembered  the  word  of  Je- 
sus (ver.  34).  He  was  called  to  himself  by  the 
crowing  of  the  cock  and  by  a  look  from  Jesus 

(Luke  22  :  6l).  I 


Lessons  from  Peter's  Denial.— In  studying 
the  moral  significance  of  this  incident,  observe, 
(Ij  Peter's  temptation,  (2)  his  sm,  (3)  his  rcpc.-^- 
ance.  (1.)  His  temptation.  He  is  ardent,  impul- 
sive, impetuous,  but  self-confident,  knowing  not 
his  own  weakness.  He  is  forewOTned  by  Christ, 
but  is  blind  to  his  own  danger.  He  follows  his 
Master  to  the  high -priest's  palace,  not  drawn 
by  love  to  serve  his  Lord,  but  by  curiosity  and 
perhaps  bravado  to  see  the  end  (vcr.  ss,  note).  Be- 
cause he  is  self-confident,  he  does  not  watch  and 
pray  (ver.  4o);  because  he  does  not  watch  and 
pray,  he  does  not  foresee  the  temptation ;  be- 
cause he  has  not  foreseen,  he  enters  into  tempta- 
tion. (3.)  His  si7i.  Observe  its  development. 
First  was  the  self-confidence  which  despised 
Christ's  warning  (vcr.  ss) ;  next  the  spiritual  sloth 
that  permitted  sleep  while  Christ  prayed  (vers.  4n, 
43,  45) ;  next  the  false  position  in  entering  the 
high-priest's  palace  and  joining  the  enemies  of 
the  Lord,  concealing  his  diKcijileMii ;  next  his 
denial  of  his  Lord — first  an  evasive  answer,  I 
know  not  what  thou  sayest ;  then  a  flat  denial,  I 
know  not  the  man ;  finallj'  perjury  added  to 
falsehood.  Began  he  to  curse  and  to  swear.  (3. ) 
His  repentance.  His  conscience  was  throughout 
uneasy ;  the  crowing  of  a  cock  and  the  look  of 
his  Lord  sufficed  to  recall  the  forgotten  warn- 
ing, and  the  recall  of  the  Lord's  warning  pierced 
his  heart.  He  "went  out  into  the  black  night, 
but  not,  as  Judas,  into  the  darkness  of  despair. 
Weeping  bitterly,  he  awaited  the  dawn  of  an- 
other and  a  better  morning." — (Lange.)  His 
repentance  he  attested  (a)  by  the  bitterness  of 
his  tears  ;  (6)  by  his  humble  submission  to  his 
Lord's  subsequent  rebuke  (joim  21 :  is-i:) ;  (c)  by 
his  subsequent  courage  in  confessing  Christ  in 
the  face  of  threatened  danger  (Acts  4 : 8-12, 19) ;  {d) 
by  the  thoroughness  with  which  he  learned  the 
lesson  of  humility,  as  illustrated  by  his  own  sub- 
sequent epistles  (see  particularly  1  Pet.  1  :  6, 17  ;  3  :  15  ;  4  :  12). 

And  observe  that  Peter's  sin,  repentance,  and 
pardon  afford  to  the  disciples  of  Christ  a  witness 
of  how  great  is  the  forgiving  kindness  of  the 
Lord,  and  how  large  his  pardoning  mercy,  even 
to  apostates.  Comp.  1  Tim.  1  :  16.  Again,  con- 
trast (1)  Peter  and  Jesus.  Jesus,  before  the 
high-priest,  with  the  sanctity  of  an  oath,  testi- 
fies to  his  divinity,  and  so  surrenders  himself  to 
the  cross ;  Peter,  before  the  servants,  adds  an 
oath  to  his  denial  of  the  Lord,  and  so  escapes 
arrest.  (2.)  Fkter  here  and  elsewhere.  He  who 
was  the  first  to  confess  Christ  the  Son  of  God, 
was  the  first  to  deny  him  (comp.  Matt,  lo :  le).    But 


Ch.  XXVII;]  MATTHEW. 

CHAPTER    XXVII. 

WHEN  the  morning  was  come,  all  the  chief  priests 
and  elders  of  the  people  took  counsel  J  against 
Jesus  to  put  him  to  death. 

2  And  when  they  had  bound  him,  they  led  //z;« 
away,  and  dehvered  him"  to  Pontius  Piiate  the  gov- 
ernor. 


305 


3  Then  Judas,  which  had  betrayed  him,  when  he 
saw  that  he  was  condemned,  repented  himself,  and 
brought  again  the  thirty  pieces  of  silver  to  the  chief 
priests  and  elders, 

4  Saying,  I  have  sinned,  in  that  I  have  betrayed  the 
innocent  blood.'  And  they  said,  What  is  that  to  us? 
see  thou  to  that. 


19 1  2  Kings  -24  :  4. 


even  then  lie  rebuked  Christ  for  prophesying 
his  passion  (Matt,  le :  22) ;  no  wonder  that  he  now 
refused  to  share  it.  He  who  drew  a  sword  to 
resist  the  guard  (John  is  :  10)  lacked  courage  to 
resist  his  own  fears.  He  was  the  most  coura- 
•geous  and  the  most  cowardly  of  the  eleven.  He 
who  denied  now  never  denied  again,  hut  learned 
well  the  needed  lesson  of  courage  and  caution. 
See  ref.  above  to  Acts  and  1  Peter.  That  the 
old  weakness  was  not,  however,  at  once  and  for- 
ever eradicated,  see  Gal.  2  :  11,  13.  (3.)  Peter 
and  Judas.  Both  looked  for  a  temporal  Mes- 
siah ;  both  were  disappointed  by  the  revelation 
of  a  suffering  Messiah  ;  both  disowned  Him 
whom  they  had  once  followed.  But  Judas  did 
so  deliberately,  Peter  under  a  stress  of  unex- 
pected temptation ;  one  6f  his  own  will,  the 
other  despite  the  purpose  of  his  better  self ;  one 
sought  refuge  from  remorse  in  death,  the  other 
from  the  burden  of  his  sin  in  the  forgiveness  of 
his  Lord. 

Ch.  27  : 1-10.  JESUS  IS,  LED  TO  PILATE.-REMOESE 
AND  DEATH  OF  JUDAS.— False  repentance:  "A  man 

MAT  KNOW  HIS  SIN,  CONCEIVE  AN  ABHORRENCE  OP  IT, 
BEPENT  OF  IT,  CONFESS  IT,  RESTORE  HIS  ILL-GOTTEN 
GOODS,  RETIRE  FROM  THE  OCCASION,  AND  YET  BE  A 
PALSE  PENITENT,  LIKE  JUDAS."— (§M6««rf.)— iNDrVID- 
TTAL  RESPONSIBELITT  ;   EVERT  SOUL  MUST  SEE  TO  ITS  OWN 

SIN. — Satan  entices  us  to  sin,  but  deserts  us  when 

WE  have  fallen  INTO  IT. — ThB  REWARD  OF  APOSTAST 

(ver.  5  with  Acts  1  :  18).— The  htpocrite's  con- 
science :  LAWFUL  to  PAT  THE  PRICE  OF  BLOOD  ;  UN- 
LAWFUL TO  PUT  IT  INTO  THE  LoRD'S  TREASURT.— ThE 

DEATH  OF  Christ  provides  a  resting-place  for  the 

OUTCAST. — A  MARVELLOUS  PROPHECT,  MARVELLOUSLT 
FULFILLED. — THE  PUNITIVE  POWER  OF  CONSCIENCE 
ILLUSTRATED. 

The  trial  before  Pilate  is  reported  by  the  four 
Evangelists,  most  fully  by  John.  See  below,  on 
ver.  11-31.  The  remorse  and  death  of  Judas  are 
described  only  by  Matthew  ;  a  different  account 
is  given  by  Peter  in  Acts  1 :  18,  19.  See  below, 
on  ver.  6-8. 

1,  2.  When  the  morninsr  was  come. 
"This  was  the  time  of  saying  their  phylacteries, 
namely,  from  the  first  daylight  to  the  third  hour. 
But  where  was  these  men's  religion  to-day? 
Did  you  say  your  phylacteries  this  morning,  my 
good  fathers  of  the  council,  before  you  came  to 
sit  on  the  bench  ?  ''— {Light foot.)— X\\  the  chief 
priests  and  elders.    Not  literally  all;  one,  at 


least,  was  probably  absent  (Luke  23 :  51). — Took 
counsel  to  put  him  to  death.  That  is,  to 
execute  the  death-sentence  already  passed 
upon  him.  The  language  implies,  not  a  formal 
trial  (as  Lauge,  James  Morison,  Alford,  and 
others),  but  a  private  conference  to  devise  means 
for  the  execution  of  the  death-sentence.  The 
Jews  had  not  the  power  under  the  Roman  gov- 
ernment of  putting  to  death  (john  is :  31,  note),  and  a 
charge  of  blasphemy  would  be  looked  on  with 
as  much  indifiEerence  by  Pilate  in  Jerusalem  as 
by  GaUio  in  Achaia  (Acts  is :  12-n).  It  was  there- 
fore necessary  to  present  some  other  charge,  and 
support  it  by  some  plausible  evidence.  The 
result  of  this  conference  was  an  accusation  of 
sedition  (Luke  23: 2).— Pontius  Pilate  the  gov- 
ernor. The  Roman  provinces  were  of  two 
kinds,  Senatorial  and  Imperial.  The  latter  were 
governed  by  military  officers,  who  held  their 
office  and  power  at  the  pleasure  of  the  Emperor. 
They  looked  after  the  taxes,  paid  the  troops, 
presei-ved  order,  and  administered  a  rude  sort  of 
justice  ;  from  their  decisions  there  was  ordina- 
rily no  appeal,  except  in  the  case  of  a  Roman 
citizen.  Judaea  was  an  Imperial  province  ;  Pon- 
tius Pilate  was  its  governor  or  procurator,  and 
was  directly  amenable  to  the  Emperor,  Tiberius 
Caesar,  for^jiis  admuiistration.  On  his  character 
see  notes  on  John  (ch.  19 :  is). 

3,  4.  Judas  *  *  *  *  repented  himself. 
There  are  two  Greek  words  used  in  the  N.  T., 
both  of  which  are  rendered  repent.  They  are 
not  quite  synonymous ;  the  one  {^letavoim)  sig- 
nifies literally  to  know  after,  and  hence  indicates 
a  change  of  mind  or  purpose  (Matt.  3 : 2,  note) ;  the 
other  (fterauiXoi^iat)  signifies  literally,  to  care 
after,  and  so  to  carry  a  burden  of  sorrow  for  the 
past.  The  latter  is  the  word  used  here.  The 
distinction  is  well  stated  by  Trench  :  "He  who 
has  changed  his  mind  about  the  past  is  in  the  way 
to  change  everything  ;  he  who  has  an  after  care 
may  have  little  or  nothing  more  than  a  selfish 
dread  of  the  consequences  of  what  he  has  done." 
This  appears  to  have  been  the  state  of  mind  of 
Judas.— The  thirty  pieces  of  silver.  Thirty 
shekels,  i.  e.,  $18  to  $20.  The  fact  that  this  was 
all  that  was  returned  indicates  that  it  was  all 
that  was  received ;  not  merely,  as  some  have  sup- 
posed, earnest  money  paid  down  to  bind  the  bar- 
gain (ch.  26 :  le,  note).— I  have  sinned  in  that  I 
have  betrayed  the  innocent  blood.    Thia 


306 


MATTHEW. 


[TOh.  XXVII. 


5  And  he  cast  down  the  pieces  of  silver  in  the  tem- 
ple, and  departed,  and  went  and  hanged™  himselt. 

6  And  the  chief  priests  took  the  silver  pieces,  and 
said,  It  is  not  lawful  for  to  put  them  into  the  treasury, 
because  it  is  the  price  of  blood. 

7  And  they  took  counsel,  and  bought  with  them  the 
potter's  field,  to  bury  strangers  in. 


8  Wherefore  that  Seld  was  called,  The  field  of  blood, 
unto  this  day. 

9  Then  was  fulfilled  that  which  was  spoken  "  by  Jer- 
emy the  prophet,  saying,  And  they  took  the  thirty- 
pieces  of  silver,  the  price  of  him  that  was  valuedf, 
whom  they  of  the  children  of  Israel  did  value  ; 

10  And  gave  them  for  the  potter's  field,  as  the  Lord 
appointed  me. 


m  2  Sam.  17  :  23  ;  Ps.  55  : 


Zech.  11  :  12,  13. 


language  is  inconsistent  with  the  theory  that 
Judas'  betrayal  was  a  stratagem  to  compel  Christ 
to  declare  himself  the  Messiah.  The  word  trans- 
lated sin  {ui.iu<ndyui),  though  literally  meaning 
to  err,  in  the  N.  T.  usage  always  signifies  moral 
wrong,  never  a  mere  error  in  judgment.  The 
Jewish  law  required  the  court  to  receive  any  new 
evidence  for  the  accused,  even  after  conviction 
and  sentence.  I  believe  that  this  was  an  attempt 
on  Judas'  part,  under  this  weU-known  provision, 
to  offer  evidence  to  the  innocence  of  Jesus,  and 
so  secure  a  reversal  of  the  sentence  pronounced 
against  him.  In  refusing  to  receive  his  testi- 
mony the  court  violated  its  own  rule  of  proced- 
ure. Dr.  Eobinson,  it  is  true,  places  this  testi- 
mony of  Judas  subsequent  to  the  condemnation 
of  Pilate.  But  he  assigns  no  adequate  reason 
for  departing  from  the  order  indicated  by  Mat- 
thew, and  his  hypothesis  does  not  agree  with  the 
narrative.  This  interview  between  Judas  and 
the  court  was,  apparently,  while  the  court  was  in 
session,  and  in  the  Temple  (vers.  3, 5) ;  and  after 
Jesus  was  conducted  to  Pilate,  the  members  of 
the  Sanhedrim,  or  at  least  an  important  portion 
of  them,  seem  not  to  have  returned  to  the  Tem- 
ple till  they  had  seen  the  crucifixion  accom- 
plished (vers.  20,  4i).  I  judgc,  then,  that  Judas 
came  to  the  council  while  they  were  deliberating 
how  to  execute  the  death-sentence  which  they 
had  pronounced  (ver.  1),  and  for  the  purpose  of 
procuring  a  reversal  of  that  sentence.  Observe 
the  significance  of  his  testimony.  "Had  our 
Lord  been  condemned  to  death  on  the  evidence 
of  one  of  his  own  disciples,  it  would  have  fur- 
nished infidels  with  a  strong  argument  against 
Christ  and  the  Christian  religion.  'One  of  his 
own  disciples,  knowing  the  whole  imposture,  de- 
clared it  to  the  Jewish  rulers,  in  consequence 
of  which  he  was  put  to  death  as  an  impostor  and 
deceiver.''"  — {Adam  CJarke.)  —  See  thou  to 
that.  Rather,  Thou  shall  see  to  that.  The  verb 
is  in  the  indicative,  not  the  imperative  mood. 
Pilate  repeats  the  same  language  to  the  multi- 
tude (ver.  24).  Both  Pilate  and  the  priests  are  un- 
conscious witnesses  to  the  truth  (Ezek.  is  :  4  ;  Gal.  6  :  5). 
5.  In  the  Temple.  The  word  so  rendered 
(laoc),  is  ordinarily  employed  in  the  N.  T.  to 
designate  the  Holy  Place  which  was  God's  special 
abode,  and  which  the  priests  alone  might  enter 
(Mark  16 :  38 ;  Luke  1 : 9).  If  this  be  the  meaning  here, 
Judas  came  to  the  entrance,  and  when  the  money 


was  refused,  cast  it  through  the  open  door  into  the 
Holy  Place  in  a  rage,  and  went  away.  I  should 
think  it  more  probable,  with  Bengel,  that  the  word 
here  stands  for  the  more  general  one  (it^oc), 
usually  employed  to  designate  the  whole  sacred 
edifice  with  its  outbuildings.  Probably  the  San-, 
hedrim  were  still  in  session  in  the  council-cham- 
ber (see  Luke  22 :  66,  note),  and  Judas  entered  during 
their  deliberations  to  ofEer  his  evidence  to  the 
innocence  of  the  accused,  which,  by  the  rules  of 
Jewish  procedure,  they  were  required  to  receive. 
—  And  departed,  and  went  and  hanged 
himself.  Lange  supposes  that  he  first  attempted 
to  retire  from  the  world  and  do  penance  by  a  life 
of  solitude,  and  that  not  till  afterwards  did  de- 
spair drive  him  to  suicide.  It  is  not  probable 
that  the  consultation  as  to  what  should  be  done 
with  the  money,  reported  in  the  succeeding 
verse,  took  place  till  after  the  crucifixion. 

6-8.  It  is  not  lawful.  Because,  being 
blood-money,  they  regarded  it  as  unclean  (see  Deut. 
23 :  18).  "  Blind  and  merciless  priests,  very  careful 
in  laying  out  Judas'  money,  but  not  in  the  least 
concerned  what  will  become  of  his  soul."  — 
{Quesnel.)  Comp.  Matt.  23  :  14,  29-33.  A  strange 
conscience  that  pays  blood-money  without  scru- 
ple, but  scruples  to  give  it  to  the  Lord.  But  it 
is  better  than  the  modem  conscience  which  takes 
the  devil's  money  for  the  devil's  work,  and  is 
appeased  by  paying  a  part  into  the  treasury  of 
the  Lord.— The  price  of  blood.  That  is,  For 
blood  — the  murderer's  wages.— The  potter's 
field.  A  place  from  which  clay  had  been  exca- 
vated for  some  well-known  potteiy,  and  pur- 
chased for  so  small  a  price  because  of  its  now 
useless  character.  —  To  bury  stransrers  in. 
Possibly,  as  Alford,  for  stranger  Jews,  quite  as 
probably  for  Gentiles,  more  probably  for  both, 
it  was  to  be  a  burial-place  for  the  poor  and  the 
unknown.  The  site  of  this  field  is  unknown ; 
the  traditional  site  is  just  outside  the  walls  of 
Jerusalem  on  the  south  of  Mount  Zion.  That 
the  "field  of  blood"  should  ever  have  been  re- 
garded as  a  sacred  spot  is  one  of  the  curiosities 
of  Church  history.  Such,  however,  is  the  fact. 
It  was  believed  in  the  Middle  Ages  that  the  soil 
of  this  place  had  the  power  of  very  rapidly  con- 
suming bodies  buried  in  it ;  and  in  consequence 
either  of  this,  or  of  the  sanctity  of  the  spot,  great 
quantities  of  the  earth  were  taken  away  ;  among 
others,  by  the  Pisan  Crusaders  in  1218,  for  their 


Ch.  XXVII.] 


MATTHEW. 


307 


Campo  Santo  at  Pisa,  and  by  the  Empress  Helena 
for  that  at  Rome. — Unto  this  day.  This  ex- 
pression indicates  that  sometime  elapsed  between 
the  event  and  the  publication  of  Matthew's  gospel. 
Comp.  ch.  38  :  15. 

The  account  of  the  death  of  Judas  in  Acts 
1  :  18,  19,  is  quite  different  from  that  given  here. 
The  most  common  explanation  is  also  the  most 
natural,  viz.,  that  Judas  hanged  himself  as  de- 
scribed by  Matthew,  that  the  cord  broke  and  in 
the  fall  he  was  mangled  in  the  manner  described 
by  Peter,  that  his  suicide  took  place  in  the  field 
purchased  by  the  priests  with  the  blood  money, 
and  from  the  double  circumstance  of  this  pur- 
chase and  his  death  it  was  called  the  field  of  blood, 
and  that  Peter's  expression:  "He  purchased  a 
field  with  the  reward  of  iniquity,"  is  a  bitter 
ironical  reference  to  the  recompense  of  Judas' 
treachery,  which  would  be  understood  by  his 
hearers,  to  whom  the  facts  were  all  well  known. 
"Prof.  Hackett,  referring  to  a  suggestion  that 
he  may  have  hung  himself  upon  a  tree  overhang- 
ing the  valley  of  Hinnom,  says  :  '  For  myself,  I 
felt,  as  I  stood  in  the  valley  and  looked  up  to  the 
rocky  terraces  which  hang  over  it,  that  the  pro- 
posed explanation  was  a  perfectly  natural  one. 
1  was  more  than  ever  satisfied  with  it. '  He  found 
the  precipice,  by  measurement,  to  be  from 
twenty-five  to  forty  feet  in  height,  with  olive- 
trees  growing  near  the  edges,  and  a  rocky  pave- 
ment at  the  bottom,  so  that  a  person  who  fell 
from  above  would  probably  be  crushed  and 
mangled,  as  well  as  killed." — (Andrews.) 

9,  10.  Then  was  fulfilled,  etc.  There  is 
no  such  prophecy  in  Jeremiah.  It  occurs  in 
Zechariah  11  :  12,  13.  Either  the  Evangehst 
quoted  from  memory  and  made  a  mistake  in  his 
citation  (Alford),  or  he  referred  to  Jeremiah 
because  his  Book  was  placed  first  in  the  Books 
of  the  Prophets  {Lightfool),  or  by  a  transcriber's 
error  Jeremiah  was  substituted  for  Zechariah 
(Barnes,  James  Mbrison).  In  the  Greek  manu- 
script, words,  proper  names  especially,  were  often 
abridged.  Mr.  Barnes  claims  that  the  change  by 
the  transcriber  of  a  smgle  letter  Iriou  (Jeremiah) 
for  ZrioH  (Zechariah),  would  account  for  the  mis- 
take. The  prophecy  itself  is  mystical,  and  would, 
I  believe,  be  inexplicable  but  for  its  historical  ful- 
fillment. It  is  in  these  words  (Henderson's  trans- 
lation):  "And  I  said  to  them.  If  it  be  good  in 
your  eyes,  give  my  reward ;  and  if  not,  forbear. 
So  they  weighed  my  reward,  thirty  pieces  of 
silver.  And  Jehovah  said  to  me.  Cast  it  to  the 
potter,  the  splendid  price  at  which  I  was  esti- 
mated by  them  !  And  I  took  the  thirty  pieces 
of  silver  and  cast  them  into  the  House  of  Jehovah 
to  the  potter."  Apparently  the  prophet  calls 
for  his  recompense  ;  the  people  offer  him  a  con- 
temptible sum  ;  the  Lord  regards  it  as  offered 
to  himself ;  and  he  directs  it  to  be  contemptuously 


rejected  by  being  thrown  to  the  potter  m  the 
Temple,  a  symbolic  act  which  in  some  way,  not 
now  very  clear,  expressed  scorn  or  contempt. 
In  the  fulfillment  of  this,  which  was  a  prophetic 
act,  the  same  sum,  thirty  pieces  of  silver,  are  paid 
as  the  price  for  the  Saviour's  blood  ;  the  money 
is  returned  by  the  traitor,  to  the  priests  in  the 
Temple;  the  priests,  regarding  it  with  abhor- 
rence, refuse  to  put  it  into  the  treasury  of  the 
Lord  ;  and  it  is  used  for  the  purchase  of  a  potter's 
field.  The  correspondence  between  the  prophecy 
and  its  fulfillment  is  the  more  striking  because  of 
the  difference  of  the  circumstances  in  the  two 
cases.  A  comparison  of  the  quotation  with  the 
original  prophecy  indicates  that  it  is  made  from 
memory ;  it  is  not  verbally  exact. 

Character  and  Career  of  Judas  Iscariot. 
— The  character  of  Judas  Iscariot  is  an  enigma. 
He  is  called  by  Christ  to  be  a  disciple,  is  ordained 
as  an  apostle,  is  sent  forth  to  preach  the  Gospel, 
power  is  conferred  on  him  to  work  miracles  (Luke 
6 :  16 ;  Matt.  ch.  lo),  and  hc  is  made  treasurer  of  the 
band  (John  12 : 6).  He  deserts  the  cause  to  which  he 
has  voluntarily  consecrated  himself,  betrays  his 
Master  for  the  paltry  sum  of  thirty  pieces  of  silver 
(Matt.  26 :  16,  note),  personally  conducts  the  guard  to 
Christ's  place  of  retreat,  and  shows  himself  both 
to  the  Master  and  his  followers  as  a  traitor,  thus 
indicating  a  nature  not  only  dead  to  conscience, 
but  indifferent  to  the  just  scorn  and  contempt  of 
his  companions.  Yet  when  his  treachery  is  con- 
summated he  is  filled  with  remorse  at  a  result 
which  he  might  easily  have  anticipated  even  if 
Christ  had  not  expUcitly  foretold  it,  he  endeavors 
to  repair  the  wrong  by  a  voluntary  testimony  to 
the  innocence  of  the  accused,  returns  the  money 
paid  him  for  his  treachery,  and  evinces  the  bit- 
terness of  his  remorse  by  his  act  of  self-destruc- 
tion. In  the  interpretation  of  this  enigma  two 
extreme  hypotheses  have  been  proposed,  each  of 
which  appears  to  me  to  be  false  in  fact,  and  to 
lose  the  lesson  of  Judas'  life  and  death.  The 
first  supposes  him  to  have  joined  the  disciples 
solely  from  worldly  and  selfish  motives,  and  to 
have  abandoned  them  solely  to  secure  the  prof- 
fered bribe.  This  interpretation  of  his  character 
is  inconsistent  with,  (1)  his  selection  by  Christ, 
who  can  hardly  be  thought  to  have  chosen  as  an 
apostle  one  who  was  a  traitor  in  thought  and 
feeling  from  the  outset ;  (3)  the  smallness  of  the 
bribe.  This  thirty  shekels  was  equal  to  $18 
to  $20 ;  making  a  fair  allowance  for  the  differ- 
ence in  values  between  that  age  and  this,  it 
would  be  equivalent  to  about  $150  of  our  cur- 
rency. This  sum  would  hardly  of  itself  consti- 
tute an  adequate  motive  for  such  a  deed  of 
infamy,  even  to  the  most  avaricious  ;  (3)  the 
fact  that  the  offer  of  betrayal  originated  with 
Judas  ;  the  bribe  was  not  first  proffered  to  him. 
(4:.)  Judas'  disappointment,  remorse,  and  return 


30S 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXVII. 


of  the  bribe.  If  the  money  was  the  sole  motive 
of  his  treachery,  there  is  nothiug  to  account 
for  this.  The  second  hypothesis  regards  him 
as  the  victim  of  a  delusion  rather  than  the  perpe- 
trator of  a  crime.  It  supposes  that  Judas  was 
a  sincere,  though  mistaken  and  worldly-minded 
disciple  of  Jesus  ;  that  he  believed  Jesus  to  be 
the  long-looked  for  Messiah  ;  that  he  was  impa- 
tient of  his  Master's  delay  m  publicly  declaring 
himself  and  inaugurating  his  Messianic  kmgdom  ; 
that  he  therefore  resorted  to  a  stratagem  and 
contrived  Christ's  arrest,  fully  believing  that, 
thus  compelled  to  exert  his  miraculous  powers 
for  his  own  deliverance,  he  would  assert  his  Mes- 
siahship  and  set  up  his  kingdom  in  Jerusalem  ; 
and  that  when  the  result  proved  so  different  and 
so  disastrous,  the  mistaken  disciple  was  over- 
whelmed with  remorse  and  despair.  See  this 
view,  in  a  modified  form,  defended  in  Dr.  Clarke's 
Commentary  on  Acts,  ch.  1 ;  he  maintains  that 
Judas  did  not  destroy  himself,  truly  repented  of 
his  sin,  did  what  he  could  to  undo  his  wicked  act, 
and  that  "  there  is  no  positive  evidence  of  the 
final  damnation  of  Judas  in  the  sacred  text." 
This  view  is  inconsistent,  (1)  with  Judas'  recep- 
tion of  the  bribe.  If  his  treachery  were  a  mere 
stratagem,  surely  he  might  have  contrived  some 
other  way  of  accomplishing  it.  By  his  compact 
with  the  priests,  his  withdrawal  from  the  Supper 
table,  and  his  accompanying  the  band  to  Geth- 
semane,  he  emphasizes  his  entire  separation  from 
the  disciples;  (2)  with  his  own  language,  "I 
have  sinned  in  that  I  have  hetrayed  the  innocent 
blood  (ver.  3,  note) ;  (3)  with  the  subsequent  lan- 
guage of  Peter  and  the  disciples  respecting  him. 
He  "  purchased  a  field  with  the  reward  of  iw- 
iquity.^'  "Judas  by  transgression  fell,  that  he 
might  go  to  fiis  own  jjlace  (Acts  i :  is,  25) ;  (4)  with 
Christ's  language,  who  designates  him  as  "  the 
son  of  perdition  "  (john  n  :  12)  and  declares  of  him 
that  ' '  it  were  good  for  that  man  if  he  had  not 
been  born  "  (Matt.  26 :  24).  Some  light  on  the  true 
interpretation  of  Judas'  character  and  career  is 
thrown  by  a  consideration  of  the  following  faets  : 
(1.)  All  the  disciples  originally  expected  that  an 
immediate  and  earthly  kingdom  would  be  set  up 
by  Christ.  This  expectation  they  retained  to  the 
last  (Matt.  19 :  27 ;  Luke  19 :  ii).  When  he  disavowcd 
this,  many  who  had  followed  left  him  (joim  6 :  ee). 
Thus  in  them  all  there  was  a  conflict  between  per- 
sonal allegiance  to  their  Master,  and  worldly  am- 
bition, strengthened  by  life-long  religious  preju- 
dice derived  from  priestly  and  Pharisaic  teaching. 
(3.)  The  name  Iscariot  (probably  of  Kerioth),  indi- 
cates that  Judas  was  originally  a  resident  of  Keri- 
oth, a  town  of  southern  Judea.  In  that  case  he 
was  the  only  Judean  amongthe  twelve,  and  of  them 
all,  therefore,  the  onemost  likely  to  be  imbued  with 
the  Jewish  worldly  ideas  respecting  the  Messiah's 
kingdom,  with  the  narrow  national  prejudices 


against  the  admission  of  Gentiles  to  the  kingdom 
of  God,  and  with  reverence  for  the  priesthood, 
the  Pharisees,  and  the  Jewish  church  and  reli- 
gion; the  one  most  likely,  therefore,  to  take 
offence  at  Christ's  distinct  renunciation  of  a 
temporal  kingdom,  distinct  declaration  of  a  king- 
dom open  to  the  Gentile  nations,  and  emphatic 
denunciation  of  the  religion  of  the  priesthood 
and  the  Pharisees.  (3.)  He  did  not  inaugurate 
any  measures  for  the  betrayal  of  his  Master  until 
after  Christ's  final  and  public  rupture  with  the 
hierarchy,  his  vehement  denunciation  of  the 
hypocrisy  of  the  Pharisees  in  his  Temple  min- 
istry, his  declaration  (in  the  parables  of  the  two 
sons  and  the  wicked  husbandmen)  that  the  king- 
dom would  be  taken  from  them  and  given  to  the 
Gentiles,  and  his  prophecy  to  his  own  disciples, 
in  language  BtUl  more  distinct,  that  Jerusalem 
was  to  be  destroyed,  and  the  kingdom  of  God 
founded  on  its  ruins,  after  the  Messiah's  death, 
and  only  in  the  far  future,  at  his  second  coming 
(Matt.,  chaps.  21-24).  (4.)  The  Immediate  occasion  of 
Judas'  compact  with  the  priests  was  Christ's 
public  rebuke,  administered  at  the  house  of 
Mai-y  and  Martha,  and  accompanying  a  still 
more  explicit  prophecy  of  his  approaching  death 
(Matt.  26 :  6-16).  I  bclieve,  then,  that  Judas  origi- 
nally followed  Jesus,  as  did  the  rest,  from  a 
mixed  motive,  partly  drawn  by  personal  ambi- 
tion, partly  by  a  real  reverence  for  Christ  and 
the  moral  beauty  of  his  teaching ;  that  in  all  the 
disciples  there  was  at  first  a  perplexity,  and  then 
a  conflict  between  ambition  and  spiritual  love, 
as  the  nature  of  Christ's  kingdom  was  more  and 
more  clearly  disclosed  ;  that  in  the  eleven  Christ 
conquered,  in  the  twelfth  ambition ;  that,  disap- 
pomted  by  Christ's  prophecy  of  his  own  suffer- 
ings and  death,  and  the  approaching  overthrow 
of  the  Jewish  temple,  priesthood,  and  religion, 
and  angered  by  the  personal  rebuke  publicly 
administered  to  him,  Judas  abandoned  what 
seemed  to  him  a  failing  cause,  hoping  by  his 
treachery  to  gain  a  position  of  honor  and  influ- 
ence in  the  Pharisaic  party ;  that  the  thirty 
pieces  of  silver  constituted  not  the  main,  but 
only  an  incidental  motive ;  that  his  treachery 
brought  him,  as  treachery  always  does,  only  the 
contempt  of  the  priesthood,  who  used  him  as 
their  tool  and  then  cast  him  away  ;  that  his  con- 
science was  tardily  awakened,  by  his  disappointed 
ambition,  to  a  sense  of  his  fruitless  sin  and  his 
public  ignominy,  but  not  to  a  sense  of  his  guilt 
before  God  or  his  need  of  an  opportunity  for 
pardon ;  that  thus  his  experience  resembled  that 
of  King  Saul,  not  that  of  the  Prodigal  Son  (i  sam. 

15  :  30 ;  Luke  15  :  18,  19  ;  and  see  ref.  below)  ;  that  by  offering 

a  tardy  testimony  to  the  innocence  of  Jesus,  and 
returning  the  bribe,  he  endeavored  to  undo  his 
work,  but  could  not ;  and  so,  rejected  by  the 
priests,  scorned  by  the  disciples,  and  scourged 


Ch.  XXVII.] 


MATTHEW. 


309 


11  And  Jesus  stood  before  the  governor:  and  the 
ffovemor  asked  hiin,  saying,  Art  thou  the  King  of  the 
Jews  ?    And  Jesus  said  unto  him,  Thou  sayest. 

12  And  when  he  was  accused  of  the  chief  priests  and 
elders,  he  answered  °  nothing. 


13  Then  said  Pilate  unto  him,  Hearest  thou  not  how 
many  things  they  witness  against  thee  ? 

14  And  he  answered  him  to  never  a  word  ;  insomuch 
that  the  governor  marvelled  greatly. 


chap.  26  :  63. 


by  his  own  conscience,  he  sought  refuge  from 
himself  in  death.  The  lessons  of  his  life  appear 
to  me  to  be,  (1)  that  one  may  be  high  in  Christ's 
church,  but  no  true  disciple,  an  apostle  and  an 
apostate  (Matt.  7 :  22;  1  cor.9 :  27) ;  (2)  the  growth  of 
sin — worldliness  leads  to  ambition,  ambition  to 
estrangement  from  Christ,  estrangement  to  apos- 
tasy, treachery,  and  death.  Hence  the  charac- 
ter of  Judas  is  a  waniing  to  all  worldly  profess- 
ors of  religion  who  endeavor  to  serve  both  God 
and  mammon  (2  Tim.  4 :  10) ;  (3)  the  nature  of  true 
repentance.  In  the  case  of  Judas  the  external 
signs  are  not  wanting.  He  confesses  his  guilt ; 
endeavors,  by  testifying  to  the  innocence  of  Je- 
sus, to  repair  the  wrong  which  he  has  done  ;  re- 
turns the  money  ;  proves  by  his  death  how  deep 
is  his  sorrow.  But  the  internal  spu-it  of  true 
repentance  is  wanting.  It  is  a  sense  of  shame 
before  men,  rather  than  of  guilt  before  God  ;  its 
poignancy  is  due  rather  to  the  fruitlessness  than 
the  enormity  of  his  guilt ;  it  is  manifested  in 
remorse  for  the  past,  not  in  any  new  purpose  for 
the  future ;  and  it  leads  not  to  a  new  life  in 
Christ  Jesus,  but  to  a  despairing  death.  Re- 
pentance is  inspired  chiefly  by  conscience,  re- 
morse chiefly  by  pride,  avarice,  or  self-esteem  ; 
repentance  inspires  to  a  new  life,  remorse  leads 
to  despair  and  death  ;  repentance  seeks  forgive- 
ness, remorse  oblivion ;  repentance  conducts 
Peter  to  Christ,  remorse  drives  Judas  from  him. 
See  note  on  Peter's  denial  of  his  Lord,  p.  264. 
And  for  illustrative  passages  on  true  and  false 
repentance  see  the  following  :  True  repentance — 
3  Sam.  24  :  10 ;  1  Kings  8  :  46-50  ;  Ezra  9  :  6-13 ; 
Neh.  1  :  6,  7  ;  9  :  33  ;  Psalm  51 ;  Dan.  9:5-7; 
Luke  15  :  17,  18 ;  2  Cor.  7  :  9-11 ;  false  repent- 
ance—Gen. 4  :  13 ;  Lev.  26  :  36 ;  Deut.  28  : 
65-67 ;  1  Sam.  15  :  30  ;  Micah  7  :  17  ;  Luke  13  : 
28  ;  Rev.  6  :  15-17. 

Oh.  27  :  11-31.    TPJAL  BEFORE  PTLATE.-The  value 
OP  POPULARITY  :  The  ckowd  gives  liberty  to  the 

MURDERER,  AND  THE  CROSS  TO  THE  SON  OF  GOD.— ThE 

crime  op  envy  (18):  "like  the  worm,  it  never 
runs  but  to  the  pairest  pkuit ;  like  a  cunning 
bloodhound,  it  singles  out  the  pattest  deer  in 
THE  FLOCK."— God's  mercy:    he  uses  even  theik 

SUPERSTITION  FOR  THE  RECLAMATION  OP  THE  SUPER- 
STITIOUS (10).— The  curse  op  an  apostate  and  per- 

SECUTING  church:  IT  IS  THE  CHIEF  PRIESTS  WHO 
INCITE  THE  CRY,  CrUCIPY  HIM  (20).— PASSION  CAN 
GIVE  NO  REASON  FOR  ITS  DEMANDS:  CONVICTED  OP 
INJUSTICE,  IT  ONLY  CRIES  OUT  THE  MORE  (23)  — TlIE 
USELESSNESS  OP  MERE  CEREMONIAL. — No  ONE  CAN 
ESCAPE    HIS  JUST  RESP0NSIBILITIB8    (24).— ThB  AUDA- 


CITY AND  THB  COWAEDICE  OP  CRIME :  IT  DARES  ALL 
CONSEQUENCES  BEFOREHAND,  AND  TRIES  TO  EVADE 
THEM  AFTERWARD  (25  with  ActS  5  :  28).— ThE  CROWNED 
SUPPERER :  HIS  PATIENT  SUFFERING  CROWNS  HIM  WITH 
IGNOMINY   HERE,  WITH    GLORY  HEREAFTER  (27-29  with 

Phil.  2 :  6-11). 

The  trial  of  Christ  before  Pilate  is  reported  by 
the  four  Evangelists :  Mark  15  : 1-23  ;  Luke  23  : 
1-25  ;  John  18  :  28  to  19  :  16.  Of  this  trial  John 
gives  the  fullest  account.  For  consideration  of 
Pilate's  character  and  the  practical  lessons  to  be 
drawn  from  his  course,  see  notes  there.  Mat- 
thew's account  of  the  mockery  by  the  soldiers 
(ver.  28-30)  Is  the  fullest ;  and  he  alone  recounts 
Pilate's  wife's  dream  (ver.  19)  and  his  hand-wash- 
ing (ver.  24, 25).  Mark's  account  is  almost  exactly 
parallel  to  Matthew's,  except  some  additional 
information  respecting  Barabbas.  Luke  alone 
gives  the  accusation  preferred  by  the  Jews 
against  Jesus  (ver.  2, 3)  and  the  sending  of  Jesus 
to  Herod  (ver.  4-12).  Combining  the  four  accounts, 
the  probable  order  of  events  seems  to  be  as  fol- 
lows: Jesus  is  brought  before  Pilate,  who  de- 
mands the  accusation ;  this  demand  the  priests 
endeavor  to  evade  (John  is ;  29-32) ;  they  then  accuse 
him  of  sedition  (Luke  23 :  2, 3) ;  Pilate  examines 
Christ  privately  in  respect  to  this  charge,  and 
acquits  him  (John  is :  33-3s) ;  in  the  clamor  of  voices 
which  ensues  he  catches  the  word  Galilee,  learns 
that  Jesus  is  a  Galilean,  and  sends  him  to  Herod 
(Luke  23: 4-12) ;  ou  tus  rctum  he  repeats  his  declara- 
tion of  Jesus'  innocence,  but  proposes  as  a  com- 
promise to  scourge  him  (Luke  23 :  13-17) ;  at  the  same 
time  some  among  the  crowd  demand  the  custom- 
ary release  of  a  prisoner  (Mark  is :  a),  and  Pilate  pro- 
poses to  release  Jesus  to  them ;  while  Avaiting 
for  their  response  he  receives  his  wife's  message 
(Matt.  27 :  19) ;  the  pcoplc,  being  instigated  by  the 
priests  (Mark  15 :  ii),  demand  the  release  of  Barab- 
bas and  the  craciflxion  of  Jesus  (Matt.  27 :  20-23 ;  Mark 

15  :  11-14;  Luke  23  :  17-23;   John  18  :  39,  40)  ;     Pilate  washCS 

his  hands  in  attestation  of  his  own  innocence 
(Matt.  27 :  u),  and  dcllvers  Jesus  to  the  soldiers, 

who    scourge    and   mock    him    (Matt.  27  :26-.30;    Mnrk 

15 :  16-19 ;  John  19 : 1-3) ;  he  makes  two  more  attempts 
to  save  Jesus,  by  appealing  first  to  the  pity  and 
then  to  the  patriotism  of  the  people  (John  19 : 4-15), 
but  finally  yields  to  the  mob  and  delivers  our 

Lord  to  be  crucified  (Matt.  27  :  31 ;  Mark  15  :  20 ;  Luke 
J3  :  24,  25  ;  John  19  :  16). 

11-14.  The  governor.  Pilate.  See  above 
on  ver.  2. — Art  thou  the  King  of  the  Jews  ? 

This  examination  was  preceded  by  a  charge  of 


310 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXVII. 


15  NowP  at  that  feast  the  governor  was  wont  to  re- 
lease unto  the  people  a  prisoner,  whom  they  would. 

16  And  they  had  then  a  notable  prisoner,  called 
Barabbas. 

17  Therefore,  when  they  were  gathered  together, 
Pilate  said  unto  them.  Whom  will  ye  that  I  release 
unto  you  ?  Barabbas,  or  Jesus  which  is  called  Christ  ? 

For  he  knew  that  foi 
him. 

19  When  he  was  set  down  on  the  judgment-seat,  his 
wife  sent  unto  him,  saying.  Have  tnou  nothing  to  do 
with  that  ■'  just  man  ;  for  1  nave  suffered  many  things 
this  day  in  a  dream  because  of  him. 


18  For  he  knew  that  for  envy  1  they  had  delivered 


20  But  the  chief  priests  and  elders  persuaded  the 
multitude  that  they  sliould  ask »  Barabbas,  and  destroy 
Jesus. 

21  The  governor  answered  and  said  unto  them, 
Whether  of  the  twain  will  ye  that  I  release  unto  you  ? 
They  said,  Barabbas. 

22  Pilate  saith  into  them,  What  shall  I  do  then  with 
Jesus,  which  is  called  Christ  ?  They  all  say  unto  him, 
Let  him  be  crucified. 

23  And  the  governor  said.  Why,  what  evil  hath  he 
done  ?  But  they  cried  out  the  more,  saying.  Let '  him 
be  crucified. 


p  Mark  15  :  6,  < 


Zcch.  9:9;  Luke  23  :  47  j 


sedition,  preferred  by  the  priests  (Luke  23 : 2, 3).  It 
is  more  fully  reported  by  John  (ch.  is :  ss-as,  notes). 
Jesus  was  acquitted. — He  answered  nothing. 
He  first  explains  to  Pilate  the  nature  of  his  king- 
dom, and  satisfies  him  that  he  is  innocent  of 
sedition ;  after  that  he  keeps  silence.  He  will 
answer  honest  perplexity,  but  not  willful  slan- 
der. 

15-18.  The  governor  was  wont  to  re- 
lease unto  the  people  a  prisoner.  This 
custom  is  mentioned  in  all  the  Gospels ;  it  is  not 
mentioned  in  secular  history,  and  its  origin  is 
unknown,  but  its  significance  is  not  difficult  to 
understand.  "  In  a  conquered  country  the  inter- 
ests of  the  government  are  generally  regarded  as 
80  distinct  from  those  of  the  people,  that  even  the 
punishment  of  criminals,  especially  those  guilty 
of  political  crimes,  is  regarded  as  in  some  sense 
an  injury  to  the  community.  A  foreign  power 
comes  and  establishes  itself  oyer  them,  and  it  is 
not  surprising  that  even  wholesome  control 
should  be  unpopular,  and  that  the  pardon  of  a 
state  criminal  should  be  regarded  as  a  boon 
from  the  authorities— a  suitable  contribution 
from  the  government  to  the  means  of  rejoicing 
at  a  great  public  festival." — {Jacob  Abbotfs  Cor- 
«er-ASYoMe.)— Notable.  Rather  notorious;  the 
original  {inlaiiun^)  is  capable  of  either  a  good  or 
a  bad  sense. — Called  Barabbas.  Some  man- 
uscripts have  here  and  in  the  following  verse 
Jesus  Barabbas.  Barabbas  means  son  of  Abba,  or 
son  of  his  fatlter.  Pilate's  question,  then,  would 
be,  Whom  will  ye  that  I  release  unto  you,  Jesus 
the  son  of  Abba,  or  Jesus  called  the  Messiah  ? 
External  evidence  does  not  support  this  reading, 
but  it  is  more  probable  that  the  word  Jesus  was 
omitted  by  some  scribe  in  the  early  copies  from 
motives  of  reverence,  than  that  it  was  subse- 
quently added.  Of  Barabbas  nothing  more  is 
known  than  what  is  told  in  the  four  Gospels. 
He  was  one  of  a  band  (Mark  15 : 7),  probably  their 
leader,  and  had  committed  both  robbery  and 
murder  in  the  insurrection  in  which  he  had  been 
engaged  (Luke  23 :  19;  John  18 :4o). — He  kncw  that,, 
etc.  Probably,  therefore,  he  knew  something 
about  Jesus  before  this  time  ;  he  had  given  the 
band  of  soldiers  for  his  arrest  (John  is :  3,  note),  and 


certainly  knew  something  of  the  spirit  and  char- 
acter of  the  priests.  See  note  on  character  of 
Pilate,  John  19  :  10.  Observe  the  indirect  testi- 
mony to  the  character  of  the  prosecution  of 
Christ  by  the  priests,  and  compare  their  spirit 
with  that  of  John  the  Baptist  (John  3  :  20,  so).  In 
support  of  this  statement  respecting  their  mo- 
tives, see  John  11  :  48-50. 

19.  This  incident  of  Pilate's  wife's  dream  is 
recorded  only  by  Matthew.  Nothing  is  known 
of  her. — He  Avas  set  down  on  the  judg- 
ment-seat. Formally  to  adjudicate  the  case  ; 
the  previous  examinations  had  been  informal 
and  preliminary.  For  illustration  of  judgment- 
seat  see  John  19  :  13,  note. — Have  thou  noth- 
ing to  do  with  that  just  man  ;  i.  e.,  have 
no  part  in  the  proceedings  for  his  condemnation. 
—In  a  dream.  The  Romans  had  great  faith  in 
dreams.  Homer  declared  that  "  they  come  from 
Jove''.  In  obedience  to  dreams  the  great  Em- 
peror Augustus  went  begging  money  through 
the  streets  of  Rome.  They  were  employed  by 
God  throughout  the  O.  T.  times  for  prediction 
or  for  warning,  but  generally  either  to  those  who 
were  aliens  to  the  Jewish  covenant,  as  in  the 
cases  of  Abimelech  (cen.  20 : 3-7),  Laban  (Gen.  31 :  24), 
the  butler  and  baker  (oen.  40 :  b),  Pharaoh  (oen. 
41 : 1-8),  the  Midianite  (judges  7 :  13),  Nebuchadnez- 
zar (Dan.  2  : 1,  etc. ;  4  :  lO-ls),  the  magi  (Matt.  2  :  12),  Pi- 
late's wife  (Matt.  27  :  19) ;  or  to  God's  servants 
during  the  periods  of  their  most  imperfect 
knowledge  of  him,  as  in  the  cases  of  Abraham 

(Gen.  15  :  12),  JaCOb  (28  :  12-15),  JoSCph  (37  :  6-10),  Solo- 

mon  (i  Kings  3: 6),  and  Joseph,  husband  of  Maiy 

(Matt.  1  :  20 ;  11  :  13,  19,  22)        lu  tMS  CaSC  I  bclieVC  that 

God,  who  made  use  of  the  star  to  direct  the 
astrologers  to  the  cradle  of  Jesus,  made  use  of  a 
dream  to  warn  Pilate  from  participating  in 
Christ's  condemnation. 

20-23.  While  Pilate  was  receiving  this  mes- 
sage from  his  wife  and  waiting  the  answer  to  his 
question  of  ver.  17,  the  chief-priests  and  elders 
were  busy  in  the  crowd,  persuading  them  what 
answer  to  give.  That  their  outcry,  Let  him  be 
crucified,  was  vehement  and  tumultuous,  is  indi- 
cated by  ver.  24  and  Luke  23  :  23.  Observe  that 
Pilate  appeals  for  Christ's  release  with  shrewd- 


Ch.  XXVIL] 


MATTHEW. 


311 


24  When  Pilate  saw  that  he  could  prevail  nothinp:, 
but  that  rather  a  tumult  was  made,  he  took  water,  and 
washed  his^  hands  belore  the  multitude,  saying,  I  am 
innocent  of  the  blood  of  this  just  person  :  see  ye  to  it. 

25  Then  answered  all  the  people,  and  said.  His' 
blood  be  on  us,  and  on  our  children. 

26  Then  released  he  Barabbas  unto  them  :  and  when 
he  had  scourged  "  Jesus,  he  dehvered  him  to  be  cru- 
cified. 

27  Then  the  soldiers  of  the  governor  took  Jesus  into 
the  common  hall,  and  gathered  -unto  him  the  whole 
band  of  soldiers. 


28  And  they  stripped  him,  and  put  on  him  a  scarlet 
robe. 

29  And  when  they  had  platted  a  crown  of  thorns, 
they  put  it  upon  his  head,  and  a  reed  in  his  right  hand : 
and  the5f  bowed  the  knee  before  him,  and  mocked  » 
him,  saying,  Hail,  King  of  the  Jews  ! 

30  And  they  spity  upon  him,  and  took  the  reed,  and 
smote  him  on  the  head. 

31  And  after  that  they  had  mocked  him,  they  took 
the  robe  oflf  from  him,  and  put  his  own  raiment  on  him, 
and  led  ^  him  away  to  crucify  him. 


ness.  Jesus  which  is  called  the  Messiah  is  an  ap- 
peal to  their  patriotism ;  WJiat  evil  hath  he  done  ? 
to  their  sense  of  justice.  Comp.  his  later  en- 
deavors, John  19  :  5,  13,  14.  Crucifixion  was  a 
Roman  punishment,  and  the  erection  of  a  cross 
on  Jewish  soil  was  itself  a  sign  of  the  national 
degradation.  The  demand  for  crucifixion  shows 
how  far  passion  swayed  the  mob,  who  uncon- 
sciously fulfilled  Christ's    own    prophecy  (John 

3  :  14  ;  8  :  2S). 

24,2.3.  He  could  prevail  nothing;  that 
is,  by  persuasion,  and  he  was  not  willing  to 
hazard  a  conflict  with  the  mob  lest  he  should  be 
accused  to  the  emperor  of  indifference  to  his 
interests  (John  19 :  12).— He  took  water  and 
washed  his  hands.  The  washing  of  hands 
as  betokening  innocence  from  blood-guiltiness  is 
described  in  Deut.  21  :  6-9  ;  and  the  Jews  would 
therefore  have  understood  this  symbolic  act. 
But  there  is  no  reason  to  suppose  that  Pilate 
derived  it  from  the  Jews.  Ablutions  were  per- 
formed in  ancient  Greece,  and  probably  in  Eome, 
by  private  individuals,  when  they  had  polluted 
themselves  by  any  criminal  action. — See  ye  to 
it.  Rather,  Te  shall  see  to  if.  See  note  on  ver.  4. 
— His  blood  be  on  us.  But  later  they  com- 
plained of  the  Apostles,  that  by  their  preaching 
"  they  intend  to  bring  this  mans  blood  upon  us  " 
(Acta  5 :  28).  If  Pilate's  endeavor  was  to  appeal  to 
the  priests'  dread  of  divine  punishment,  by 
throwing  the  whole  responsibility  upon  them,  it 
signally  failed.  The  terrible  imprecation  of  this 
verse  was  terribly  answered  in  subsequent  his- 
tory, in  which  the  blood  of  Christ  fell  upon  all 
who  participated  in  his  condemnation  and  death. 
Not  only  was  the  crucifixion,  which  the  Jews  de- 
manded to  be  inflicted  on  Jesus,  inflicted  on 
myriads  of  Jews  during  the  siege  of  Jerusalem, 
not  only  were  they  sold  as  slaves  in  great  num- 
bers for  less  than  the  thirty  pieces  oi  silver  paid 
to  Judas,  but  the  judgments  of  God  followed 
significantly  the  individuals  who  were  most 
prominent  in  this  crime.  "Before  the  dread 
sacrifice  was  consummated,  Judas  died  in  the 
horrors  of  a  loathsome  suicide.  Caiaphas  was 
deposed  the  year  following.  Herod  died  in 
infamy  and  exile,  stripped  of  his  procurator- 
ship  very  shortly  afterwards,  on  the  very  charges 


he  had  tried  by  a  wicked  concession  to  avoid. 
Pilate,  wearied  out  with  misfortunes,  died  in 
suicide  and  banishment,  leaving  behind  him  ail 
execrated  name.  The  house  of  Annas  was  de- 
stroyed a  generation  later  by  an  infuriated  mob, 
and  his  son  was  dragged  through  the  streets, 
and  scourged  and  beaten  to  his  place  of  murder." 
— {Farrar.) 

26-31.  Of  this  mockery  of  Jesus  by  the  sol- 
diers Matthew  gives  the  fullest  account.    Cru- 
cifixion  was    always    preceded    by    scourging. 
The  scourge  con- 
sisted of  several 
chains  or  thongs 
of    leather  with 
pieces    of  metal 
or  bone  aflSxed  to 
them  which  cut 
at  every  stroke  a 
bloody  furrow  in 
the     quivering     flesh.      Our 
illustrations    are  taken,   one 
from  an    original   found    at 
Herculaneum,  the  other  from 
a  bas-relief.    Scourging  itself 
oft.en  produced  death.     The 
common  hall,  which  Mark  in 
SCOURGES.  the  original  more  specifically 

describes  as  the  court-yard  {avliii),  was  proba- 
bly the  central  court  around  which  the  Jewish 
house  was  usually  constructed.  See  Matt.  26  :  69, 
note.  The  place  I  believe  to  have  been,  not  the 
palace  of  Herod  as  Alford  supposes,  but  the 
tower  of  Antonia.  See  John  18  :  28,  note.  The 
whole  band,  or  cohort,  which  was  gathered  to  join 
in  the  mockery,  was  the  tenth  part  of  a  legion, 
embracing  from  three  to  six  hundred  men ;  but 
here  probably  only  that  portion  of  the  band  or 
cohort  which  was  then  actually  on  service.  The 
scarlet  robe  (xkauv:),  was  a  short  and  light  man- 
tle originating  with  the  inhabitants  of  Thessaly 
or  Macedonia,  whence  it  was  imported  into 
other  parts  of  Greece,  and  became  a  regular 
equestrian  costume  of  the  period.  The  ac- 
companying illustration,  from  a  Greek  vase, 
will  give  the  reader  a  better  idea  of  its  char- 
acter than  any  description.  In  Mark  and  John 
it  is  described  as  a  "  purple  robe,"  but  Matthew 


312 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXVII. 


alone  gives  in  the  original  its 
technical  name.  Both  scar- 
let and  purple  were  worn 
as    marks    of    pre-eminence 

and     wealth    (Luke   le  :  19 ;    Rev. 

17 : 4).  Alford  suggests  that 
this  scarlet  robe  may  have- 
heen  the  one  in  which  Herod 
arrayed  Christ.  This  is  pos- 
sible, but  hardly  probable. 
The  word  in  Luke  rendered 
gorgeous  {Xuunws),  indicates 
rather  a  white  robe  (Luke 
23 :  n,  note).  It  is  not  kuown 
with  certainty  what  was  the 
plant  employed  in  making 
the  crown  of  thorns.  Matthew  calls  it  the  acan- 
thus (uzai5^«),  but  neither  this  nor  the  traditional 
plant  known  as  qntia  christi  fully  answers  the 
conditions  of  the  narrative.  Some  flexile  shrub 
or  plant  must  be  understood,  possibly  some  va- 
riety of  the  cactus  or  prickly  pear.  Thorn  bushes 
of  various  kinds  are  plentiful  in  Palestine.  Our 
illustration  presents  a  not  uncommon  species. 


8CAKLET  ROBE. 


CKOWN  OF    THORNS. 

Meyer  supposes  that  the  object  of  the  thorn  crown 
was  not  to  occasion  pain  but  "  to  mock  ;  "  but  the 
common  conception  of  the  thorns,  pressed  into  a 
lacerated  and  bleeding  brow,  agrees  better  with 
the  narrative,  though  not  necessitated  by  it. 
The  reed  may  have  been  the  stalk  of  any  plant, 
or  a  true  reed,  or  some  instrument  made  from  it. 
The  accompanying  illustration  represents  the 
Fiipyrns  antiquoriim  or  paper  reed  of  the  an- 
cients. It  grows  still  in  great  quantities  near  the 
plain  of  Gennesaret.  Other  varieties  of  reeds  are 
found  along  the  Jordan,  and  elsewhere  in  Pales- 
tine. Arrows,  fishing-rods,  pens,  canes  for  meas- 
uring and  other  purposes,  were  made  from  the 
reed.  A  long  cane,  with  a  sponge  affixed  to 
the  end  of  it  for  cleansing  the  ceiling  of  a  room, 
was  a  common  article  of  Roman  furniture.  This 
may  have  been  the  reed  here  used  by  the  soldiers. 
This  hour  of  Christ's  coronation  in  mockery 
lias  been  well  described  as  the  hour  of  Christ's 


THE    REED. 


grandeur.  "He  was  King 
then,  and  was  indeed 
crowned.  No  throne  was 
like  the  steps  on  which  he 
stood.  No  imperial  per- 
son was  so  august  as  this 
deridedandmartyredJew. 
If  he  had,  by  a  resort 
to  violence,  relieved  him- 
self, he  would  have  been 
discrowned.  To  suffer  in 
sweet  willingness ;  to 
have  the  suffering  roll  to 
unknown  depths  and  not 
to  murmur— this  was  to 
be  a  king  far  beyond  the 
ordinary  conception  of 
kingship." — {Henry  Ward 
Beccher''s  Sermons,  Har- 
per's Ed.) 

31.  His  OAV^n  raiment,  ((iiano)).  The 
cloak  described  in  Matt.  21 :  18,  note. 

Ch.  27  :  32-56.  THE  CIIUCIFIXION.— Christ's  meet- 
ing OP  DEATH :  WITH    PERFECT  COMPOSURE   AND  WITH 

A  souii  ALERT  (ver.  34). — The  iNSENsreiLiTT  of  the 

HUMAN  heart:  ILLUSTRATED  IN  GAMBLING  AT  THE 
FOOT  OF  THE. CROSS  (35).— CHRIST  IS  NUMBERED  WITH 
TRANSGRESSORS.  It  IS  NO  INTOLERABLE  HARDSHIP  TO 
BE  so  NUMBERED  IP  GoD  AND  OUR  OWN  CONSCIENCE 
APPROVE  US.      We  are  THEN  NUMBERED  WITH  CHRIST 

(38).— The  true  and  the  false  test  of  religion. 
The  true  test,  the  power  it  gives  to  confer 
blessing  upon  others  ;  the  false  test,  its  supposed 
power  to  confer  blessing  on  ourselves  (42). — god 
permits  his  beloved  to  suffer  (43),  but  makes  them, 
WITH  Christ,  more  than  conquerors  in  suffer- 
ing.—The  TESTIMONY  OF  NATURE  TO  THE  DIVINITT  OP 

THE  Son  op  God  (45). — Spiritual  loneliness  does 

NOT  ALWAYS  PROVE  THAT  GOD  HAS  WITHDRAT\'N  FROM 

US.    The  testimony  op  Christ's  agony  to  his  love 

FOR  us,  TO  the    real   BURDEN    OF    SIN   TO   A    SINLESS 

SOUL  (46).  —  The  world's  misinterpretation  of 
Christ's  sufferings.  It  can  never  understand 
HIS  CRY  (47-49).— Boldness  op  access  given  to  God 
IN  Christ  (51).— He  is  our  resurrection  (52,  53). 
—The  danger  op  passion,  pride,  and  prejudice, 
illustrated  by  the  chief-priests.  The  beauty 
of  patience,  long-suffering,  and  love,  illus- 
trated by  Christ.  —  Christ,  as  our  example 
teaches  us  how  to  die  :  by  his  death  he  teaches 
us  the  divine  love,  and  the  curse  op  sin  ;  in  his 
death  he  bears  our  sins  that  we  may  no  more 
BEAR  THEM  (2  Cor.  5  :  21 ;  1  Pet.  2  :  Uy. 

Preliminary  Note.  The  crucifixion  is  re- 
corded by  the  four  Evangelists.  Conip.  Mark 
1.5  :  21-41 ;  Luke  2.3  :  26-49  ;  John  19  :  17-30.  Mat- 
thew and  Mark  are  almost  exactly  parallel ;  the 
differences  are  only  verbal.  Luke  and  John  both 
narrate  incidents  not  recorded  by  the  others. 

The  most  casual  reader  of  the  N.  T.  can  hardly 
fail  to  notice  the  severe  simplicity  of  the  Evan- 
gelical narratives.       They  could    not  be  more 


Ch.  XXVII.] 


MATTHEW. 


313 


32  And  as  they  came  out,  they  found  a  man  of  Gy- 
rene, Simon  by  name  :  him  they  compelled  to  bear  his 
cross. 


33  And  when  they  were  come  unto  a  place  called 
Golgotha,  that  is  to  say,  a  place  of  a  sliuU, 


absolutely  colorless  if  they  were  oflaeial  reports 
by  Pilate  or  his  subordinates.  There  is  uot  a 
single  epithet  employed  to  express  or  excite, 
either  indignation  against  the  cruciflers,  or  rev- 
erence or  compassion  for  the  crucified.  There  is 
no  attempt  to  deduce  any  doctrinal  conclusion. 
Simply  the  facts  are  stated.  Their  singular  im- 
partiality is  of  itself  a  remarkable  testimony  to 
their  divine  inspiration ;  for  the  story  of  the  cross 
has  acquired  its  power  in  part  from  the  marvel- 
ous self-restraint  of  the  historians.  They  have 
placed  before  the  world  the  scene  as  they  saw  it ; 
each  new  generation  sees  through  a  clear  and 
colorless  atmosphere  the  Crucified  One,  undraped 
with  the  rhetoric  of  feeling ;  His  death  is  elo- 
quent because  the  story  is  told  without  elo- 
quence ;  and  the  latest  ages  can  say,  Not  only  our 
ears  have  heard,  but  our  eyes  have  seen  the  glory 
of  the  suffering  Lord.  Following  their  example 
I  shall  endeavor  in  these  notes  simply  to  give 
such  information  as  will  better  enable  the  stu- 
dent to  comprehend  the  facts.  He  who  believes 
that  the  cross  of  Christ  is  the  enthronement  of 
God,  because  the  supreme  display  of  Divine  love 
for  the  salvation  of  sinners,  among  whom  he  in- 
cludes himself,  cannot  look  upon  the  Crucified 
One  with  compassion  ;  nor  upon  the  cruciflers 
with  hate.  The  admonition  of  Christ,  "Weep 
not  for  me,"  forbids  pity  ;  the  prayer  of  Christ, 
"Father  forgive  them,"  forbids  wrath.  The 
spirit  with  which  the  redeemed  in  heaven  ap- 
proach the  Lamb  slain  from  the  foundation  of 
the  world  (Rev.  5: 12),  is  that  in  which  we  are  to 
approach  Him  on  earth. 

Grouping  the  four  narratives,  the  incidents 
which  they  narrate  appear  to  be  substantially  as 
follows :  An  association  of  women  was  organized 
in' Jerusalem  to  alleviate  the  sufferings  of  con- 
demned criminals.  They  followed  Jesus  to  the 
'  ross,  perhaps  are  the  women  referred  to  in  Luke 
23  :  27,  and  offered  him,  before  his  crucifixion, 
an  anodyne  composed  of  vinegar  and  gall,  called 
by  Mark  15  :  23,  "  wine  and  myrrh."  He  declined 
it  because  he  would  not  meet  death  with  a  stu- 
pefied soul.  Its  object  was  to  deaden  his  sen- 
sibilities (vcr.  34;  Markio :  23).  The  cross  was  ex- 
tended on  the  ground  and  Jesus  was  nailed  to 
it.  At  this  time  he  uttered  the  prayer,  "Father, 
forgive  them,  for  they  know  not  what  they  do  " 
(Luke  23: 34).  The  clothing  of  criminals  was  a 
perquisite  of  the  Roman  soldiers.  They  sat  down 
at  the  foot  of  the  cross  to  divide  Christ's  gar- 
ments. His  tunic  was  a  seamless  robe  of  fine 
texture.  One  of  the  company  produced  dice, 
the  Roman  medium  for  gambling,  and  they  com- 
menced to  cast  lots  for  the  possession  of  this 


robe  (vers.  35, 36).  At  a  little  distance  stood  a  group 
of  Galilean  women,  among  whom  was  Mary. 
Jesus,  in  the  midst  of  his  own  anguish,  did  not 
forget  hers,  and  commended  her  to  the  keeping 
of  the.  beloved  disciple  (John  19 :  26, 27).  It  was 
customary  to  bear  before  the  prisoner,  con- 
demned to  death,  an  inscription  which  designated 
the  crime  for  which  he  was  condemned.  This 
inscription,  written  by  Pilate  in  the  three  lan- 
guages of  the  time,  that  of  the  court,  Latin,  that 
of  the  Gentile  population,  Greek,  and  that  of  the 
Jews,  Hebrew  or  Aramaic,  was  fastened  to  the 
cross,  above  the  head  of  the  Divine  Sufferer  (ver.  37). 
With  him  were  crucified  two  brigands  ( ver.  38,  note). 
Of  these  one  joined  in  the  taunts  of  the  mul- 
titude ;  the  other  reproached  his  companion,  con- 
fessed his  sin,  and  appealed,  not  in  vain,  to  the 
Saviour  of  sinners,  for  salvation  (Lute  23 :  39-43). 
The  priests,  the  soldiers,  and  those  that  passed  by, 
taunted  the  Lord  with  his  seeming  imi^otency 
and  approaching  death  ;  but  he  made  no  re- 
sponse   (vers.  40-44 ;   Luke  23  :  36,  37).       At     length    a 

preternatural  darkness,  such  as  often  precedes 
an  earthquake,  began  to  gather  over  the  scene. 
With  a  cry  of  agony,  full  of  mystery  to  us,  as  it 
was  to  those  who  stood  at  the  cross,  he  appealed 
to  his  God,  who  seemed  to  have  forsaken  him  ; 
then  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  clear  and  full  to 
the  last,  "It  is  finished!"  and  gave  up  the 
ghost  (vers.  45-5o).  It  was  three  o'clock  (the 
ninth  hour),  which  was  the  hour  of  evening 
sacrifice.  The  long-presaged  earthquake  came. 
The  veil  of  the  Temple  was  rent,  the  graves  were 
opened  ;  subsequently  many  bodies  of  the  saints 
which  slept  arose.  The  sublimity  of  Christ's  death, 
not  less  than  the  portents  which  accompanied  it, 
wrung  from  the  Roman  centurion  the  confession 
"Truly  this  was  the  Son  of  God"  (ver.  m;  Mark 
15 :  39).  To  hasten  the  death  of  the  crucified  the 
soldiers  broke  the  the  legs  of  the  two  thieves  ; 
but  seeing  that  Jesus  was  already  dead,  pierced 
his  side,  out  of  which  came  blood  and  water 
(John  19  :  31-42).  The  incidents  of  the  weeping 
women,  Christ's  prayer  for  the  forgiveness  of  his 
enemies,  and  the  penitent  thief,  are  peculiar  to 
Luke ;  see  notes  there.  The  reply  of  Pilate  to 
the  remonstrances  of  the  priests  against  his  in- 
scription, the  women  at  the  cross,  and  the  pierc- 
ing of  Christ's  side,  are  peculiar  to  John  ;  see 
notes  there.  For  the  incidents  peculiar  to  Mat- 
thew or  common  to  the  four  Evangelists,  see 
notes  below. 

32.  And  as  they  came  out.  That  is,  from 
the  city  ;  the  place  of  execution  was  without  the 
city    walls    (Heb.  13 :  12).      This    was    customary 

among  the  Jews  (Numb.  15  :  35  j  1  Kings  21  :  13 ;  Acts  7  -.  58), 


314 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXVII. 


and  also  among  the  Romans.— A  man  of  Cy- 
reue,  Simou  by  name.  He  is  described  by 
Mark,  15  :  31,  as  the  father  of  Alexander  and 
Rufus.  It  has  been  supposed  by  some  that  they 
are  the  persons  mentioned  in  Romans  10  :  13 
and  1  Tim.  1  :  20  or  Acts  19  :  33,  but  this  is  quite 
uncertain.  Nothing  more  is  known  with  cer- 
tainty of  him  ;  but  the  hypothesis  that  he  was  a 
Jewish  pilgrim  from  Africa  is  a  reasonable  one. 
Cyrene  was  a  city  of  Libya,  the  capital  of  Cyre- 
naica;  it  was  founded  by  a  colony  of  Greeks 
about  B.  c.  633  ;  stood  on  table-land  1,800  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  Mediterranean ;  was  at 
this  time  a  Roman  city,  and  united  in  govern- 
ment with  the  not  distant  island  of  Crete. 
That  it  was  the  abode  of  many  Jews  is  indicated 
by  Acts  6  :  9,  from  which  it  would  appear  that 
the  Cyrenian  Jews  had  a  synagogue  of  their  own 
in  Jerusalem.     Some  of  the  first  Christian  teach- 


ers were  Cyrenians  (Acts  n :  20;  is :  1).— Him  they 
impressed  to  bear  his  cross.  This  is  the 
proper  translation  of  the  Greek.  The  Roman 
officer  had  official  authority  to  press  into  the 
miUtary  service,  for  a  special  purpose,  either 
horses  or  men.  See  note  on  Matt.  5  :  41.  Jesus 
at  first  carried  his  own  cross  (joUn  i9:i7),  as  the 
convict  customarily  did ;  there  is  no  positive 
authority  for  what  is,  however,  a  reasonable 
surmise,  that,  weakened  by  want  of  sleep  and 
loss  of  blood,  he  was  no  longer  able  to  sustain  it. 
This  opinion  is  embodied  in  ancient  art,  which 
represents  him  as  sinking  beneath  the  weight  of 
the  cross. 

33.  GoI§:otha.  A  Hebrew  word,  meaning 
a  skull.  From  its  Latin  equivalent  calvarice 
comes  our  English  word  Calvary,  which  occurs 
iu  the  English  N.  T.  only  in  Luke  23  :  33,  where 
it  should  be  translated  "a  skull."     The  signifi- 


cance of  the  name  is  uncertain.  Some  suppose 
that  it  was  the  common  place  of  execution,  and 
that  the  skulls  of  those  who  were  executed  lay 
about ;  others  that  it  Aras  a  bare  rounded  knoll, 
in  form  like  a  skull.  This  opinion  is  the  sole 
foundation  for  the  almost  universal  impression 
that  it  was  a  hill.  The  location  of  this  place  of 
execution  is  unknown.  There  are  three  hypo- 
thetical sites.  The  first,  which  is  supported  by 
an  ancient  tradition,  is  now  occupied  by  the 
Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  indicated  in  the 
accompanying  cut  by  the  dome  to  the  reader's 
right.  But  the  ancient  traditions  are  of  very 
small  value  in  determining  the  Biblical  sites  ;  the 
monks  who  designate  the  place  of  execution  and 
burial,  point  out  with  equal  certainty  the  holes 
in  the  rock  in  which  the  cross  was  planted  !  If, 
as  is  probable,  this  site  was  then,  as  it  is  now, 
within  the  city  walls,  it  cannot  be  the  true  Gol- 


gotha.  The  second  ininiu^i-.  13 
that  of  Mr.  Fergubbon,  whoatbLits 
that  Golgotha  was  on  Mount  Mo- 
nah,  and  that  the  Mosciue  of  Omar, 
01  Dome  of  the  Rock,  to  the  lead- 
er'b  left  m  the  pictuie,  covers  the 
true  site.  He  designates  a  cave 
beneath  this  dome  as  the  probable  burial-place. 
But  this  view,  which  rests  mainly  on  architectu- 
ral arguments,  based  on  the  character  of  the 
Mosque  of  Omar,  is  not  generally  accepted  by 
scholars,  who  are  almost  unanimous  in  the  opin- 
ion that  this  Mosque  occupies  the  site  of  the 
ancient  temple.  A  third  theory  identifies  Gol- 
gotha with  the  mound  in  the  foreground  of  our 
illustration,  now  known  as  the  Grotto  of  Jere- 
miah. It  is  situated  about  forty  rods  to  the 
northeast  of  the  Damascus  gate.  The  cave 
sepulchre  beneath  is  one  of  the  largest  in  the 
country,  and  may  have  been  the  burial-place. 
But  of  this  hypothesis  we  can  only  say  that  there 
is  nothing,  except  its  distance  from  the  tower  of 
Antonia,  opposed  to  it.  All  that  we  can  know  of 
Golgotha  is  that  it  was  near  the  city  (john  19 :  20), 
apparently  near  a  public  highway  (Mark  15 :  29),  in 
the  immediate  vicinity  of  one  of  the  gardens 


Ch.  XXVIL]  MATTHEW. 

f34  They  gave  him  vinegar  to  drink,  mingled  »  with 
all :  and  when  he  had  tasted  thereof^  he  would  not 
rink. 
35  And  ''  they  crucified  him,  and  parted  his  garments, 


315 


casting  lots;    that  it    might  be    fulfilled  which  was 
spoken"^  by  the  prophet.  They  parted  my  garments 
among  them,  and  upon  my  vesture  did  they  cast  lots. 
36  And  sitting  down,  they  watched  him  there  ; 


Ps.  22  :  16 ;  Mark  15  :  24,  etc. ;  Luke  23  :  34,  etc. ;  John  19  :  24,  etc. . . 


which  surrounded  Jerusalem  (John  19 :  41),  and  is, 
as  indicated  by  Luke's  language,  "  </te  place  called 
the  skull,"  a  well-known  spot. 

34.  They  gave  to  him  vinegar  to  drink 
mingled  with  gall.  Mark  says,  "wine  min- 
gled with  myrrh,"  but  the  difference  is  purely 
verbal.  "As  the  wine  used  by  the  soldiers  was 
a  cheap,  sour  wine,  little,  if  at  all,  superior  to 
vinegar,  and  as  myrrh,  gall,  and  other  bitter  sub- 
stances are  put  for  the  whole  class,  there  is 
really  no  difference  in  these  passages." — {Alex- 
ander. )  It  was  customary  to  give  a  stupefying 
drink  to  criminals  on  their  way  to  execution. 
This  was  probably  the  draught  offered  to  our 
Lord,  perhaps  by  the  women  referred  to  in  Luke 
23  :  27 ;  see  note  there.  Christ,  when  he  knew 
from  the  taste  its  object,  refused  to  partake,  an 
indication  that  he  deliberately  chose  to  have  all 
his  powers  alert  at  this  last  hour.  There  is  no 
reason  for  the  belief  that  it  was  offered  to  him 
twice,  or  in  a  spirit  of  rancor  and  scoffing. 

35,  36.  And  they  (the  soldiers)  crucified 
him.  According  to  Mark  (15  :  25),  it  was  the 
third  hour ;  that  is,  9  a.  m.,  but  this  may  mean 
that  the  third  hour  had  already  passed.  See 
John  19  :  U,  note. — And  parted  his  garments 
casting  lots.  Of  this,  John  gives  a  fuller  ac- 
count. See  notes  on  John  19  :  23,  24.— That  it 
might  be  fulfilled.  This  clause  is  omitted  by 
all  the  best  manuscripts  and  the  best  scholars. 
It  was  probably  added  in  the  margin  by  some 
ancient  harmonist,  from  John  19  :  24.  The  refer- 
ence is  to  Psalm  22  :  18. — They  watched  him 
there.  This  was  customary,  to  prevent  the 
crucified  person  from  being  taken  down  by 
friends.    There  were  four  soldiers  (john  19 :  23). 

The  Nature  of  Ckucifixion.  —  Crucifixion 
was  used  as  a  punishment  by  Grecians,  Romans, 
Egyptians,  and  other  nations,  but  not  by  the 
Jews.  Its  infliction  by  the  Romans  was  a  badge 
of  Israel's  servitude.  To  hang  even  a  corpse 
upon  a  tree  was  accounted  among  them  the 
greatest  indignity  (Deut.  21 :  22, 23).  The  lingering 
death  of  the  cross  rendered  crucifixion  eminent 
in  cruelty  even  in  that  cruel  age.  Cicero  called 
it  a  punishment  most  inhuman  and  shocking,  and 
wrote  of  it  that  it  should  be  removed  from  the 
eyes  and  ears  and  every  thought  of  man.  It  was 
reserved  by  the  Romans  for  slaves  and  foreign- 
ers. There  were  three  forms  of  crosses,  the  first 
in  the  shape  of  the  letter  X,  called  the  crux 
decusmto,  or,  later,  St.  Andrew's  Cross  ;  one  in  the 
form  of  the  letter  T,  called  the  crux  commissa. 


THE  THKEE   CROSSES. 


or,  later,  St.  Anthony's  cross ;  and  third,  the 
Latin  cross,  or  crux  immissa,  like  the  preceding 
one,  except  that  the  upright  beam  projected 
above  the  horizontal  one.  There  is  also  the 
Greek  cross,  consisting  of  two  pieces  of  wood  of 
equal  length  crossing  each  other  at  right  angles 
in  the  centre.  That  the  Latin  cross  was  the  one 
on  which  Jesus  was  crucified  is  indicated  by  uni- 
form tradition,  and  by  the  fact  that  the  inscrip- 
tion was  placed  upon  it  over  his  head.  The  con- 
vict was  fastened  to  the  cross,  sometimes  as  it 
lay  upon  the  ground,  sometimes  after  its  erec- 
tion. In  the  former  case  the  body  was  terribly 
wrenched  when  the  cross  was  raised  and  dropped 
into  its  place  ;  the  concussion  often  dislocated 
the  limbs.  To  fasten  the  sufferer  to  the  cross 
his  hands  were  nailed  to  the  crosspiece ;  the  feet 
were  sometimes  bound,  sometimes  nailed.  That 
the  latter  course  was  adopted  in  the  case  of  Christ 
is  indicated,  though  not  demonstrated,  by  Luke 
24  :  39,  40.  The  feet  were  probably  nailed  sepa- 
rately, not,  as  represented  in  most  art,  and  purely 
for  artistic  reasons,  with  one  foot  lying  over  the 
other  and  both  transfixed  with  one  nail.  Lest 
the  hands  and  feet  should  not  bear  the  strain,  a 
little  wooden  pin  projected  just  below  the  thigh, 
which  afforded  the  body  a  partial  though  painful 
support.  There  was  no  support  to  the  feet, 
though  this  is  sometimes  represented  in  art.  The 
crucified  person  was  not  raised  high  in  air ;  his 
feet  were  but  a  httle  above  the  ground.  In  this 
respect  the  common  art  representations  are  not 
true  to  the  facts. 

Thus,  with  no  vital  organ  directly  touched,  the 
victim  was  left  to  die.  The  heat  of  the  Oriental 
sun,  the  festering  of  the  undressed  wounds,  the 
increased  torment  produced  by  every  attempted 
movement  to  secure  relief,  the  burning  fever,  the 
throbbing  head,  the  intense  thirst— all  combined 
to  make  death  by  crucifixion  as  horrible  as  it  was 
protracted.  See  an  elaborate  description  of  it  in 
Farrar's  Life  of  Christ,  and  one  more  scientifically 


316 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXVIL 


17  And  set  up  over  his  head,  his  a  cusation  written, 
THIS  IS  JESUS  THE  KING  OF  THE  JEWS. 

38  Then  were  there  two  thieves  "i  crucified  with  him  ; 
one  on  the  light  hand,  and  another  on  the  left. 

39  And  they  tliat  passed  by  reviled  him,  wagging^ 
their  heads, 

40  And  saying,  Thou  that  destrovest  the  temple,  and 
buildest  it  in  three  days,  save  thyself.  It  thou  be  the 
Son  of  God,  come  down  from  the  cross. 

41  Likewise  also  the  chief  priests  mocking'  him, 
with  the  scribes  and  elders,  said. 


42  He  saved  others,  himself  he  cannot  save.  If  he 
be  the  King  of  Israel,  let  him  now  come  down  from 
the  cross,  and  we  will  believe  him. 

43  He  trusted  in  God  ;  lets  him  deliver  him  now,  if 
he  will  have  him  ;  for  he  said,""  I  am  the  Son  of  God. 

44  The  thieves  also,  which  were  crucified  with  him, 
cast  the  same  in  his  teeth. 

45  Now  from  the  sixth  hour  there  was  darkness' 
over  all  the  land  unto  the  ninth  hour. 

46  And  about  the  ninth  hour  Jesus  cried  with  a  loud 
voice,  saying,  Eli,  Eli,  lama  sabachthani?  that  is  to 
say,J  My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me? 


full  in  Stroud's  Physical  Cause  of  ChrisVs  Death, 
So  great  were  the  tortures  of  this  lingering  death 
that  there  are  many  ancient  instances  of  men 
who  bought  with  large  bribes  the  privilege  of 
being  executed  La  some  other  manner,  and  the 
death  was  ordinarily  hastened  by  the  wearied 
executioners,  by  a  thrust  with  the  spear  or  a  blow 
with  the  club. 

37,  38.  Set  up  over  his  head  his  accu- 
sation. It  was  customary  to  bear  before  the 
condemned  an  inscription  which  designated  his 
crime,  and  which  was  subsequently  attached  to 
the  cross.  Such  was  this  inscription.  On  the 
variations  in  the  Evangelists'  report  of  it,  see 
John  19  :  19,  20,  notes.— Two  thieves.  Rather, 
brigands,  for  this  is  the  significance  of  the  original 
{k\iaTt\g),  It  is  not  improbable  that  they  be- 
longed to  the  band  of  which  Barabbas  was  the 
leader  (Mark  is :  7).  Christ's  crucifixion  between 
them  was  a  literal  fulfillment  of  prophecy  (Mark 

16  :  28 ;  Isaiah  63  :  12). 

39-43.  The  three  Synoptists  mention  this 
mockery  ;  John  does  not.  Three  classes  are  de- 
scribed as  participating  in  it.  The  passers-by 
(ver.  39),  that  is,  those  casually  going  to  and  from 
the  city ;  the  chief  priests  (ver.  4i ) ;  and  the  sol- 
diers (Luke  23 :  .36). — Wagging  their  heads.  A 
symbol  of  derision  (jobi6:4;  Psaim22:7) — Thou 
that  destroyest  the  temple  *  *  *  save 
thyself.  The  reference  is  to  John  2  :  19,  and 
the  language  here  and  in  verses  63,  63,  indicates 
that  their  misrepresentation  of  his  language  upon 
his  trial  (ch.  26 :  6i)  was  wilful.  —  He  saved 
others.  Not  a  real  acknowledgment  of  his 
saving  power ;  the  language  is  that  of  bitter 
irony. — Himself  he  cannot  save.  An  uncon- 
scious utterance  of  the  truth,  like  the  accusation 
preferred  against  him  as  "a  friend  of  publicans 
and  sinners."  If  he  had  saved  himself  he  could 
not  have  saved  others  (ct.  26 :  b3,  54). — He  is  the 
King  of  Israel !  Not,  according  to  the  best 
manuscripts.  If  he  he  the  King  of  Israel,  as  in  our 
English  version.  The  language  is  that  of  taunt, 
and  refers  to  the  inscription  upon  the  cross ; 
and  its  object  was,  perhaps,  in  part  to  turn  the 
edge  of  its  sarcasm  against  the  nation.  "  Ho ! 
Ho  !  he  is  the  king  of  Israel !  let  him  descend 
from  the  cross  now,  and  we  will  believe  in  him." 


If  he  had  done  so  it  would  have  made  no  difEer- 
ence  in  their  belief,  for  they  resisted  the  greater 
miracle  of  his  resurrection  (ch.  28 :  i4,  is). — JLet 
him  deliver  him  now  if  he  will  have  him. 
A  striking  illustration  of  the  false  idea  of  special 
Providence.  Many  stUl  think  that  he  who  seems 
to  be  deserted  by  God  cannot  be  a  son  in  whom 
he  is  well  pleased,  and  that  God  may  always  be 
expected  to  interfere  immediately  to  save  his 
children  from  unjust  suffering.  Observe,  by 
comparison  with  Psalm  32,  written  by  David  at 
least  a  thousand  years  before  this  time,  a  singular 
testimony  to  the  inspiration  of  proj^hecy. 

44.  The  brigands  also  *  *  *  *  up- 
braided him.  Luke  23  :  39  gives  the  lan- 
guage which  seems  to  have  been  employed  only 
by  one.  Of  the  penitence  of  the  other,  Matthew 
and  Mark  make  no  mention.  The  hypothesis 
that  both  at  first  reviled  and  one  afterwards 
repented,  a  supposition  entertained  by  some  of 
the  older  commentators,  is  much  less  proba- 
ble than  that  Matthew  and  Mark  omit,  perhaps 
are  not  acquainted  with,  the  incident  of  the  peni- 
tent thief,  and  simply  speak  of  the  derision  in 
general  terms. 

45.  From  the  sixth  hour.  Twelve  o'clock. 
On  the  discrepancy  between  this  verse  and  John 
19  :  14,  see  note  there. — There  was  darkness 
over  all  the  land  until  the  ninth  hour. 
That  is,  3  p.m.  It  is  neither  necessary  nor 
reasonable  to  suppose  that  this  darkness  envel- 
oped the  whole  earth.  The  original  (;■/;),  here 
rendered  land,  is  often  used  in  the  N.  T.  for  a 

limited   territory  (Matt.  2  :  6,  20,  21 ;  4  :  is ;  11  :  24,-  14  :  34). 

The  darkness  could  not  have  been  produced  by 
an  eclipse,  for  the  Passover  was  celebrated  at  the 
full  moon,  when  the  moon  is  opposite  the  sun. 
It  may  have  been  a  natural  phenomenon,  premon- 
itory of  the  earthquake  which  followed.  Stroud 
(Physical  Cause  of  Chrisfs  Death)  gives  a  number 
of  illustrations  of  similar  phenomena  of  darkness 
connected  with  earthquakes  or  volcanoes.  The 
fact  is  mentioned  by  the  three  Evangehsts,  but 
not  by  John  ;  and  the  early  fathers  appealed  to 
profane  testimony  in  attestation  of  it.  Words- 
worth notes  the  contrast  between  this  darkness 
and  that  in  Egypt:  "Then  the  Hebrews  had 
light  in  their  dwellings  while  the  rest  of  Egypt 


Ch.  XXVIL] 


MATTHEW. 


317 


47  Some  nf  them  that  stood  there,  when  they  heard 
that,  said,  This  man  calleth  for  Elias. 

48  And  straightway  one  of  them  ran,  and  took  a 


sponge,  and  filled  it  with ''  vinegar,  and  put  //  on  a 
reed,  and  gave  him  to  drink. 

49  The  rest  said,  Let  be,  let  us  see  whether  Elias  will 
come  to  save  him. 


was  dark ;  but  now,  when  the  true  Passover  is 
killed  by  them,  they  are  in  darkness,  and  the 
light  of  the  Gospel  is  about  to  be  poured  on  the 
Gentile  world."  It  is  not  possible  to  misappre- 
hend the  solemn  significance  of  this  act,  repre- 
senting the  sympathy  oi  nature  with  its  crucified 
Lord ;  nor  necessary  to  attempt  any  detailed 
interpretation,  such  as  that  it  represented  his 
conflict  with  the  powers  of  darkness  and  his 
present  want  of  heavenly  comfort  {Matthew 
Henry),  or  God's  detestation  of  the  crime,  and 
his  future  blinding  of  the  Jewish  nation  {Calvin), 
or  that  the  death  of  Christ  was  the  going  out 
of  the  light  of  the  world  {Adam  Clarke). 

46.  Jesus  Avhen  he  had  cried  Avith  a 
loud  voice.  Literally  a  great  voice,  i.  e.,  with 
the  voice  still  strong,  unweakened  by  approach- 
ing death.  On  the  significance  of  this  fact  see 
John  19  :  34,  note.— Eli,  Eli, lama  sabacthani. 
Quoted  from  Psalm  32  :  1.  The  first  two  words 
are  Hebrew,  the  latter  two  Chaldaic.  Mark's 
language,  Eloi,  is  a  Syro-Chaldaic  form,  having 
the  same  meaning. — My  God,  my  God,  why 
hast  thou  forsaken  me  ?  Dr.  Adam  Clarke, 
following  Lightfoot,  proposes  to  translate  this 
To  what  {sort  of  persons,  understood)  hast  thou 
forsaken  me  ?  thus  rendering  it  simply  as  an  ex- 
pression of  astonishment  at  the  wickedness  of 
his  crucifiers  ;  but  this  appears  to  me  untenable, 
because,  though  the  language  of  Mark  {ti?  %l  ue 
iyy-axklims)  is  capable  of  this  translation,  the 
language  of  Matthew  (iiuri  ,i(6,  etc.)  is  not ;  and  it 
weakens  the  force  of  the  cry,  and  reduces  it  to  a 
mere  yielding  at  last  to  the  taunts  which  up  to 
this  point  Christ  has  borne  in  a  sublime  silence. 
Accepting  our  English  translation  as  correct,  how 
shall  we  understand  it  ?  Certainly  not  (a)  as  the 
outcry  "of  the. humanity  of  our  Saviour  and 
not  of  his  divinity  "  {James  Morison) ;  for  there 
is  no  Scriptural  authority  whatever  for  thus  dis- 
criminating a  part  of  Christ's  life  and  experience 
as  divine  and  a  part  as  human,  a  refinement  of 
scholastic  theology  which  deprives  both  his  ex- 
ample and  his  manifestation  of  the  divine  nature 
of  their  true  meaning  and  power ;  nor  (6)  as  spo- 
ken in  our  name,  and  as  a  lesson  for  us  that  we 
should  never  despair,  even  though  God  hides  his 
face  from  us  (  Wordsworth).  This  lesson  is  sub- 
limely taught  by  the  cry  of  Christ  in  this  hour. 
But  to  suppose  that  he  uttered  it  for  thu  purpose, 
is  to  deprive  it  of  all  moral  power,  and  to  throw 
over  his  utterances,  even  the  most  solemn  and 
sacred,  the  suspicion  that  they  are  not  simple 


truth,  but  have  been  uttered  for  dramatic  effect ; 
nor  (f)  that  it  is  simply  "  an  expression  of  agony 
couched  in  the  devout  language  of  Scripture." — 
{Furness. )  Doubtless  it  is  this ;  but  Christ 
would  not  have  taken  the  language  of  Scripture 
if  it  did  not  exactly  express  his  experience. 
These  are  all  evasions,  not  interpretations  of  the 
passage,  {d.)  Nor  are  we  to  hold  ourselves  de- 
barred from  all  endeavor  to  understand  their 
meaning.— (5/oowi/ieid.)  The  words  are  written 
for  our  profit,  though  to  be  studied  in  humility, 
and  with  a  consciousness  that  the  experience 
which  they  indicate  defies  our  analysis  and  tran- 
scends our  perfect  conception.  The  student 
may  obtain  some  light  in  such  a  study  from  a 
consideration  of  the  following  facts :  (1.)  Jesus  is 
represented  in  the  N.  T.  as  subject  to  the  whole 
experience  of  spii-itual  conflict  which  belongs  to 
man.  No  philosophy  which  ignores  or  elimi- 
nates this  truth  can  interpret  the  temptation,  or 
the  agony  in  Gethsemane,  or  the  cry  upon  the 

cross  (comp.  Matt.  4  :  1-11 ;  Prel.  Note,  §  6,  p.  39  ;  ch.  26  :  36- 
46,  note  ;  Lessons  of  Gethsemane,  p.  293).  (2.)  He  iS  repre- 
sented in  the  Prophets  (isaiah  63 :  6,  e)  and  the  Epis- 
tles (2  Cor.  6  :  21 ;  Gal.  3  ;  13  ;   1  Pet.  2  :  24)  aS  taking  UpOU 

himself  the  penalty  of  our  sins  ;  and  the  penalty 
of  sin  is  represented  throughout  the  Bible  as 
spiritual  separation  from  God  (Deut.  32: 20;  Prov.  1 : 

24-29  ;    Isaiah  64  :  7  ;    Micah  3  :  4;    2  Thess.  1  :  9).       (3.)  Some 

help  toward  an  understanding  of  this  cry  may  be 
derived  from  that  phase  of  Christian  experience 
in  which,  while  the  intellect  still  holds  fast  to  its 
belief  in  God,  the  heart  feels  his  presence  no 
more,  and  the  soul  is  in  darkness,  in  spite  of  its 

faith  in  God  (comp.  Matt,  ll  :  l-e,  note  ;  Exod.  17  ;  4  ;  1  Kings 
19  :  10;  Psalm  10  :  1  :  Jer.  12  :  1,  2).        (4.)    That    there   WaS 

an  inward  conflict  in  Christ's  soul  is  indicated 
by  the  twofold  nature  of  the  cry;  "iJ/yGod" 
indicates  an  unrelaxed  hold  on  him ;  '■'■forsaken 
we"  indicates  a  sense  of  bereavement  of  the 
divine  presence.  If  these  are  inconsistent,  the 
inconsistency  repeats  itself  frequently  in  Chris- 
tian experience.  (5.)  It  expresses  surprise,  as 
though  some  new  and  unexpected  anguish  had 
been  added  to  that  already  borne,  and  the  indi- 
cation certainly  is  that  a  cry  which  neither  the 
physical  anguish  nor  the  taunts  of  his  foes  could 
wring  from  his  lips  was  wrung  by  this  mysterious 
agony  of  separation  from  his  God.  (6.)  It  is 
the  cry  of  innocence ;  the  lost  know  that  they 
are  forsaken,  but  know  why,  and  do  not  call  on 
God  as  their  God.  It  was,  therefore,  vo  literal 
transfer  of  the  experience  of  remorse  and  spir- 


318 


MATTHEW. 


[Oh.  XXVIL 


50  Jesus,  when  he  had  cried  again  with  a  loud  voice, 
yielded  up  the  ghost. 

51  And,  behold,  the  veil'  of  the  temple  was  rent™  in 
twain,  from  the  top  to  the  bottom  ;  and  the  earth  did 
quake,  and  the  rocks  rent ; 


52  And  "  the  graves  were  opened  ;  and  many  bodies 
of  the  saints  which"  slept,  arose, 

53  And  came  out  of  the  graves  p  after  his  resurrec- 
tion, and  went  into  the  holy  city,  and  appeared  unto 
many. 


Isa.  !6  :  8  ;   26  :  19  ;  Hoaea  13  :  14  ;  John  6  :  26,  28. 


itual  death  which  Christ  experienced.  Compare 
the  evidence  of  the  triumph  of  his  faith  in  his 
last  utterance,  just  before  death  (Luke  23 :  46.) 

47-49.  This  incident  is  recorded  by  all  of  the 
Evangelists.  A  comparison  of  their  accounts  is 
instructive,  because  it  indicates  the  independ- 
ence and  originality  of  the  accounts.  The  vari- 
ations forbid  the  idea  of  collusion  among  the 
writers,  or  their  acquaintance  with  each  other's 
accounts,  or  a  common  origin.  They  are  such  as 
characterize  independent  and  honest  witnesses. 
Luke's  account,  which  is  less  detailed,  is  simply 
that  the  soldiers  offered  Christ  vinegar  in 
mockery.  John  says  that 
Christ  said,  "I  thirst," 
and  that  the  vinegar  was 
offered  in  consequence ; 
Matthew  that  it  was  of- 
fered by  one,  and  the  rest 
objected ;  Mark  that  he 
who  offered  the  drink 
said,  Let  alone,  that  is. 
Let  this  suflSce,  and  see  if 
Elias  will  come.  From  a 
comparison  of  these  ac- 
counts it  would  appear 
that  Christ  followed  the 
exclamation  of  the  pre- 
ceding verse  with  an  ex- 
pression of  thirst,  that 
the  drink  was  offered  by 
one  of  the  soldiers,  in  a 
spirit  of  commingled  pity 
and  contempt,  and  that 
the  others  objected  as 
reported  here.  Alford 
thinks  that  the  language 
here  could  not  have  been 
used  by  the  soldiers, 
"  who  knew  nothing  about 
Elias."  But  it  is  not  by 
any  means  certain  that 
they  did  not  know  the 
current  Jewish  belief  that 
the  coming  of  the  Messiah 
was  to  be  preceded  by  a 
coming  of  Elijah  (Matt.  16 : 
14 ;  17 :  lo).  In  that  case  the 
language  here  would  be 
partly  a  misunderstanding 
HYSSOP —  of    Christ's    words    and 

Organum  maru.       partly  a  mockery.      The 


vinegar  (posed)  was  a  cheap  sour  wine,  mixed 
with  water,  which  was  a  common  drink,  espe- 
cially for  the  poorer  classes  and  for  soldiers.  A 
vessel  filled  with  it  stood  near  the  cross  (john  19 :  29), 
probably  belonging  to  the  soldiers,  an  additional 
indication  that  it  was  offered  not  by  one  of  the 
Jews,  but  by  a  soldier.  The  " reed'"  is  described 
by  John  as  the  hyssop,  by  many  scholars  thought 
to  be  the  caper-plant  (Arabic  hysnp),  which 
grows  in  dry  and  rocky  places  and  on  walls,  and 
is  capable  of  producing  a  stick  three  or  four  feet 
in  length.  As  the  crucified  was  raised  but  a  little 
above  the  ground,  such  a  reed  would  suffice  to 
reach  the  sufferer's  lips.  Dr.  Post  of  Syria,  how- 
ever {Smithes  Bib.  JJict.,  Art.  Hyssop),  argues 
against  this  supposition,  on  account  of  the  thorny 
character  of  the  plant,  and  proposes  in  lieu  of  it 
the  Organum  maru,  which  grows  on  the  walls  of 
all  the  terraces  throughout  Palestine  and  Syria, 
has  a  slender  stem,  free  from  thorns  and  spread- 
ing branches,  and  ending  in  a  cluster  of  heads, 
having  a  highly  aromatic  odor,  and  thus  exactly 
fitted  to  be  made  into  a  bunch  for  the  purposes 
of  sprinkling,  for  which  purpose  it  was  used  in 
O.  T.  times  in  purification.  He  thus  thinks  this 
plant,  of  which  we  give  an  illustration  from  his 
drawing,  best  answers  the  Scripture  reference  to 
the  hyssop  of  the  Bible  (Exod.  12: 22,- Lev.  14  :4,  si; 

Numb.  19  :  6,  18 ;  1  Kings  4  :  33 ;  Ps.  61  :  7  :  Heb.  9  :  19). 

When  he  had  cried  with  a  loud  voice. 

See  on  verse  46,  and  Note  on  Physical  Cause  of 
Christ's  Death,  John  19  :  34.  Comparing  ac- 
counts in  Luke  and  John  it  appears  that  he  first 
cried  with  a  loud,  i.  e.,  clear,  strong  voice,  "  It 
is  finished,"  then,  perhaps,  in  a  more  subdued 
tone,  "Father,  into  thy  hands  I  commend  my 
spirit." — Yielded  up  the  ghost.  Nothing 
concerning  the  voluntary  character  of  his  death 
is  fairly  deducible  from  these  words,  which  are 
simply  a  common  expression  for  death.  See 
Gen.  35  :  18,  where  in  the  Septuagint  the  language 
rendered  "  Her  soul  was  in  departing,"  is  sub- 
stantially the  same  employed  here. 

51-53.  These  incidents  are  rejected  by  ration- 
alistic critics  as  mythical  additions  to  the  his- 
torical narratives  of  the  crucifixion.  There  is, 
however,  nothing  whatever  in  the  state  of  the 
text  to  throw  any  doubt  over  their  genuineness. 
If  expunged,  it  must  be  wholly,  because  they  are 
regarded  as  inherently  incredible.  Those  who 
believe,  as  I  do,  that  God  is  the  Lord  of  Nature, 
and  that  he  sometimes  teaches  sublime  truths  by 


Ch.  XXVIL] 


MATTHEW. 


319 


5i  Nowi  when  the  centurion,  and  they  that  were 
with  him,  watching  Jesus,  saw  the  eartliquake,  and 
those  things  that  were  done,  they  feared  greatly,  say- 
ing, Truly  this  was  the  Son  of  God. 

55  And  many  women  were  there,  beholding  afar  off. 


which' followed  Jesus  from  Galilee,  ministering  unto 
him: 

56  Among  which  was  Mary  Magdalene,  and  Mary 
the  mother  of  James  and  Joses,  and  the  mother  of  Zeb- 
edee's  children. 


q  Mark  15  :  39  ;  Luke  23  :  47,  etc r  Luke  8  :  2,  3. 


a  sublime  symbolism,  will  find  nothiDg  incredible 
in  the  narrative  if  it  is  properly  comprehended. 
The  only  question  to  such  will  be,  Is  it  adequately 
authenticated  ?  The  rending  of  the  vail  is  nar- 
rated by  the  three  Synoptists.  It  might  easily 
have  become  known  through  some  of  the  "great 
company  of  priests,"  who  early  became  Christ's 
disciples  (Acts  6 :  ?).  Apart  from  such  testimony 
it  can  hardly  fail  to  have  become  known.  If  it 
did  not  occur,  the  story  could  have  been  easily 
and  completely  refuted  at  any  time  prior  to  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  the  vail  itself,  and 
at  any  time  subsequent  thereto,  and  during  that 
generation,  by  the  testimony  of  living  priests. 
Neander  {Life  of  Christ),  refers  to  the  later  tra- 
ditions, that  a  beam  over  the  Temple  broke, 
and  that  about  forty  years  before  the  destruc- 
tion of  Jerusalem  the  Temple  doors,  though 
securely  locked,  suddenly  burst  open,  as  afford- 
ing incidental  confirmation  of  this  narrative,  from 
which,  perhaps,  they  sprang.  The  earthquake 
and  resurrection  are  peculiar  to  Matthew.  The 
account  of  the  earthquake  accords  with  and 
explains  the  preternatural  darkness  described  by 
all  the  Synoptists,  and  it  is  incidentally  confirmed 
by  the  rents  and  fissures  now  found  in  the  vicinity 
of  Jerusalem,  and  indicating  volcanic  action. 
But  for  the  resurrection  we  have  only  Matthew's 
testimony,  and  he  does  not  claim  to  have  been 
an  eye-witness.  He  does  not  say  the  saints  ap- 
peared to  fiim,  but  to  "manij.''^  It  is  not  re- 
ferred to  by  subsequent  writers  ;  and  its  omission 
by  Paul,  in  1  Cor.  ch.  15,  where  it  certainly  would 
have  added  strength  to  his  argument  if  the  fact 
were  generally  known  in  the  Christian  church, 
is  worthy  of  note.  I  judge,  then,  that  certainly  the 
rending  of  the  vail,  and  perhaps  the  earthquake, 
is  as  well  authenticated  as  any  event  recorded 
in  the  N.  T.  ;  but  that  the  resurrection  is  less  so. 
The  incidents  are  confirmed,  however,  by  their 
religious  significance  and  their  accordance  with 
other  N.  T.  teachings.  The  rending  of  the  vail, 
which  hung  before  the  Holy  of  Holies  (see  note 
below),  indicates  that  in  the  death  of  Christ  the 
whole  world  has  access  to  Go& ;  the  resurrection, 
that  in  his  life  all  his  people  have  resurrection 
and  life  eternal.  The  first  is  interpreted  by  Heb. 
10  :  19-31,  which,  with  Alford,  I  believe  has  a 
reference  to  the  fact  here  stated ;  the  other  by 
John  11  :  25.     Corap.  for  both,  Rom,  5  :  10. 

The  vail  of  the  Temple.— This  was  a  vail 
which  hung  before  the  door  of  the  Holy  of  Holies  ; 
the  apartment  which  contained  the  Ark  of  the 


Covenant.  This  ark,  containing  the  sacred  law, 
and  comprising  the  mercy-seat  below  the  cher- 
ubim, was  the  peculiar  shrine  of  the  Godhead, 
Only  the  high-priest  could  enter  this  apart- 
ment, and  he  but  once  a  year  (emci.  so  :  lo ;  Lev. 
16 : 2-19)  to  sprinkle  blood  upon  the  mercy-seat, 
to  blot  out  the  transgressions  which  the  law 
within  the  ark  was  ever  charging  against  the 
people.  The  rending  of  this  vail  unmistakably 
indicated  that  the  final  sacrifice  had  been  now 
made,  for  all  time,  and  that  henceforth  access 
to  God,  through  Christ's  death,  was  open  to  all. 
— The  earth  did  quake.  Alford  says,  "not 
an  ordinary  earthquake."  What  he  means, 
I  do  not  understand.  The  language  implies 
nothing  extraordinary  in  the  earthquake,  except 
in  the  incidents  which  accompanied  it.  The 
earthquake  was  to  the  reverent  Jew  associated 
with  the   presence  of  God,  and  regarded  as  a 

peculiar  token  of  his  power  (judges  S  :  4  ;  2  Sam.  22 :  8  j 
Ps.  77:18;   97  :  4  ;    104  :  32  ;    Amos  8:8;    Hab.   3  :  lo).  —  Aud 

the  graves  were  opened.  Graves  or  sepul- 
chres were  commonly  made  in  caves,  hewn  in 
the  rock  ;  these  were  broken  open  by  the  earth- 
quake.— Many  bodies  of  holy  men.  There  is 
nothing  in  the  language  to  indicate  whether  pa- 
triarchs and  other  saints  of  olden  times,  or  disci- 
ples of  Christ  who  had  died,  as  Simeon,  Hannah, 
Zachariah,  John  the  Baptist,  and  Joseph. — And 
coming  out  of  the  graves,  after  his  resur- 
rection, went  info  the  holy  city.  That 
is,  into  Jerusalem.  The  original  is  ambiguous, 
as  is  my  translation,  on  the  point  whether  the 
resurrection  or  only  the  going  into  the  holy  city, 
was  subsequent  to  Christ's  resurrection.  The 
former  opinion  best  accords  with  1  Cor.  15  :  23. 
If  we  suppose,  as  I  do,  with  Alford,  Wordsworth 
and  the  early  fathers,  that  these  saints  rose  with 
the  glorified  body  (i  Cor.  is :  51-53),  and  ascended 
with  their  Lord,  into  heaven,  the  incident  is 
wholly  in  accordance  with  the  N.  T.  doctrine  of 
resurrection,  and  is  indeed  a  sublime  teaching 
of  that  doctrine.  See  1  Cor.  ch.  15,  and  1  Thess. 
4  :  13-17. 

54.  The  centurion.  An  oflBlcer  of  the  Ro- 
man army  answering  to  the  captain  in  our  own 
organization.  He  commanded  a  century,  an- 
swering to  our  "company,"  originally  a  hundred 
men,  subsequently  from  fifty  to  a  hundred.  The 
annexed  cuts  present  the  figures  of  two  centu- 
rions from  ancient  bas-reliefs.— And  they  that 
were  with  him.  The  four  soldiers  (john  19  :  23) 
appointed  to  guard  the  cross.    The  feeling  of 


320 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXVII. 


TWO   CENTURIONS. 

awe,  according  to  Luke,  extended  to  all  the  by- 
/  Btanders  (Luke  23 :  4s).  Mark,  who  says  nothing  of 
the  earthquake,  attributes  the  centurion's  awe 
to  the  manner  of  Christ's  death  (Mark  15 :  39,  note). 
Doubtless  both  Christ's  personal  character  and 
the  phenomena  of  nature  which  accompanied 
his  death,  contributed  to  produce  the  impres- 
sion. Lange  notes  the  triumvirate  of  Roman 
soldiers  bearing  testimony  to  Christ — the  centu- 
rion in  Capernaum  (Matt.  8 : 6-10),  the  one  here 
mentioned,  and  Cornelius  at  Csesarea  (Acts,  ch.  10). 
— Truly  this  was  a  Son  of  God.  Not  the 
Son  of  God.  Neither  here  nor  in  Mark  is  there 
the  definite  article.  Luke's  report  is  "  This  was 
a  righteous  man,"  i.  e,,  innocent.  It  is  a  gratui- 
tous assumption  to  presume  that  the  oflacer  was 
wholly  ignorant  of  the  Jewish  meaning  attached 
to  the  term,  "Son  of  God."  Two  charges  had  been 
preferred  against  Jesus— blasphemy  in  making 
himself  the  Son  of  God,  and  sedition  against  the 
Roman  government.  Pilate  had  publicly  and 
repeatedly  acquitted  him  of  the  second  charge, 
and  the  first  had  been  publicly  repeated  by  the 
priests  to  Pilate  (John  i9 : 6, 1).  These  facts  inter- 
pret the  centurion's  testimony  here,  namely.  He 
is  innocent  of  the  crime  of  sedition  (Luke),  and  is 
what  he  claimed  to  be,  a  Son  of  God.  But  it 
would  be  attributing  to  tbis  Roman  soldier  a 
marvelous  proficiency  in  theological  knowledge 
to  interpret  this  as  a  conscious  testimony  to  the 
divinity  of  Jesus  Christ,  in  the  modern  sense  of 
that  term.  For  similar  use  of  language  by  a 
heathen,  see  Dan.  3  :  25.  Sophocles'  Dictionary 
refers  to  the  use  of  this  phrase,  "Son  of  God," 
among  heathen  writers,  as  equivalent,  or  nearly 
equivalent,  to  a  just  or  perfect  man.  Observe 
that  he  says  not  is  but  vms  a  Son  of  God ;  evi- 
dently in  his  thought  the  death  of  Christ  was 
the  end.  It  is  worth  noticing  that  the  cross  had 
greater  effect  on  the  centurion,  who  was  before 
simply  ignorant  of  and  indifferent  to  Christ,  than 
on  the  Pharisees,  who  had  the  advantage  of  him 
in  religious  knowledge  and  culture,  but  had 
steeled  themselves  against  the  truth. 

55,  56.  The  attendance  of  women  at  the  cross 
is  mentioned  by  the  four  Evangelists,  but  Luke 


does  not  give  their  names,  and  adds  that  "all 
his  acquaintance"  were  there.  The  disciples, 
then,  were  eye-witnesses  of  the  crucifixion.  On 
the  proper  harmony  of  Matthew,  Mark,  and 
John  here,  partly  depends  the  question  whether 
the  brethren  of  our  Lord  mentioned  in  the  N.  T. 
were  true  brethren  or  only  kinsfolk.  See  tabu- 
lar statement  and  comparison  of  the  accounts, 
and  my  conclusion  respecting  them,  on  p.  110. 
Observe  that  these  were  not  the  women  referred 
to  in  Luke  who  followed  him  weeping.  Tliey 
were  of  Jerusalem  (Luke  23 :  ss) ;  these  were  all 
Galileans. — Afar  off.  Probably  on  account  of 
the  danger  of  recognition  if  they  approached  too 
near.  Art,  which  represents  them  close  by, 
sometimes  even  embracing  the  cross,  is  not  true 
to  history.— Mary  Maardalene.  That  is,  Mary 
of  Magdala.  She  is  described  as  one  out  of 
whom  our  Lord  cast  seven  devils  (Mark  le  :  9). 
This  fact  and  her  presence  at  the  crucifixion  and 
the  sepulchre  (ver.  ei),  and  our  Lord's  appearance 
to  her,  and  her  report  of  his  resurrection  to  the 
disciples,  are  aU  that  is  known  of  her.  There  is 
no  ground  whatever  for  identifying  her  with  tho 
woman  that  was  a  sinner,  mentioned  in  Luke  7  : 
36-50,  and  none,  therefore,  for  the  popular  idea 
that  her  early  life  was  profligate.  Yet  that  idea 
is  all  but  universal.  The  name  is  applied  to 
women  who  have  fallen  from  chastity  ;  institu- 
tions for  the  reformation  of  such  women  are 
known  as  Magdalene  asylums  ;  an  order  of  nuns, 
in  the  Romish  church,  composed  chiefly  of  peni- 
tent courtesans,  is  called  Magdalenes,  and  is 
dedicated  to  Mary  Magdalene— a  curious  illus- 
tration of  the  extent  to  which  an  entirely  ground- 
less idea  may  gain  popular  and  unquestioned  ac- 
ceptance.— 3Iary  the  mother  of  James.  De- 
scribed by  John,19  :  25,  as  "the  wife  of  Cleophas," 
elsewhere  called  Alphaeus  (Matt.  10 : 3).  Cleophas 
and  Alphseus  are  different  Greek  forms  of  the 
same  Hebrew  word.  The  James  here  mentioned 
is  James  the  Less,  the  brother  of  Joses.  Nothing 
is  known  of  his  mother  except  the  information 
given  here  and  in  the  accounts  of  her  visit  to  the 
sepulchre  with  Mary  Magdalene  (Matt.  28 : 1-11 ;  Mark 
16 : 1-8;  Luke  24 :  i-ii)- — The  mother  of  Zebcdee's 
children.  James  and  John  (Matt,  lo :  2).  Her 
name  was  Salome  (Mark  u :  40) ;  and  she  is,  I  be- 
lieve, to  be  identified  with  the  one  described  in 
John  (19 ;  25,  note)  as  the  "  sister  of  Jesus'  mother." 
Her  ambitious  request  for  the  preferment  of  her 
two  sons  (Matt.  20:20,21)  and  her  presence  at  the 
crucifixion  and  the  sepulchre,  are  the  only  refer- 
ences to  her  in  the  N.  T.  Nothing  is  known  of 
her  subsequent  history. 

57-61.  The  Burial  OF  Jesus' Body.  Comp. 
Mark  15  :  43-57 ;  Luke  23  :  50-56 ;  John  19  :  38-42. 
John's  account  is  the  fullest ;  see  notes  there 
for  all  that  is  common  to  the  four  Evangelists, 
and  for  some   account  of  Jewish  burials  and 


Ch.  XXVIL] 


MATTHEW. 


331 


57  When  •  the  even  was  come,  there  came  a  rich  man 
of  Arimathaea,  named  Joseph,  who  also  himself  was 
Jesus'  disciple  : 

58  He  went  to  Pilate,  and  begged  the  body  of  Jesus. 
Then  Pilate  commanded  the  body  to  be  delivered. 

59  And  when  Joseph  had  taken  the  body,  he  wrapped 
it  in  a  clean  linen  cloth, 


60  And '  laid  it  in  his  own  new  tomb,  which  he  had 
hewn  out  in  the  rock :  and  he  rolled  a  great  stone  to 
the  door  of  the  sepulchre,  and  departed. 

61  And  there  was  Mary  Magdalene,  and  the  other 
Mary,  sitting  over  against  the  sepulchre. 

62  Now  the  next  day,  that  followed  the  day  of  the 
preparation,  the  chief  priests  and  Pharisees  came  to- 
gether unto  Pilate, 


Mark  15  :  42,  43 ;  Luke  23  :  60-53  ;  John  19  : 


burial-places.  Prior  to  the  burial  the  soldiers 
made  sure  of  Christ's  death  by  piercing  his  side 
with  the  spear  (johu  19 :  34).— When  the  even 
was  come.  In  Jewish  and  Grecian  reckoning 
there  were  two  evenings,  the  first  commencing 
with  the  declining  sun,  the  second  with  the  set- 
ting sun  (ch.  26 :  20,  note) ;  comp.  Exod.  12  :  6,  marg. 
reading,  "  between  the  two  evenings  ; "  similarly 
in  Numb.  9  :  3 ;  28  ;  4.  The  first  evening  must 
be  indicated  here,  for  it  was  during  the  prepa- 
ration-— A  rich  man.  Of  Arimathea.  He  is 
described  as  a  councillor,  that  is,  a  member  of 
the  Sanhedrim,  by  Mark  and  Luke,  who  give 
some  insight  into  his  character.  John  says  that 
he  was  a  disciple  secretly,  for  fear  of  the  Jews. 
Nicodemus  came  with  him,  bringing  material  for 
anointing  the  body  (John  19 :  39). — Then  Pilate 
commanded  the  body  to  be  delivered. 
He  first  assured  himself  of  Christ's  death,  by 
inquiring  of  the  centurion  (Mark  15 :  44, 45). — In  his 
own  new  tomb.  Matthew  alone  describes  it 
as  Joseph's  tomb.  It  was  in  a  garden,  and  near 
the  place  of  ci-ucifixlon  (john  19 :  41).  For  descrip- 
tion and  plan  of  the  Jewish  tomb  see  notes  on 
Mark  16  :  3.  A  comparison  of  the  accounts  in  the 
original  indicates  that  this  was  an  artificial  exca- 
vation in  the  rock,  not  cut  downward  after  the 
manner  of  a  modern  grave,  but  horizontally, 
after  the  manner  of  a  modern  tomb.  For  expla- 
nation and  illustration  of  the  Jewish  method  of 
closing  the  door  of  such  a  sepulchre  by  a  circu- 
lar stone  rolled  in  front  of  it,  see  Mark  16  :  3,  4, 
note. — The  other  Mary.  The  mother  of  Jo- 
ses  (Mark  15 :  47).  See  note  on  ver.  56,  above.  From 
this  sorrowful  watch  they  returned  home  to  pre- 
pare spices  and  ointments  for  the  further  anoint- 
ing of  Jesus'  body  (Luke  23 :  65, 66).  As  they  went 
direct  from  the  place  of  execution  to  the  grave, 
they  probably  knew  nothing  about  the  guard 
given  by  Pilate ;  hence,  this  did  not  occur  to 
them  as  a  diflSculty  when  they  visited  the  sepul- 
chre to  complete  the  anointing  (Mark  i6 : 2, 3). 

Ch.  27  :  62-66.  A  fiDARD  FOR  THE  SEPULCHRE  OB- 
TAINED.—Christ  CANNOT  BE  SO  ENTOMBED  BUT  THAT 
HE  WILL  RISE  AGAIN.— ThIS  ILLUSTBATED  IN  PROV- 
ERBS :  e.  g.,  "  Truth  against  the  world  ; "  "  Truth 

CRUSHED  TO  EARTH  WELL  RISE  AGAIN;"  "  It  TAKES 
MANY  SHOVELFULS  OF  EARTH  TO  BURT  THE  TRUTH."- 

Illustrated  in  history:  e.  g.,  the  Reformation, 
THE  Puritan  movement,  the  Methodist  moveaibnt. 


This  incident  is  peculiar  to  Matthew.  It  is  at- 
tacked not  only  by  rationalistic  critics,  but  even 
given  up  by  Meyer  and  Olshausen.  The  objec- 
tions to  the  narrative  are  fairly  given  and,  as  it 
seems  to  me,  adequately  answered  in  Alford's 
note,  which  I  therefore  transcribe.  "The  chief 
difficulties  found  in  it  seem  to  be :  (1.)  How 
should  the  chief  priests,  etc.,  know  of  Ms  having 
said,  'in  three  days  I  will  rise  again,'  when  the 
saying  was  hid  even  from  his  own  disciples  ?  The 
answer  to  this  is  easy.  The  meaning  of  the  say- 
ing may  have  been,  and  was,  hid  from  the  disci- 
ples ;  but  the  fact  of  its  having  been  said  could  be 
no  secret.  Not  to  lay  any  stress  on  John  2  :  19, 
we  have  the  direct  prophecy  of  Matt.  12  :  40,  and 
besides  this,  there  would  be  a  rumor  current, 
through  the  intercourse  of  the  Apostles  with 
others,  that  he  had  been  In  the  habit  of  so  say- 
ing. (To  this  I  may  add  the  possible  testimony 
of  Judas  Iscariot  to  the  priests.)  As  to  the  un- 
derstanding of  the  words,  we  must  remember 
that  hatred  is  keener-sighted  than  love;  that  the 
raising  of  Lazarus  would  show  what  sort  of  a  thing 
rising  from  the  dead  was  to  be  ;  and  that  the  fulfil- 
ment of  the  Lord's  announcement  of  his  cruci- 
fixion^onld.  naturally  lead  them  to  look  further, 
to  what  more  he  had  announced.  (2.)  How  should 
the  women,  who  were  solicitous  about  the 
removal  of  the  stone,  not  have  been  stUl  more  so 
about  its  being  sealed,  and  a  guard  set?  The 
answer  to  this  is  (see  notes  below),  they  were  not  aware 
of  the  circumstance,  because  the  guard  was  not  set 
till  the  evening  before.  There  would  be  no  need 
of  the  application  before  the  approach  of  the  third 
day — it  is  only  made  for  a  watch  "until  the 
third  day  "  (ver.  64),  and  it  is  not  probable  that  the 
circumstance  would  transpire  that  night — cer- 
tainly it  seems  not  to  have  done  so.  (3.)  That 
Gamaliel  was  of  the  council,  and  if  such  a  thing  as 
this, and  its  sequel  (ch.  28 :  ii-is)  had  reallyhappened, 
he  need  not  have  expressed  himself  doubtfully 
(Acts  6 :  39),  but  would  havc  been  certain  that  this 
was  from  God.  But,  first,  it  does  not  neces- 
sarily follow  that  every  member  of  the  Sanhedrim 
was  present  and  applied  to  Pilate  (see  note  on  ver.  62), 
or  even  had  they  done  so,  that  all  bore  a  part  in 
the  bribery  of  the  soldiers  (ch.  28 :  12).  One  who, 
like  Joseph,  had  not  consented  to  their  deed  be- 
fore— and  we  may  safely  say  that  there  were  others 
such — would  naturally  withdraw  himself  from 


323 


MATTHEW. 


63  Saying,  Sir,  we  remember  that  that  deceiver" 
said,  while  he  was  yet  alive,  After"  three  days  I  will 
rise  again. 

64  Command  therefore  that  the  sepulchre  be  made 
sure  until  the  third  day,  lest  his  disciples  come  by 
night,  and  "  steal  him  away,  and  say  unto  the  people, 


[Ch.  XXVII. 


He  is  risen  from  the  dead :  so  the  last  error  shall  be 
worse  than  the  first. 

65  Pilate  said  unto  them.  Ye  have  a  watch  :  go  your 
way,  make  it  as  sure  as  ye  can. 

66  So  they  went,  and  made  the  sepulchre  sure,  seal- 
ing ^  the  stone,  and  setting  a  watch. 


i7:  12,  47;  2  Cor.  6  :  8 v  ch.  16  :  21  ;  17  :  23  ;  20  :  19  ;  Luke  24:  6,  7;  John  2  :  19 w  ch.  28  :  13.. 


further  proceedings  against  the  person  of  Jesus. 
(4.)  Had  this  been  so,  the  three  other  Evangehsts 
would  not  have  passed  over  so  important  a  testi- 
mony to  the  Resurrection.  But  surely  we  can- 
not argue  in  this  way — for  thus  every  fact  nar- 
rated by  one  Evangelist  alone  must  be  rejected — 
such  as  the  satisfaction  of  Thomas  (john  20 :  24-29), 
which  stands  in  much  the  same  relation,  and 
other  such  narrations.  Till  we  Icnow  much  more 
about  the  circumstances  under  which,  and  the  scope 
with  which  each  Gospel  was  compiled,  all  a  priori 
arguments  of  this  kind  are  good  for  nothing. "  (To 
which  add  the  consideration  that  Matthew,  who 
wrote  for  the  Jews,  among  whom  the  story  of 
the  stealing  of  the  body  had  been  circulated 
(ch.  28 :  15),  was  the  one  most  likely  to  afford  this 
explanation  and  refutation  of  that  rumor.) 

62.  The  day  that  followed  the  day  of 
preparation.  That  is,  on  the  Sabbath.  The 
Jews,  who  did  not  hesitate  to  violate  the  law  in 
the  condemnation  of  Christ,  and  even  to  invoke 
the  Gentile  penalty  of  crucifixion  on  one  of  their 
own  nation,  would  not  have  hesitated  to  employ 
the  Sabbath  hours,  if  necessary,  to  consummate 
their  work.  There  is  no  good  reason  to  suppose, 
therefore,  that  they  waited  until  Sabbath  even- 
ing; on  the  other  hand,  the  guard  would  not 
have  been  set  until  eve,  because  there  was  no 
danger  that  the  grave,  which  was  near  a  public 
highway,  would  be  rifled  during  the  day  (see  next 
verse).  So  the  womcn,  who  came  to  the  sepulchre 
the  next  day  (Mark  16 : 1-3),  may  very  likely  have 
known  nothing  of  the  guard. — The  chief 
priests  and  Pharisees.  Not  necessarily,  nor 
even  probably,  a  formal  meeting  of  the  Sanhe- 
drim. It  is  not  the  usual  formula  used  to  de- 
scribe such  a  meeting.     Comp.  ch.  26  :  57 ;  27  : 1. 

63,64.  After  three  days  I  will  rise 
again.  The  reference  is  probably  to  John  2  :  19, 
which  prophecy  of  Christ's  was  made  directly 
to  the  priests  and  in  Jerusalem.  This  would  be 
interpreted  to  them  by  his  language  in  Matt. 
12  :  39,  40.— Lest  his  disciples  come  by 
night.  The  guard  then  would  not  have  been 
stationed  till  nightfall,  i.  e.,  of  Saturday,  the 
Jewish  Sabbath.— And  steal  him  aAvay. 
They  judged  the  disciples  by  themselves.  They 
would  not  have  hesitated  to  employ  such  a  trick 
for  such  a  purpose. — The  last  error  shall  be 
Avorse  than  the  first.  Observe  that  they  rec- 
ognize and  unconsciously  enforce  the  argument 
from  the  resurrection.    Granted  that  Christ  rose 


from  the  dead,  and  aU  that  is  involved  in  faith  in 
a  supernatural  Christianity  follows.  Observe, 
too,  that  they  were  sincere  in  their  belief  that 
Christ  and  his  disciples  were  deceivers.  If  they 
had  not  really  feared  such  a  deceit,  they  would 
not  have  a^jplied  to  Pilate  for  a  guard  to  prevent 
it.  For  it  is  absurd  to  suppose  that  they  really 
anticipated  the  resurrection  and  thought  a  Ro- 
man seal  and  guard  would  prevent  it.  It  is  the 
effect  of  pride  and  passion  to  blind  men,  not  only 
to  the  truth,  but  also  to  moral  qualities  in  better 
men  ;  they  are  given  up  to  strong  delusion  to  be- 
lieve a  lie  (2  Thess.  2  :  ll). 

65,  66.  Have  ye  a  watch.  The  original 
verb  {t/ers)  may  be  the  imperative  or  the  indica- 
tive. It  seems  better  to  render  it  imperative. — 
(So  Meyer  and  De  Wette.)  It  is  not  a  mere 
statement  that  they  have  a  guard — if  they  had 
one  there  was  no  occasion  for  the  application — 
but  a  direction  to  them  to  take  one.  It  was  evi- 
dently a  guard  of  Roman  soldiers,  but,  by 
Pilate's  orders,  placed  under  command  of  the 
priests  ;  and  to  them  the  guard  reported  the  res- 
urrection in  the  first  instance  (ch.  28 :  11).  The 
term  watch  (y.ovaTOidia)  is  general,  and  does  not 
indicate  of  what  number  of  men  it  consisted. 
There  is  no  reason  for  supposing  with  Barnes 
there  were  sixty,  or  with  Gray  that  there  were 
four. — Make  it  fast,  as  ye  know  how.  This 
is  the  literal  rendition  of  the  original.  The  guard 
was  given  to  them,  and  they  were  at  liberty  to  take 
what  measures  they  saw  fit  to  secure  the  tomb. 
Thus  God's  providence  ordained  that  Christ's 
enemies  should  furnish  a  part  of  the  evidence  of 
Christ's  resurrection.  But  for  the  priests'  pre- 
caution, their  story  of  a  robbery  of  the  tomb 
might  have  gained  a  credence  which  is  now  at- 
tached to  it  by  no  one.— Sealing  the  stone.  It 
was  common  to  seal  the  doors  of  tombs  with  wax 
or  clay  (comp.  Dan.  6 :  n).  Such  seals  are  described 
by  Wilkinson  as  still  found  in  Egypt.  In  this 
case  the  sealing  was  probably  done  by  passing  a 
cord  across  the  stone  at  the  mouth  of  the  sepul- 
chre, and  fastening  it  at  either  end  by  the  seal- 
ing clay.  On  the  bearing  of  this  fact  on  the  res- 
urrection of  our  Lord,  see  note  on  the  Resurrec- 
tion of  our  Lord  at  close  of  next  chapter 

CM.  28  : 1-17.    THE  RESURRECTION  OP  JESUS  CHRIST. 

— How  ATTESTED :  BY  SKBPTICAX  AND  RELUCTANT 
WITNESSES  ;  BY   THE   POWER   OF    A    LrVING    AND    LIFK- 

erviNQ  Lord  ;  by  the  Sabbath  Day.     See  Note  on 


Ch.  XXVIII.] 


MATTHEW. 


323 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

INy  the  end  of  the  sabbath,  as  it  began  to  dawn  to- 
ward the  first  day  ot  the  week,  came  Mary  Mag- 
dalene,' and  the  other  Mary,  to  see  the  sepulchre. 


2  And,  behold,  there  was  a  great  earthquake:  for 
the  angel  of  the  Lord  descended  from  heaven,  and 
came  and  rolled  back  the  stone  from  the  door,  and  sat 
upon  it. 


y  Mark  16:1;  Luke  24  :  1,  etc. ;  John  20  :  1,  etc z  ch.  21 :  56. 


Resubbection  op  oub  Lobd  below. — What  it  at- 
tests :    THE    DIVINE  NATUEE  OP  CHBISTIANITY    (ActS 

2  :  22-^4) ;  the  pbesent  powee  of  Christ  (Rom.  5  : 
11);  the  puturk  life  op  the  believer  (1  Cor.  15  : 
20-23).— Ip  we  follow  the  commands  of  love,  God 
■wnx  BOLL  AWAY-  ALL  STONES.  Comp.  Mabk  15  :  3.— 
The  bisen  Chbist  beings  peab  to  foe  and  jot  to 
PBiEND  (ver.  4,  5).— Whoeveb  tbult  seeks  Chbist 
need  not  peae,  though  at  pmsT  he  dobs  not  find 
HIM.— The  sepulchee  is  always  empty;  the  be- 
loved have  arisen  (Luke  24  :  5;  John  11 :  26).— The 
message  op  the  Gospel  inspires  the  beaeeb  with 
alacrity  (ver.  8). — The  obdubact  op  wilful  unbe- 
LIBP  (ver.  11-15;  comp.  Luke  16  :  31).— Skepticism  is 
not  modeen  :  it  has  been  in  the  Chuech  fbom  the 
(ver.  IT). 


Of  the  Resurrection  we  have  accounts  material- 
ly different,  though  not  inconsistent,  in  the  four 
Evangelists,  and  some  additional  particulars  from 
Paul,  in  1  Cor.  15  :  3-8.  On  the  apparent  discrep- 
ancies and  real  harmony  of  the  Evangelical  ac- 
counts see  Note  on  Resurrection  of  our  Lord, 
p.  330.  Of  the  four  Evangelists  Matthew  gives 
the  briefest  and  least  detailed  account.  He 
wrote  the  Gospel,  possibly  in  Hebrew,  probably 
for  Jewish  converts  (see  intro.,  p.  43),  and  appears  to 
have  only  narrated  enough  of  the  circumstances 
connected  with  Christ's  resurrection  to  explain 
and  neutralize  the  Rabbinical  story  that  the 
body  had  been  stolen.  In  this  he  succeeded ; 
this  report  is  no  longer  current  even  in  Jewish 
literature  (see  below  on  vers,  ii-is).  Hb  alouc  reports 
this  attempt  to  explain  away  the  resurrection. 

1.  In  the  end  of  the  Sabbath,  as  it  began 
to  dawn  toward  the  first  of  the  week. 
There  is  some  difficulty  respecting  the  construc- 
tion of  the  original  Greek  here,  but  none  re- 
specting its  substantial  meaning.  It  is  literally, 
In  the  end  of  the  Sabbath^  in  the  dawning  toioard 
the  first  of  the  Sabbath.  The  latter  phrase,  The 
first  of  the  Sabbath,  is  equivalent  to  The  first  day 
after  the  Sabbath,  the  Hebrews  being  accus- 
tomed to  designate  the  days  of  the  week  in  this 
manner,  as  The  first  of  the  Sabbath,  The  second 
of  the  Sabbath,  etc.  The  first  clause  may  be  ren- 
dered At  the  end  of  the  Sabbath  (so  Lightfoot  and 
Alford),  or  After  the  Sabbath  (so  Olshausen,  De 
Wette,  Norton,  Robinson,  Crosby  and  others), 
and  this  better  represents  the  meaning,  as  the 
Jewish  Sabbath  extended  from  nightfall  to 
nightfall.  The  time  was  probably  just  be- 
tween   night    and    sunrise  (comp.  Mark  le  :  2  with  John 

80 : 1).     The  latter  clause  of  the  verse  here,  In 


the  dawning  of  the  first  day  of  the  week, 
defines  the  first  clause.  In  the  end  of  the 
Sabbath,  which  otherwise  might  be  taken  to 
mean  at  nightfall  of  the  Sabbath.— Came  Mary 
Magdalene  and  the  other  Mary.  That  is, 
the  mother  of  Joses  (Matthew  27 :  56,  note).  Salome 
was  with  them  (Mark  16 : 1) ;  perhaps  others  (Luke 
24 : 1). — To  contemplate  the  sepulchre.  This 
appears  to  be  the  meaning  of  the  original  here. 
It  was  an  errand  of  sorrowful  love,  easily  inter- 
preted by  our  common  experience  of  grief. 
They  also  proposed  to  complete  the  anointing 
of  the  body  (Mark  le :  i),  which  they  could  not 
lawfully  do  on  the  Sabbath. 

2.  And  behold  there  was  a  great  com- 
motion. This  is  the  literal  meaning  of  the  word 
(asiou'ie),  rendered  earthquake.  It  is  rendered 
tempest  in  Matt.  8  :  M.  It  is  not  necessary  to  un- 
derstand an  earthquake  in  the  ordinary  sense  of 
that  term.  Probably  it  was  a  purely  local  and  su- 
pernatural disturbance,  for  the  purpose  of  open- 
ing the  grave,  though  possibly  an  after-trembling, 
following  the  earthquake  of  the  crucifixion. 
Such  after-convulsions  are  not  uncommon. 
There  is  no  good  authority  for  the  rendering  of 
the  marginal  reading  of  our  Bibles,  "  There  had 
been  an  earthquake."  The  verb  {iyirtzo)  is  in 
the  imperfect  tense.  Whether  the  women  were 
witnesses  of  this  commotion  is  another  matter. 
It  seems  to  me  clearly,  from  Mark  16  :  2-4,  Luke 
24  :  2,  and  John  20  : 1,  that  the  stone  had  been 
rolled  away  before  they  arrived ;  and  from  John 
20  :  11-15  that  they  could  not  have  witnessed  the 
commotion  and  the  first  angelic  appearance. — 
An  angel  from  heaven.  Not  the  angel,  a 
term  used  in  the  Old  Testament  generally,  if  not 
always,  to  designate  a  particular  person,  and,  as 

1  believe,  Jesus  Christ  himself.  Here  and  in 
ch.  1  :  20  and  2  :  13,  the  definite  article  is  want- 
ing, and  the  translation   should  be,   as  in  ch. 

2  :  19,  an  angel.  On  the  Scripture  teaching  con- 
cerning angels  see  Luke  1  :  11.  All  the  Gospels 
unite  in  representing  angelic  appearances  at  the 
tomb,  though  they  differ  in  their  descriptions. 
See  page  330,  Note  on  the  Resurrection  of  our 
Lord,  §  1.  Mark  and  Luke  describe  the  persons 
as  "men,"  according  to  the  appearance;  Mat- 
thew and  John  as  angels,  according  to  the  reality. 
That  there  were  two  angels  is  clear  from  John's 
more  minute  account  (John  20  ;  12),  confirmed 
by  Luke  (chapter  24 : 4).  Matthew  and  Mark  men- 
tion only  one  angel,  perhaps  because  they  knew 


324 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXVIII. 


3  His »  countenance  was  like  lightning,  and  his  rai- 
ment white  as  snow : 

4  And  tor  tear  of  him  the  lieepers  did  shake,  and  be- 
came as  dead  men. 

5  And  the  angel  answered  ^  and  said  unto  the 
women,  Fear  not  ye  :  for  "=  1  know  that  ye  seek  Jesus, 
which  was  crucified. 


6  He  is  not  here  ;  for  he  is  risen,  as  he  said."  Come, 
see  the  place  where  the  Lord  lay. 

7  And  go  quickly,  and  tell  his  disciples  that  he  is 
risen'  from  the  dead  ;  and,  behold,  he  goeth  before  j'ou 
into  Galilee;  there'  shall  ye  see  him:  lo,  I  have  told 
you. 

8  And  they  departed   quickly  from  the  sepulchre. 


only  of  one,  not  getting  the  details  fully,  perhaps 
because  one  was  prominent  as  the  speaker.  Comp. 
similar  discrepancy  between  Matt.  8  :  38  and  Luke 
8  :  27,  and  again,  Matt.  20  :  30  with  Luke  18  :  35. 
— Rolled  back  the  stoue.  The  grave  was 
not  opened  by  the  commotion  or  earthquake, 
but  the  commotion  or  earthquake  accompanied 
the  rolling  back  of  the  stone.  It  is  not  neces- 
sary to  suppose  that  the  resurrection  accompa- 
nied the  earthquake.  "It  was  not  for  Him,  to 
whom  (John  20 :  19, 2o)  the  stouc  was  no  hindrance, 
but  for  the  women  and  the  disciples  that  it  was 
rolled  away." — {^AJford.')  Also  to  emphasize  the 
fact  of  resurrection,  which  else  might  have  been 
thought  a  trick  of  legerdemain,  perpetrated  by 
the  disciples.  For  plan  of  tomb  with  its  door 
of  stone  see  Mark  16  :  3.— And  sat  upon  it. 
As  a  symbol  of  the  completeness  of  the  victory 
over  death,  as  the  conqueror  might  sit  on  the 
prostrate  form  of  his  foe,  which  is  here  rep- 
resented by  the  sealed  door  of  the  tomb. 

3,  4.  His  countenance  was  like  light- 
ning. That  is,  in  its  vivid  brightness.  Comp. 
Exodus  34  :  29,  30  ;  Matthew  17  :  2 ;  Rev.  1  :  14. 
—His  raiment  white  as  snow.  A  symbol 
of  purity  and  of  fellowship  with  God.  Rev, 
3:4,  5,  18  ;  4:4;  6  :  11 ;  7  :  9-13.  There  is 
some  significance  in  the  fact  that  in  all  these 
cases  in  Revelation  the  white  robe  is  the  dress 
iiot  of  an  angel  proper,  but  of  a  departed  saint. 
Coupling  this  fact  with  the  statements  in  Mark 
and  Luke,  may  we  not  reasonably  suppose  that 
these  were  the  spirits  of  men,  possibly  the 
Moses  and  Elijah  who  had  appeared  on  the 
Mount  of  Transfiguration  with  their  Lord  ?  If 
so,  they  bore  an  additional  testimony  to  the  res- 
urrection.— And  for  fear  of  him  the  keepers ; 
that  is,  the  Roman  guard  mentioned  in  the  pre- 
ceding verse.— Did  shake  with  fear,  and 
became  as  dead;  apparently  swooned  away 
with  their  terror. 

5-7.  The  angel  answered.  To  the  un- 
spoken fear  of  the  women.— Unto  the  women. 
It  is  a  reasonable  hypothesis  that  Mary  Magda- 
lene, believing  that  the  sepulchre  had  been 
rifled,  ran  back  to  the  city  at  once  (John  20 :  i,  2)  to 
report  the  fact  to  the  disciples,  and  was  not 
present  at  the  interview  which  followed.  This 
not  unreasonable  supposition  harmonizes  the  ac- 
count here  with  that  in  John.    If  Mary  Magda- 


lene received  the  tidings  of  the  resurrection  from 
the  angels,  she  would  not  have  addressed  the 
supposed  gardener  as  she  did,  with  entreaty  for 
a  return  of  the  body  (john  20 :  is). — Fear  not  ye. 
The  pronoun  ye  is  emphatic.  To  these  disciples 
the  resurrection  of  their  Lord  was  no  cause  for 
fear,  but  for  rejoicing.  So  his  final  coming  will 
be  cause  of  terror  to  the  unbelieving,  but  not  to 
his  own  followers.  Comp.  Psalm  98  :  8,  9  with 
Rev.  1  :  7.  Observe  how  the  shepherds  are  cau- 
tioned against  fear  in  the  birth  of  Christ  (Luke 
2 :  10),  and  the  disciples  on  his  appearance  to 
them  in  trouble  (John  6 :  20),  and  in  the  hour  of  his 
resurrection. — For  I  know  that  ye  seek  Je- 
sus the  crucified.  Whoever  is  honestly  and 
earnestly  seeking  Jesus  the  crucified  need  not 
fear,  even  though  he  has  not  conscioudy  found  him 
(Psalm  105 : 3).  Observc  that  to  the  angel  he  is,  as 
to  the  redeemed  in  heaven,  the  Lamb  as  it  were 
slain  (Rev.  6:6;  7 : 9).— For  he  is  risen.  The 
women  then  had  not  seen  hun  rise. — As  lie 
said.  Luke's  report  is  fuller  (ch.  24  : 6,  ?).  For 
Christ's  prophecies  of  his  resurrection  see  Matt. 
IG  :  21 ;  17  :  23.— Come,  see  the  place  where 
the  Lord  lay.  Emphatic ;  not  your  Lord,  in 
which  case  it  might  merely  mean  master  or 
seignior;  but  the  Lord  {0  y.vqiog).  With  the 
definite  article  this  word  is  in  the  Gospels  equiv- 
alent to  God.  See  Matt.  1  :  22  ;  5  :  33 ;  Luke 
1  :  6.  They  were  to  come  into  the  tomb  and  see 
for  themselves  that  he  was  not  there.— Tell  his 
disciples.  Especially  Peter  (Mark  le :  7). — He 
goeth  before  you.  This  language  does  not 
imply  a  literal  traveling  by  Christ.  The  angel 
refers  to  the  Lord's  last  prophecy  of  his  resur- 
rection, which  contained  a  promise  couched  in 
almost  these  very  words  (Matt.  26 :  32). — I  have 
told  you.  Another  and  further  assurance  of 
the  truth  of  this  unexpected  glad  tidings. 

8.  They  departed  quickly  from  the 
sepulchre.  Compare  with  this  and  the  next 
clause  Mark's  language:  "They  fled  from  the 
sepulchre."— With  fear  and  great  joy.  Fear 
at  the  sight,  joy  at  the  word.  The  experience 
was  a  commingled  one  ;  the  contradiction  is  one 
common  in  experience.  The  fear  and  trem- 
bling (Mark  16 :  s)  was  that  uot  of  terror  so  much 
as  of  awe  and  excitement,  such  as  is  often 
produced  by  unexpected  and  astonishing  news. 
It  illustrates  and  is  illustrated  by  Phil.  22  : 1. 


Ch.  XXVIIL] 


MATTHEW. 


)25 


with  fear  and  great  joy,  and  did  run  to  bring  his  disci- 
ples word. 

9  And  as  they  went  to  tell  his  disciples,  behold,  Jesus 
met  them,  saying,  All  hail.e  And  they  came  and  held 
him  by  the  feet,  and  worshipped  him. 

10  Then  said  Jesus  unto  them.  Be  not  afraid  :  go  tell 
my  brethren,''  that  they  go  into  Galilee,  and  there  shall 
they  see  me. 

11  Now  when  they  were  going,  behold  some  of  the 
watch  came  into  the  city,  and  shewed  unto  the  chief 
priests  all  the  things  that  were  done. 

12  And  when  they  were  assembled  with  the  elders, 


and  had  taken  counsel,  they  gave  large  money  unto  the 
soldiers, 

13  Saying,  Say  ye,  His  disciples  came  by  night;  and 
stole'  him  away  while  we  sle|jt. 

14  And  if  this  come  to  the  governor's  ears,  we  will 
persuade  him,  and  secure  you. 

15  So  they  took  the  money,  and  did  as  they  were 
taught :  and  this  saying  is  commonly  reported  among 
the  Jews  until  this  day. 

16  Then  -i  the  eleven  disciples  went  away  into  Gal- 
ilee, into  a  mountain  where  Jesus  had  appointed 
them. 


,  h  Heb.  2  :  11  , 


— Did  run    to    bring   his  disciples  word. 

This  accords  with  Luke  ^  :  9 ;  comp.  John 
20  :  IS.  Mark,  on  the  contrary  (le :  is),  says, 
"Neither  said  they  anything  to  any  man." 
Alford  regards  all  attempts  to  reconcile  this 
discrepancy  as  futile  ;  similarly,  DeWette  and 
Meyer.  I  should  understand  Mark  to  mean  that 
they  said  nothing  to  any  one  on  the  way.  So  James 
Morison  following  Grotius.  Apart  from  the 
other  Evangelists  it  would  be  quite  incredible 
to  suppose  they  said  nothing  respecting  this 
angelic  appearance  to  their  co-disciples ;  and 
this  notwithstanding  the  expUcit  direction  to 
tell  them.  Observe  in  their  haste  here  to  teU 
the  story  of  the  resurrection,  an  illustration  of 
the  spirit  which  should  always  actuate  the  dis- 
ciples of  Christ   (Ephes.  6  ;  lo). 

9,  10.  As  they  went  to  tell  his  disciples. 

These  words  are  wanting  in  the  best  manuscripts, 
and  are  omitted  by  Tischendorf,  Lachmann, 
Tregelles,  and  Alford.  There  is,  therefore,  noth- 
ing to  indicate  that  this  interview  took  place  at 
this  time.  It  is  not  narrated  by  any  other  of  the 
Evangelists,  and  their  narratives  indicate,  if 
taken  alone,  that  the  women  bore  no  other  mes- 
sage to  the  disciples  than  that  which  they  re- 
ceived from  the  angels.  John  (20:11-18),  whose 
account  of  the  resurrection  is  the  fullest,  reports 
an  appearance  of  our  Lord  to  Mary  Magdalene, 
one  of  these  women ;  it  occurs,  however,  after 
she  had  brought  the  disciples  word  that  the  body 
had  been  removed,  and  after  John  and  Peter  had 
visited  the  tomb  and  found  it  empty.  Here,  too, 
the  women  are  represented  as  clasping  our  Lord's 
feet;  there  Mary  Magdalene  is  represented  as 
forbidden  to  touch  her  Lord.  It  is  not  impossi- 
ble that  Matthew  here  embodies,  in  a  briefer  and 
more  imperfect  form,  the  facts  which  John  has 
told  more  fully  and  accurately.—  Be  not  afraid. 
See  above,  note  on  ver.5.— Go  tell  my  brethren. 
So  called  for  the  first  time  by  Christ ;  because 
he  is  the  first-fruits  of  the  dead  (Heb.  2 : 9-11).  He 
previously  had  declared  that  whosoever  does  the 
will  of  God  the  same  is  my  brother,  but  he  never 
before  employed  the  term  in  direct  address  to 
his  disciples. 

11-15.  This  report  is  peculiar  to  Matthew, 


whose  brief  account  of  the  resurrection  was, 
perhaps,  written  chiefly  for  the  purpose  of  coun- 
teracting the  report  of  the  Pharisees. — When 
they  w^ere  going.  While  the  women  were 
hastening  to  announce  the  Gospel  of  the  resur- 
rection to  the  disciples,  the  soldiers  were  going 
to  report  it  to  the  Pharisees ;  the  one  to  publish 
it  for  the  world's  redemption,  the  other  to  con- 
ceal and  counteract  it.  Satan  was  as  quick  to 
silence  the  Gospel  as  the  disciples  to  proclaim  it. 
— When  they  were  assembled  with  the 
elders.  The  language  does  not  imply  a  formal 
meeting  of  the  Sanhedrim,  but  rather  a  secret 
meeting  of  the  special  enemies  of  Christ. — If 
this  be  testified  to  before  the  governor. 
Not  merely,  as  our  English  version  w^ould  indi- 
cate. If  he  happens  to  hear  about  it,  but.  If 
you  are  officially  accused  before  him. — Until 
this  day.  We  learn  from  Justin  Martyr  that 
this  report  was  current  among  the  Jews  when 
he  wrote,  i.e.,  in  the  second  century.  It  has 
been  supplanted  by  the  modem  Jewish  legend, 
that  some  of  the  Jews,  disguising  themselves  as 
disciples,  and  mourning  with  them,  remained 
after  they  had  departed,  rifled  the  tomb  of  the 
body  of  Christ,  subsequently  exhibited  it  to  the 
people,  and  then  buried  it  in  Golgotha,  the 
ground  of  which  they  thoroughly  plowed,  that 
the  corpse  might  never  be  discovered.  The 
original  legend  is  revived  in  a  modified  form  by 
Renan,  in  "  The  Apostles.''''  He  recognizes  that 
the  Jewish  story  is  self- contradictory.  "We  can 
scarcely  admit  that  those  who  so  bravely  be- 
lieved that  Jesus  had  risen  again,  were  the  very 
ones  who  had  carried  oS  the  body  ;  "  but  he  sup- 
poses that, "  It  is  possible  that  the  body  was  taken 
away  by  some  of  the  disciples,  and  by  them  car- 
ried into  Galilee.  The  others,  remaining  at 
Jerusalem,  would  not  have  been  cognizant  of  the 
fact."  On  the  inherent  unreasonableness  of  all 
such  attempted  explanations,  see  below,  Note  on 
the  Resurrection  of  our  Lord. 

16,  17.  The  eleven  disciples  went  away 
into  Galilee.  The  original  does  not  Indicate 
that  they  went  at  this  time.  On  the  contrary,  it 
would  appear  from  John  20  :  26,  that  they  re- 
mained in  Judea  at  least  a  week  after  the  resur- 


336 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXVIIL 


17  And  when  they  saw*  him,  they  worshipped  him  : 
but  some  doubted. 

i3  And  Jesus  came  and  spake  unto  them,  saying, 
All '  power  is  given  unto  me  in  heaven  and  in  earth. 

19  Go""  ye  therefore,  and  teach"  all  nations,  baptiz- 


ing them  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son, 
and  of  the  Holy  Ghost ; 

20  Teaching"  them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever 
I  have  commanded  you:  and,  lo.  If  am  with  you  al- 
way,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world.     Amen. 


rectioD.  Of  the  appearances  in  Galilee  we  liave 
three  accounts — the  brief  one  here,  the  fuller 
account  in  John,  ch.  31,  and  the  reference  by 
Paul  in  1  Cor.  15  :  G,  7,  which  is  probably  to  an 
appearance  in  Galilee.  He  says,  "He  was  seen  of 
above  five  hundred  at  once ; "  and  Galilee  was 
the  home  of  most  of  Christ's  disciples.  There 
is  nothing  in  Marie  or  Luke  to  indicate  any  ap- 
pearance in  Galilee.— Into  a  mountain  where 
Jesus  had  appointed  them.  Probably,  in 
some  unreported  conference  or  message.  The 
site  of  this  mountain  is  wholly  unknown.^And 
seeing  him  they  worshipped  him.  Comp. 
Rev.  5  :  6-li ;  7  :  9-11 ;  and  observe  that  worship 
is  refused  by  the  angel  in  the  book  of  Revelation 
(ch.  22 : 8, 9). — But  some  doubted.  Not  doubted 
whether  they  should  worship  him ;  nor  some  of  the 
eleven  doubted  whether  he  had  risen.  The  lan- 
guage describes  in  general  terms  the  state  of 
skepticism  in  the  early  church,  which  could  be 
overcome  only  by  repeated  appearances  and  in- 
vincible proofs.  Those  that  saw  worshipped, 
but  some  of  the  great  body  of  disciples  were 
doubtful.  Such  an  one  was  Thomas  until  he 
had  seen  (john  20 :  24, 25).  See  Note  on  Resurrec- 
tion of  our  Lord,  p.  330,  etc. 

Ch.  28  :  18-20.  CHRIST'S  COMMISSION  TO  HIS  CHURCH. 
— It  comes  fbom  an  Almighty  Krua  and  kequiees 

AN  AGGRESSIVE  MINISTRY.— It  DEFINES  CHRISTIANITY 
AS  A  UNIVERSAL  RELIGION  ADAPTED  TO  ALL  NATIONS, 
AND  A  CIVILIZING  RELIGION,  THE  SECRET  OF  ALL  TRUE 
NATIONAL  LIFE.— It  DESCRIBES  THE  DUTY  OF  THE 
CHURCH,  TO  MAKE  DISCIPLES  OF  ALL  NATIONS  ;  AND  ITS 
INSTRUMENTS,  BAPTISM  AND  TEACHING. — IT  INTER- 
prets baptism  as  initiation  into  a  ntiw  life  in  the 
Triune  God  ;   and  the  theme,  the  authority  and 

THE  OBJECT  OF  CHRIST's  TEACHING  :  THE  THEME  IS  THE 

Gospel  ;  the  authority,  the  commands  of  Christ  ; 
the  0b.ject,  practical    observance  op  his  words. 

^IT  DISCLOSES  THE  SECRET  OF  THE  POWER  OF  THE 
CHURCH  ;  A  REALIZING  SENSE  OF  THE  PERPETUAL 
PRESENCE  OP  ITS  LORD. — It  DEFINES  THE  PERIOD 
WHEN  ITS  WORK  WILL  CEASE,  WHEN  REDEMPTION  18 
CONSUMMATED. 

This  commission  is  given  in  a  different  form  in 
Mark  (le :  9-20),  but  the  authority  of  the  passage  is 
doubtful.  See  note  there.  A  different  commis- 
sion is  reported  by  John  (20:21-20).  Comp.  also 
Luke  24  :  4(5-49.  The  passage  here  is  one  which 
sustains  a  doctrine  of  verbal  inspiration,  %.  e.,  it 
indicates  that  not  only  the  thoughts  of  the  sacred 
writer  were  inspired,  but,  in  at  least  some  in- 
stances, even  his  choice  of  words ;  for  the  full 


understanding  of  this  commission  can  be  obtained 
only  by  a  careful  study  of  it  word  by  word. 
Unfortunately,  our  English  version  does  not  al- 
ways preserve  the  accurate  signification  of  the 
words.  In  the  notes  here  I  simply  endeavor  to 
give  the  English  reader  the  meaning  of  the  origi- 
nal, as  interpreted  by  parallel  passages  of  Scrip- 
ture, without  entering  into  tlie  doctrinal  discus- 
sions which  have  been  waged  concerning  it.  The 
time  when  this  commission  was  given  is  uncer- 
tain. The  place  appears,  from  the  connection 
here,  to  have  been  Galilee  ;  Mark,  on  the  con- 
trary, connects  it  with  the  Ascension,  which  took 
place  from  the  Mount  of  Olives  (Acts  1 :  12). 

18.  Spake  unto  them,  i.e.,  to  the  eleven; 
for  there  is  no  evidence  to  connect  it  with  the  ap- 
pearance to  the  five  hundred,  reported  only  by 
Paul  (1  Cor.  15 : 6, 7).  Thus,  OH  its  f acc,  this  is 
a  purely  personal  commission  to  those  whom 
Christ  had  before  selected  and  ordained.  But 
that  it  extended  beyond  them  is  clear  from 
verse  20,  for  they  have  not  remained  till  the 
end  of  the  world  to  claim  the  promise  of 
that  verse.  There  are  two  interpretations — 
one,  that  it  embraces  the  Apostles  and  their 
successors  in  office,  and  hence  is  a  commission 
and  a  promise  confined  to  the  clergy.  But  there 
is  no  hint  here,  nor  anywhere  else  in  our  Lord's 
sayings,  of  any  successors  to  the  Apostles.  The 
other  interpretation  is  that  it  is  given  to  the 
Apostles  as  the  germ  and  representative  of  the 
universal  church,  and  this  view  is  sustained  by 
the  considerations:  (1.)  That  the  command  is 
not  more  expUcitly  limited  to  the  eleven  than 
the  commission  to  observe  the  Lord's  Supper, 
which  by  universal  consent  extends  to  all  the 
disciples.  (2.)  By  the  usage  of  the  early  church. 
With  this  commission  fresh  in  their  minds  the 
Gospel  was  preached,  not  by  a  clerical  order, 
but  by  all  the  disciples  (Acts  s :  i4 ;  ii :  19).  (3.)  That 
the  command  Itself,  by  its  necessary  implication, 
lays  the  duty  of  preaching  on  all  disciples,  since 
they  are  to  be  taught  to  do  all  tilings  ivJtich  Chrt.st 
has  commanded  the  Apostles,  and  this  includes  the 
command  to  preach.  "  Teaching  them  to  observe 
all  things  whatsoever  I  have  commanded  you 
makes  them  into  you,  as  soon  as  they  are  made  dis- 
ciples."—(^?/orf7.)  (4.)  This  interpretation  best 
accords  with  the  spirit,  if  not  with  the  letter  of 
Christ's  other  instructions,  which  lay  on  all  dis- 
ciples the  duty  of  manifesting  the  Gospel  to  the 

world  (Matt.  5 :  13-16 ;  Mark  4  :  21 ;  Luke  10  !  1 ;  comp.  Rev.  22  :  17). 


Ch.  XXVIIL] 


MATTHEW. 


327 


All  power  is  given  unto  me  in  heaven 
and  in  earth.  The  English  language  contains 
no  adequate  equivalent  for  the  word  rendered 
power  {ilovaia).  It  embraces  the  ideas  of  both 
power  and  authority — power  coupled  with  right. 
It  here  indicates  Christ  as  the  true  Lord  and 
King  both  of  nature  and  of  life,  human  and  an- 
gelic. For  the  significance  of  this  declaration 
comp.  Dan.  7  :  14 ;  Eom.  14  :  9 ;  Ephes.  1  :  20-33 ; 
Col.  3  :  10 ;  Heb.,  chap.  1 ;  1  Pet.  3  :  33  ;  Eev. 
5  :  13,  13.  But  observe  that  the  language  here 
{is  given)  implies  that  this  power  is  derived  from 
the  Father,  is  not  inherent  in  the  Son.  Phil. 
2  :  9  indicates  that  it  was  in  part  given  to  him 
after  and  in  consequence  of  his  voluntary  humil- 
iation, and  1  Cor,  15  :  37,  38  that  it  is  held  m 
subjection  to  the  Father.  Observe,  too,  that  the 
power  given  to  Christ  is  alleged  by  him  as  a  rea- 
son, not  for  subduing,  but  for  teaching  all  na- 
tions. His  power  is  exercised  in  patience,  long- 
suffering,  and  love — a  power  whose  highest 
exemplification  is  the  cross,  "  to  the  Jews  a 
stumbling-block  and  to  the  Greeks  foolishness, 
but  to  them  which  are  called  the  power  of  God 
and  the  wisdom  of  God."     It  is  the  authority 

and  power  of  love  (l  Cor.  l  :  23,  24;  comp.  Col.  1 :  11). 

19.  Go  ye  therefore.  Therefore  is  not  in 
the  best  MSS.  "  It  is  probably  a  gloss,  but  an 
excellent  one." — {Alford.)  It  expresses  the  real 
connection  between  the  verses,  though  in  the 
original  that  connection  was  probably  implied, 
not  expressed.  It  is  because  all  power  is  given 
to  Christ  that  his  disciples  are  to  go  forth  to 
fulfill  this  command,  strong  in  the  assurance  of 
his  presence  to  the  end.  Observe  in  the  com- 
mand Go  forth  a  clear  designation  of  the  duty  of 
an  aggressive  ministry.  The  original  (noQcvo/iai) 
signifies  a  going  from  place  to  place.  It  is  best 
interpreted  by  the  practice  of  the  early  disciples, 
who  "went  everywhere,  preaching  the  word." 
It  marks  a  contrast  between  the  new  religion 
and  the  Jewish,  which  was  intolerant  of  all  other 
religions,  and  made  no  effort  at  extension  among 
the  Gentiles  ;  and  the  Roman  religion,  which  was 
tolerant  of  all  other  religions,  because  indiffer- 
ent, and  therefore  made  no  effort  to  supplant 
them.  Whenever  the  church  sits  down  content 
with  past  conquests,  and  becomes  simply  con- 
servative, employing  all  its  energies  to  preserve 
and  strengthen  within  its  own  communion  what 
is  already  gained,  it  violates  the  spirit  of  this  in- 
junction, which  requires  it  to  go  out  into  the 
streets  and  lanes,  and  bring  in  the  poor  and  the 
maimed  and  the  halt  and  the  blind  (Luke  i4 :  21). 

Disciple  all  nations.  The  rendering  of 
our  English  version  is  unfortunate,  since  it  em- 
ploys the  same  word  here  and  in  the  next  verse 
to  translate  two  different  Greek  vowels.  The 
one  which  I  have  substituted,  following  Drs, 
Conant,  Crosby,  and  others,  though  perhaps  in- 


elegant English,  is  a  literal  rendition  of  the  ori- 
ginal. The  command  is  not.  Teach  and  baptize, 
with  the  added  explanation  in  verse  20  respect- 
ing the  thmgs  to  be  taught,  but,  Make  disciples 
of  all  nations,  with  the  added  explanation  how 
this  is  to  be  done,  viz.,  by  baptizing  and  teach- 
ing. Observe  that  the  command  to  make  disci- 
ples of  all  nations  impUes,  (1)  That  Christianity  is 
a  universal  religion,  not  merely  one  of  the  reli- 
gions of  the  world  from  which,  with  others,  we, 
in  this  later  day,  are  to  select  an  eclectic  and 
universal  religion ;  (3)  that  it  is  adapted  to  all 
nations  and  all  classes  (Rom.  1 :  le),  a  claim  which 
history  has  abundantly  justified,  but  which  was 
urged  by  early  opponents  as  a  conclusive  objec- 
tion to  it ;  (3)  that  not  a  natural  development, 
but  obedience  to  the  principles  inculcated  by 
Jesus  Christ,  constitutes  the  secret  of  true  civili- 
zation among  all  nations,  and  thus  that  Chris- 
tian missions  are  the  mother  of  civilization  ;  (4) 
that  from  all  nations  the  members  of  Christ's 
church  triumphant  are  to  be  gathered  to  God  by 
obedience  to  this  commission  (Rom.  10 :  n-is ;  Rev. 
7 : 9).  This  command  removes  the  limitations  put 
upon  the  apostles  by  their  first  commission  (ch. 
10 : 5,  note),  and  shows  that  it  was  there  temporary 
only,  and  it  accords  with  Christ's  explicit  decla- 
rations concerning  his  mission  (M.».tt.  8:11;  isiss, 
note).  It  marks  the  beginning  of  the  fulfillment 
of  his  prophecies  during  the  last  days  of  his  min- 
istry in  Jerusalem  (Matt.  21 :  43 ;  22 : 8-10).  Hence- 
forth the  kingdom  of  God  is  to  be  taken  from 
the  Jews  and  given  to  a  nation  brmging  forth 
the  fruits  thereof.  That  the  disciples  at  first 
hesitated  to  receive  uncircumcised  Gentiles  into 
the    church,   notwithstanding   this    commission 

(Acts  11  :  3;  15  :  6;  Gal.  2  :  12),    Ought   UOt    tO    Surprise 

any  one  who  considers  how  strong  were  the 
Jewish  prejudices  against  the  Gentiles  (Acts  22 :  21, 
22),  and  how  slow  even  the  apostles  were  to  ap- 
prehend the  full  import  of  Christ's  words  (Mark 

9  :  32  ;  Luke  18  :  34). 

Baptizing  them   into  the  name  of  the 
Father,  the    Son,  and    the    Holy    Ghost. 

Not,  as  in  our  English  version,  In  the  name  {iv 
nfi  orouutt),  but  into  the  name{iic  to  ovo^iu).  The 
significance  of  the  phrase  is  best  learned  by  re- 
ferring to  other  parallel  passages,  e.  g.,  Matt. 
3  :  11,  I  baptize  you  in  {h)  water  iwto  {tic) 
repentance ;  Acts  3  :  38,  Be  baptized  upon 
{(7i\)  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  into  (tie)  the 
remission  of  sins ;  Romans  6  :  3,  So  many  of 
us  as  were  baptized  into  {etc)  Christ  Jesus 
were  baptized  into  {lic)  his  death ;  1  Cor.  10  :  3, 
And  were  all  baptized  into  {dc)  Moses  in  the 
cloud  and  in  the  sea.  Comp.  1  Cor.  1  :  13; 
13  :  13.  These  are  the  principal  passages  which 
throw  light  on  the  use  of  the  words  here  em- 
ployed, and  they  indicate  that  to  baptize  into 
signifies,  in  N.  T.  usage,  the  end  and  aim  of  bap- 


328 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXVIII. 


tism.  The  disciples  of  John  by  baptism  were 
brought  into  repentance,  and  later  the  disciples 
of  Jesus  into  the  remission  of  sins,  and  into  a  par- 
ticipation with  the  death  of  Christ,  as  explained 
in  the  succeeding  verse  (Rom.  e :  4),  and  the  Jews, 
by  their  passage  of  the  Red  Sea,  entered  into  the 
Mosaic  dispensation,  i.  e.,  into  the  national  life 
and  the  covenant  with  God  which  Moses  inau- 
gurated. Interpreting  Scripture  by  Scripture, 
it  would  appear  that  Christ's  command  here  is 
not,  as  Dr.  Conant,  Meyer,  De  Wctte,  and  oth- 
ers render  it.  Baptize  with  reference  to  the  name 
of  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  that 
is.  Baptize  in  water  and  with  this  formula ;  but. 
Bring  all  nations  into  covenant  and  spiritual  re- 
lations with  the  Triune  God,  as  by  baptism  John 
brought  his  disciples  into  repentance,  and  by  the 
passage  of  the  Red  Sea  the  Jews  were  brought 
into  a  new  national  life  under  Moses.  In  other 
words  it  appears  to  me  that  Christ  does  not  here 
command  vjater  ba2Msm  of  any  description,  except 
by  implication.  He  commands,  not  the  sign,  but 
the  thing  signified.  If  we  render  baptize  im- 
merse, then  the  meaning  will  be.  Immerse  the 
nations  in  the  Triune  God,  so  that  in  him  they 
shall  live  and  move  and  have  their  being ;  or  if 
we  understand  baptism  to  be  simply  a  sign  of 
purification  and  consecration,  the  meaning  wiU 
be  the  same.  The  nations  are  to  be  purified  from 
their  old  false  faiths,  and  consecrated  to  God, 
the  Father,  Son,  and  Spirit.  That  the  disciples 
understood  that  they  were  to  use  water  baptism 
as  a  sign  of  this  immersion  in  God,  or  this  conse- 
cration to  and  covenant  with  Him,  is  indicated 
by  their  subsequent  practice,  which  also,  how- 
ever, indicates  that  they  did  not  understand  that 
Christ  here  prescribed  a  form.ula  of  water  bap- 
tism, for  they  are  not  recorded  ever  to  have  used 
it.      The  ordinary  apostolic  form  was,   In  the 

name    of  Jesus  (Acts  2  :  SS ;  S  :  le  ;  10  :  48  ;  19  :  5 ;  22  :  16). 

Observe  the  significance  of  the  phraseology  here, 
in  its  bearing  on  the  truth  that  the  Father,  the 
Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  constitute  one  only  true 
God.  The  language  is  not,  In  the  names  plural, 
but,  In  the  name  singiilar.  Notice,  too,  that  it 
is  not  by  acceptance  of  God  merely,  that  the 
nations  are  to  be  made  disciples  (deism  is  not 
Christianity),  but  by  accepting  God  as  revealed 
in  the  Father  by  creation  and  providence,  in  the 
Son  by  his  earthly  life,  sufferings  and  death, 
and  in  the  Holy  Spirit  in  his  constant  spir- 
itual presence  in  the  hearts  of  the  children  of 
God. 

On  the  meaning  of  the  word  baptize  (;?a;Tr/;(.i), 
it  must  suffice  to  say  here,  in  addition  to  what  I 

have    already    said    (Note  on  the  Baptism  of  Jesus  by  John, 

p.  36),  that  after  a  careful  study  I  am  not  satisfied 
that  in  the  N.  T.  it  necessarily  implies  immersion, 

still   less    complete    submersion   (see   Mark  7  :  4,  note  ; 

1  Cor.  10 : 2),  and  that  in  my  judgment  the  Scripture 


form  of  baptism,  if  the  Scripture  fixes  on  any 
form,  must  be  determined  by  other  considera- 
tions than  the  meaning  of  this  word.  The  best 
authorities  for  the  student  to  consult  for  the 
Baptist  view  of  this  question  are  Baptism  in  its 
Modes  and  Subjects,  by  Alexander  Carson,  and 
The  Meaning  and  Use  of  Baptism  phUologically 
and  historically  investigated,  bj'  Dr.  T.  J.  Co- 
nant. The  latter,  after  a  careful  and  exhaustive 
list  of  passages  in  classical  literature,  the  Scrip- 
ture, and  the  church  Fathers  in  which  the  word 
occurs,  embodies  his  conclusions  as  follows : 
'•The  ground-idea  expressed  by  this  word  is,  to 
put  into  or  under  water  (or  other  penetrable  sub- 
stance), so  as  entirely  to  immerse  or  submerge; 
this  act  is  always  expressed  in  the  literal  appli- 
cation of  the  word,  and  is  the  basis  of  its  meta- 
phorical uses.  This  ground-idea  is  expressed  in 
English,  in  the  various  connections  where  the 
word  occurs,  by  the  term  (synonymous  in 
this  ground-element),  to  immerse,  immerge,  sub- 
merge, to  dip,  to  plunge,  to  bathe,  to  whclm.^^ 
For  the  opposite  view  the  student  may  consult 
advantageously  four  volumes  by  Rev.  J.  W. 
Dale,  entitled  respectively.  Classic  Baptism, 
Judaic  Baptism,  Johannic  Baptism,  and  Patristic 
Baptism.  His  conclusion  he  thus  rather  vehe- 
mently states  :  "  Dipping  the  body  into  water  is 
not,  nor  (by  reason  of  a  double  impossibility 
found  in  the  meaning  of  the  word,  and  in  the 
divine  requkement)  can  it  be,  Vhnstian  baptism. 
That  Christian  baptism  is  a  water  dipping  is  a 
novelty  unheard  of  in  the  history  of  the  church 
for  fifteen  hundred  years.  This  idea  is  not 
merely  an  error  as  to  the  mode  of  using  the 
water  (which  would,  comparatively,  be  a  trifle), 
but  it  is  an  error  which  sweeps  away  the  sub- 
stance of  the  baptism  without  leaving  a  vestige 
behind.  It  is  a  sheer  and  absolute  abandonment 
of  the  baptism  of  inspiration,  which  is  a  baptism 
iiito  Christ — into  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of 
the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  the  substi- 
tution for  it  of  a  dipping  into  water,  which  has 
no  more  place  in  the  Scriptures  than  the  English 
W  has  a  place  in  the  alphabet  of  the  Greek  Tes- 
tament." On  the  meaning  of  the  phrase,  In  the 
name  of  the  Fatlier,  etc.,  see  Rob.  Lex.,  art. 
Svoua.  "The  name  of  God,  of  Christ  (r/.  Jmiu) 
tov  dsov,  rov  xvolov  tov  /Qiatov),  is  a  paraphrase 
for  God  himself,  Christ  himself,  in  all  their 
being,  attributes,  relations,  manifestations." 
Similarly  Dr.  SchafE :  "  The  name  signifies  the 
meaning  and  essence  of  the  subject  as  revealed, 
the  copy  or  expression  of  the  Being.  In  this  case 
the  name  implies  all  that  belongs  to  the  manifes- 
tation of  the  Triune  God  in  the  Gospel,  his  titles, 
attributes,  and  works  of  creation,  redemption, 
and  sanctification."      (comp.  Matt.  10  :  41, 42;  12  :  21  i 

18  :  5-20  ;   19  :  29,  etc.) 

20.  Teaching  them.      Contrast  this  com- 


Ch.  XXVIII.] 


MATTHEW. 


329 


mand  with  that  given  to  the  twelve  in  ch.  10  :  7. 
Then  they  were  simply  to  go  as  heralds  to 
announce  that  the  kingdom  of  God  was  drawing 
nigh  (see  note  there) ;  hsnccforth  they  are  to  be- 
come instructors  in  the  whole  system  of  truth 
taught  by  Jesus  Christ.  Observe,  then,  that  the 
mission  of  the  ministry  is  not  merely  to  herald 
the  Gospel,  but  to  teach  its  principles  as  a  sys- 
tem of  truth  ;  that  only  he  who  is  in  some  sense 
an  instructive  preacher  fulfills  this  conmiand  ; 
that  whenever  the  ministry  thwart  intellectual 
development  they  are  not  Christ's  ministry ; 
and  that  impUedly  the  seal  of  Christ's  condem- 
nation is  set  on  all  preaching  which  appeals 
merely  to  the  imagination  or  the  emotions,  i.  e., 
which  is  sensational  rather  than  instructive. 
Alford  lays  stress  on  the  fact  that  in  this  com- 
mission baptism  precedes  preaching  :  "It  will  be 
observed  that  in  our  Lord's  last  words,  as  in  the 
church,  the  process  of  ordinary  discipleship  is 
from  baptism  to  instruction,  i.  e.,  admission  in 
infancy  to  the  covenant  and  growing  up  into 
observing  all  things. ' '  But  surely  the  doctrine 
of  infant  baptism  cannot  fairly  be  deduced 
from  the  fact  that  in  this  commission  Christ 
places  baptism  before  instruction.  As  little  can 
we  deduce  the  doctrine  that  baptism  should  be 
administered  only  on  an  intelligent  profession  of 
faith,  from  the  fact  that  Christ  puts  the  disci- 
pling  of  all  nations  before  baptism.  In  fact,  in 
the  practice  of  the  Apostles,  partial  instruction 
preceded  baptism,  but  not  complete  instruction 
in  all  things  commanded  by  Christ  (see  Acts  2 :  4i ; 
17 :  32, 33).  It  is,  howevcr,  a  fair  deduction  from 
the  language  here,  that  no  one  is  prepared  to 
receive  instruction  in  the  things  which  Christ 
has  commanded,  till  he  has  been  spiritually  bap- 
tised, i.  e.,  brought  into  covenant  relations  with, 
and  personal  allegiance  to  the  Triune  God. 
Submission  to  God  precedes  instruction  in  the 
mysteries  of  God's  kingdom.  Comp.  John  3:3; 
1  Cor.  2  :  7,  8.— To  observe  all  things  Avhat- 
soever  I  have  commanded  you.  Observe, 
(1)  The  theme  of  the  Christian  ministry,  Whatsoever 
Christ  has  commanded.  Their  duty  is  simply 
to  expound  and  apply  Christ's  commands  ;  their 
magazine  is  not  the  traditions  or  creeds  of  the 
church,  but  the  New  Testament ;  for  the  Epistles 
are  but  the  logical  development  and  application 
of  truths  the  germs  of  which  are  all  to  be  found 
in  the  Gospels.  This  commission  is  inclusive  ; 
nothing  that  Christ  has  commanded  may  be 
omitted  from  the  instructions  of  the  church  (acu 
20 :  27).  It  is  exclusive ;  it  shuts  out  from  the  pulpit 
ministry  all  purely  secular  science  and  philosophy 

(l  Cor.  1:17;    2:4;    Rev.  22  :  18,  19).       The    pOWCr    Of   the 

church  is  the  greatest  when  its  ministry  is  most 
simply  and  truly  scriptural.  Every  revival  of  re- 
ligion has  accompanied  a  restoration  to  the  heart 
of  the  church  of  the  partially  forgotten  word  of 


God.  (2.)  The  authority  of  the  Christian  ministry. 
It  is  based  on  the  commands  of  Christ.  The 
church  is  to  teach  what  he  has  commanded.  It 
is,  therefore,,  to  teach  with  authority,  as  he  did 
(Matt.  7: 29,  note),  but  With  Ms  authority,  not  with 
its  own ;  the  authority  of  the  Scripture,  not  of 
ecclesiastical  councils  and  decrees.  (3.)  The  ob- 
ject of  the  Christian  ministry.  To  bring  men  into 
subjection,  not  to  the  church,  or  its  creed, 
or  its  ministry,  but  to  Christ  himself;  "To  ob- 
serve all  things  whatsoever  I  have  commanded 
you."  On  the  meaning  of  the  word  (tiiQidj), 
rendered  observe,  see  Matt.  19  :  17,  note.  The 
church  is  to  teach  men,  not  merely  to  do  Christ's 
commandments,  but  to  keep  ivatch  over  them,  as 
a  guard  over  his  prisoner,  and  this  includes 
attentive  study  of  the  instructions  of  Christ, 
watchmg  with  prayer  against  temptation  to  in- 
sure obedience  to  the  commands  of  Christ, 
and  watching  for  the  fulfillment  of  Christ's 
prophecies.  Comp.  Matt.  25  :  13 ;  26  :  41 ;  John 
14  :  15,  21-24. 

And  lo.  Literally  behold.  The  word  is  em- 
phatic, and  imports  the  stress  which  Christ  laid, 
and  which  the  church  should  lay  on  the  promise 
which  follows.  But  it  is  also  a  command  to  the 
church  to  keep  in  her  sight  her  spiritually -present 
Lord.  For  it  is  only  as  she  beholds  the  presence  of 
her  Lord  with  her,  watching  her  fidelity,  knowing 
her  transgressions,  measuring  her  Ufe,  as  well  as 
ever  proffering  to  her  needed  grace  and  strength, 
that  she  is  or  can  be  kept  pure,  and  strong,  and 
hopeful,  and  loving.  He  is  ever  in  the  midst  of 
the  seven  candlesticks  (Rev.  i :  is),  but  whether  to 
inspire  or  to  condemn,  depends  on  whether  he  is 
there  beheld  by  his  church.  His  realized  presence 
is  the  only  explanation  of  the  success  of  the  church 
of  the  Apostolic  age,  the  only  ground  on  which 
it  can  base  an  expectation  of  success  in  the  present 
or  the  future.— I  am  with  you.  Observe  the 
significance  of  the  present  tense.  To  the  disci- 
ples he  appeared  to  be  removed  by  his  death.  To 
their  apprehension  he  replies,  not  I  shall  be,  but, 
/  am  with  you.  His  true  presence  with  his 
church  now  begins.  He  is  still  the  '■'■lam'"  of 
his  church  (Exod.  3 :  u ;  John  8 .  ss),  a  perpctually- 
present  Saviour.  Comp.  with  this  promise,  John 
14  :  20-23,  and  20  :  22,  23.  But  observe  that  it  is 
both  a  promise  and  a  warning.  He  is  present  to 
rebuke  and  chasten,  as  well  as  to  guide,  and 
guard,  and  inspire  (Rev.  3 :  19).  For  interpretation 
of  this  declaration,  study  the  whole  of  the  Epistles 
to  the  seven  churches  of  Asia  (Rev.  chaps.  2  and  3). — 
All  the  days  {nuaaq  tui;  i\uirtaQ).  Not  merely 
alway.  It  is  a  daily  presence  which  is  promised, 
not  a  fitful  coming  and  going,  but  an  abiding 
(John  15 : 4) ;  a  presence,  too,  in  all  days,  and  never 
even  in  the  darkest  to  be  forgotten.— Unto  the 
end  of  the  world.  Bather,  Unto  the  consum- 
mation of  the  cycle,  not  merely  till  the  physical 


330 


MATTHEW. 


[Ch.  XXVIII. 


world  comes  to  an  end,  but  till  the  era  and 
work  of  redemption  is  completed.  The  original 
{ovtTtkilu)  signifies  not  merely  the  end,  as  of  a 
period  of  time,  but  the  completion,  as  of  a  specific 
work.  Comp.  Matt.  13  :  39,  40,  49.  The  Re- 
deemer will  remain  with  his  church  (i  cor.  3 : 9)  till 
the  work  of  redemption  is  finished ;  then,  when 
it  can  say  with  its  Lord,  "It  is  finished"  (john 
19 :  30),  it  will  rise  with  him  to  be  forever  with  the 


Lord  (John  17 :  24;  1  Thess.  4 :  17).    Then  he  wlU  not  be 
with  us — we  shall  be  with  him. 

It  is  not  strange  that  some  early  copyist  should 
have  given  fervent  expression  to  the  feeling  Avith 
which  the  church  received  this  command  and 
promise  of  the  Lord,  in  the  added  Amen,  which 
is  no  part  of  the  original  text,  but  which  should 
ever  be  the  answer  of  church  universal  to  the 
gracious  words  of  her  Master. 


NOTE  ON  THE  RESURRECTION  OF  JESUS  CHRIST. 


1.  Harmony  of  the  Gospel  Narratives.  The  ac- 
counts of  the  resurrection  are  contained  in 
Matt.,  ch.  28  ;  Mark,  ch.  16  ;  Luke,  ch.  34 ;  and 
John,  chs.  20  and  21.  For  the  authenticity  of 
Mark  16  :  9-20  and  John,  ch.  41,  see  notes  there. 
The  discrepancies  in  these  accounts  constitute 


an  argument  of  rationalistic  writers  for  believing 
them  to  be  mythical  or  legendary.  The  student 
will  readily  perceive  the  nature  of  these  discrep- 
ancies in  the  Evangelical  narratives  by  compar- 
ing the  following  summary  of  their  accounts, 
arranged  in  parallel  columns  for  that  purpose  : 


Matt.,  ch.  28. 

Toward  dawn  of  the 
first  day  of  the  week  Mary 
Magdalene  and  another 
Mary  come  to  the  sepul- 
chre. An  earthquake  has 
occurred,  the  stone  has 
been  rolled  away,  and  the 
watchmen  have  swooned 
with  terror.  An  angel 
announces  to  the  women 
the  resurrection  of  Jesus  ; 
and  they  depart  to  tell  the 
other  disciples,  meet  Je- 
sus on  the  way,  and  wor- 
ship him.  He  bids  them 
tell  the  disciples  to  go  to 
Galilee,  where  they  shall 
see  him.  Subsequently 
the  eleven  meet  him  there, 
and  receive  their  commis- 
sion. Meanwhile  the  sol- 
diers, bribed  by  the  Jews, 
report  that  the  tomb  was 
rifled  by  the  disciples. 


Mark,  ch.  10. 

At  the  nsing  of  the  sun 
on  the  first  day  of  the 
week,  the  two  Marys  and 
Salome  come  to  the  sepul- 
chre to  anoint  the  body 
of  Jesus;  they  find  the 
stone  rolled  away,  and  a 
young  man  (angel  ?)  in  the 
tomb.  This  young  man 
announces  the  resurrec- 
tion of  Jesus,  and  bids 
them  tell  the  disciples  to 
go  into  Galilee,  where 
they  shall  see  Jesus.  They 
depart  and  say  nothing  to 
any  man,  because  they 
are  afraid.  The  same  day 
Jesus  himself  appears  to 
Mary  Magdalene,  who 
tells  the  mouniing  disci- 
ples ;  but  they  believe 
not.  He  afterward  ap- 
pears to  two  who  are 
walking  into  the  country 
(comp.  Luke,  ch.  24),  and 
who  report  the  appear- 
ance to  the  disciples,  but 
are  not  believed.  After- 
ward he  appears  to  the 
eleven  as  they  sit  at  meat. 
He  gives  them  their  com- 
mission and  is  received 
up  into  Heaven. 


Luke,  ch.  24. 

Early  in  the  morning  of 
the  first  day  of  the  week 
the  women,  including  the 
two  Marys,  come  to  the 
sepulchre  and  find  the 
stone  roUed  away.  They 
enter  and  are  perplexed 
to  find  the  tomb  vacant. 
Two  men  appear  to  them 
and  announce  the  resur- 
rection. They  return  and 
report  it  to  the  rest,  but 
are  not  believed.  Peter, 
however,  goes  to  the  sep- 
ulchre, finds  it  vacant, 
and  wonders  at  the  fact. 
The  same  day  Jesus  ap- 
pears to  two  disciples  dur- 
ing their  walk  to  Emmaus, 
who  return  and  report  the 
appearance  to  the  eleven. 
While  they  are  together 
Christ  appears  and  takes 
meat  with  them.  He 
leads  them  out  to  Bethany 
and  thence  ascends  into 
Heaven. 


John,  chs.  20,  21. 

While  it  is  yet  dark  Mary 
Magdalene  comes  to  the 
sepulchre,  finds  the  stone 
removed,  returns,  reports 
to  Peter  and  John,  who 
come  together  to  the  sep- 
ulchre. Peter  enters 
first,  then  John  ;  they  find 
the  sepulchre  empty,  and 
go  away  perplexed.  Mary 
stands  without  the  sepul- 
chre weeping,  looks  in, 
sees  two  angels,  who 
speak  to  her.  She  answers 
them,  hears  a  voice  with- 
out, supposes  the  speaker 
to  be  the  gardener,  until,at 
the  pronunciation  of  her 
name,  she  discerns  the 
Lord.  She  reports  the 
facts  to  the  disciples.  The 
same  evening  Christ  ap- 
pears to  them,  Thomas 
being  absent,aud  breathes 
on  them,  imparting  the 
Holy  Ghost.  After  eight 
days  he  appears  again, 
and  convinces  Thomas  of 
his  resurrection,  and  sub- 
sequently appears  to  the 
disciples,  in  Galilee. 


Comparing  these  four  accounts,  the  following 
facts  are  observable :  (1.)  No  one  Evangelist 
gives  more  than  a  partial  account  of  the  events 
which  occurred  between  the  resurrection  and  the 
ascension;  the  discrepancies,  so-called,  are 
largely  due  to  the  fact  that  each  narrative  is 
partial  and  incomplete,  and  none  narrate  facts 
narrated  by  the  others.  (2.)  We  cannot  with 
any  certainty  construct  a  perfect  harmony 
out  of  these  accounts,  i.  e.,  we  cannot  be  sure 
of    the    exact    order   of    the    events   various- 


ly narrated  by  the  different  Evangelists.  (3.) 
Though  there  are  discrepancies,  such  as  we 
might  expect  in  the  narrative  of  such  events, 
penned  by  truthful  and  independent  writer.«, 
each  narrating  only  what  he  saw,  or  what  he 
learned  from  trustworthy  and  independent  wit- 
nesses, there  are  no  contradictions,  i.  e.,  no  fact  is 
stated  by  one  writer  which  is  denied  by  another, 
or  is  irreconcilable  with  the  statement  made  by 
another.  (4.)  In  respect  to  tne  substantial  facts, 
viz.,  the  death,  the  burial,  the  resurrection,  on 


Ch.  XXVIII.] 


MATTHEW. 


331 


the  morning  of  the  third  day,  first  discovered  at 
or  about  daybreak,  and  followed  by  numerous 
appearances  to  different  witnesses,  and  at  differ- 
ent times,  all  the  Evangelists  agree.  (5.)  The 
principal  discrepancies  are  the  following :  The 
time  of  the  visit  to  the  tomb  by  the  women  is  de- 
scribed by  Mark  as  sunrise,  by  John  as  "while  it 
was  yet  dark  "  ;  two  angels  are  described  as  at  the 
tomb  by  Luke  and  John,  one  by  Matthew  and 
Mark ;  an  appearance  to  all  the  women  is  de- 
scribed in  Matthew,  an  appearance  to  Mary 
alone  in  Mark  and  John,  and  no  answering  ap- 
pearance in  Luke.  In  Mark  the  women  say 
nothing  to  any  man,  in  the  other  three  Evangel- 
ists they  tell  the  disciples.  These  are,  I  be- 
lieve, all  the  discrepancies  of  any  moment. 
They  are  none  of  them  of  a  character  to  invali- 
date the  truthfulness  of  the  concurrent  testimony 
to  the  essential  facts.  Most  of  them  are  easily 
explicable ;  for  explanations  see  notes  on  the 
various  passages ;  all,  I  believe,  would  be  ex- 
plicable if  we  knew  all  the  facts.  (6.)  Finally, 
while  a  harmony  of  these  accounts  is  possible, 
any  harmony,  constructed  in  our  imperfect 
knowledge  of  the  events,  is  necessarily  hypotheti- 
cal. With  this  explanation  I  embody  what  ap- 
pears to  me  to  be  a  probable  order  of  the  events, 
as  recorded  by  the  four  Evangelists,  supple- 
mented by  Luke  in  Acts  1:1,  3,  and  Paul  in 
1  Cor.  15  :  3-7. 

Several  women— the  exact  number  is  not 
known— go  together  at  early  dawn,  between  day- 
break and  sunrise,  to  the  tomb,  to  anoint  the 
body.  They  find  the  grave  opened  and  the  body 
gone.  Mary,  supposing  that  the  tomb  has  been 
rifled  by  the  enemies  of  the  Lord,  hastens  in- 
stantly back  to  the  city  for  help,  tells  Peter  and 
John,  who  forthwith  hasten  to  the  sepulchre. 
She  accompanies,  or  more  probably  follows  them, 
unable  to  keep  up.  That  they  hastened  is  evi- 
dent from  John  20  :  4.  Meanwhile  the  angel  in 
the  tomb  has  announced  the  resurrection  of  the 
Lord  to  the  other  women,  who  have  gone  back 
into  the  city  to  tell  the  news  to  the  disciples. 
Peter  and  John  come,  find  the  tomb  empty,  and 
depart  perplexed.  Mary,  in  greater  grief  than 
before,  at  the  helplessness  of  their  situation, 
their  Lord's  tomb  robbed,  and  their  Lord's  body 
borne  away  to  some  dishonored  grave,  remains 
weeping,  is  accosted  by  some  one  whom  she  be- 
lieves to  be  the  gardener,  discovers  in  him  her 
risen  Lord,  and  hastens  to  Jerusalem  to  inform 
the  disciples.  This  I  believe  to  be  the  first  ap- 
pearance of  Jesus  to  any  of  the  disciples,  and 
probably  the  basis  of  the  less  full  and  accurate 
account  of  Matt.  28  :  9, 10.  The  same  day  Christ 
appears  to  the  disciples  at  Emmaus  (Luke) ;  and 
on  the  evening  of  that  day  to  the  ten  at  meat ; 
and  a  week  later  again,  when  Thomas  is  present. 
The  appearances  in  Galilee  (John,  ch.  21 ;  Matt.  28 :  le,  n) 


are  later.  The  commission  to  the  eleven  is  given 
perhaps  still  later,  whether  in  Galilee  or  Judea 
is  uncertain ;  I  incline  to  think  in  Judea,  and 
that  it  is  followed  almost  immediately  by  the  as- 
cension. That  this  harmony  is  in  all  respects 
correct  I  do  not  assert ;  it  is  only  hypothetical, 
but  there  is  nothing  in  any  of  the  four  narratives 
inconsistent  with  it.  It  is  at  all  events  clear  that 
there  is  a  substantial  accord  in  the  four  accounts. 
They  are  not  irreconcilable,  and  the  discrepan- 
cies are  in  matters  of  minor  and  comparatively 
unimportant  detaUs. 

3.  Authentication  of  the  Eesurrection.  Since  the 
resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ  necessarily  carries 
with  it  the  supernatural  origin  and  divine  au- 
thority of  Christianity,  it  is  not  strange  that  from 
the  earliest  ages  it  has  been  the  chief  evidence 
of  Christianity  in  the  hands  of  Christians,  and 
the  chief  point  of  attack  on  the  part  of  unbe- 
lievers. The  following  considerations  have  led 
the  majority  of  impartial  students  of  history  to 
consider  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ  as  well 
authenticated  as  any  fact  in  history.  (1.)  The 
early  church  universally  believed  in  the  resur- 
rection of  Jesus  Christ ;  it  formed  the  basis  of 
the  first  apostolic  preachmg  (Acts  2 :  24-32 ;  3 :  21 ; 
4 : 2, 10 ;  10 :  39-10;  13 :  30-37 ;  17 :  31, 32) ;  and  it  was  Uni- 
versally accepted  by  Christians  at  the  time  when 
Paul  wrote  the  first  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians, 
i.  e.,  within  about  thirty  years  after  its  supposed 
occurrence.  It  is  incredible  that  a  myth  should 
have  grown  up,  without  substantial  foundation, 
in  a  quarter  of  a  century,  in  spite  of  hostility  of 
both  Jew  and  Gentile,  and  during  the  lifetime  of 
those  who  were  competent  to  contradict  and  dis- 
pute the  falsehood  if  it  had  been  false.  (2. )  This 
belief  is  sustained  by  four  narratives  which  (see 
above)  substantially  agree,  yet,  which  are  all  un- 
mistakably original  and  independent  accounts, 
neither  produced  by  collusion,  nor  drawn  from  a 
common  source.  The  accounts  bear  in  many 
places  the  evident  indication  of  being  prepared 
by  eye-witnesses  ;  and  of  being  the  natural  and 
even  child-like  description  of  events  which  the 
narrators  themselves  could  not  comprehend.  The 
very  seeming  contradictions  afford  incidental 
evidence  of  the  belief  of  the  narrators.  "Noth- 
ing can  exceed  in  artlessness  and  simplicity  the 
four  accounts  of  the  first  appearance  of  Jesus 
after  his  crucifixion.  If  these  qualities  are  not 
discernible  here,  then  we  must  despair  of  ever 
being  able  to  discern  their  presence  anywhere." 
—  (Furnefts.)  (3.)  This  universality  of  belief 
must,  on  any  hypothesis,  be  accounted  for.  It 
cannot  be  accounted  for  by  the  ancient  Jewish 
explanation,  viz.,  that  the  body  was  stolen  and 
the  story  of  resurrection  invented  by  the  disci- 
ples (Matt.  28 :  is).  This  is  not  only  negatived  by 
the  precautions  which  the  priests  took  against 
fraud  (Matt.  27 :  62-66),  by  the  facts  that  the  disciples 


332 


MATTHEW.  [Ch.  XXVIII. 


were  not  anticipating  a  resurrection  (see  below), 
and  that  such  a  deception  could  not  possibly  and 
did  not,  in  fact,  enure  in  any  way  to  their  advan- 
tage, but  also  by  the  abundant  evidence  of  their 
honesty  in  their  labors  and  self-sacrifice,  and  by  the 
incredibility  of  the  supposition  that  a  number  of 
men  could  have  banded  together  to  promulgate 
such  a  system  of  religion  as  that  of  Jesus  Christ, 
embodying  such  exalted  precepts  and  principles 
of  truth,  purity,  and  love,  by  means  of  a  delib- 
erately-framed fraud.  This  hypothesis  is  now 
almost,  if  not  quite,  universally  abandoned,  even 
by  infidel  scholars.  For  example,  "Only  thus 
much  need  be  acknowledged,  that  the  disciples 
firmly  believed  that  Jesus  had  arisen  ;  this  is  per- 
fectly sufficient  to  make  their  further  progress 
and  operations  intelligible." — {Strauss.)  "It  is 
an  indisputable  fact  that  in  the  early  morning  of 
the  first  day  of  the  week  following  the  crucifix- 
ion, the  grave  of  Jesus  was  found  empty  *  *  * 
It  is  a  second  fact  that  the  disciples  and  other 
members  of  the  Apostolic  communion  were  con- 
vinced that  Jesus  was  seen  after  his  crucifixion." 
— {Schenkcl.)  The  honesty  of  the  Apostles  is 
even  admitted  by  the  Jewish  Rabbinical  writings, 
which  accounts  for  the  disappearance  of  the  body 
by  saying  that  it  was  removed  from  the  grave  by 

the  priests  (see  note  on  verses  11-15,  above).      Nor  CaU  this 

universal  belief  be  explained  by  the  hypothesis 
that  Christ  did  not  really  die,  but  swooned,  and 
was  subsequently  recovered  from  his  swoon. 
For  his  death  is  as  well  authenticated  as  any  fact 
in  history.  It  was  made  sure  of  by  the  enmity 
of  the  priests  (Matt.  27 :  62, 63),  by  the  spear- thrust 
of  the  soldiers  (John  19 :  34, 35),  by  the  questioning 
of  Pilate  (Mark  15 :  44),  thcsc  Concurrent  facts  being 
testified  to  by  independent  witnesses  ;  and  the 
recovery  of  Jesus  from  a  swoon  could  not  have 
formed  the  basis  of  any  belief  in  a  resurrection, 
without  deliberate  fraud  on  the  part  of  his 
followers,  which,  as  we  see,  is  not  regarded  as 
tenable  even  by  infidels.  Nor  can  this  belief  be 
accounted  for  by  regarding  it  with  Renan  as  the 
production  of  an  enthusiastic  imagination  and 
ardent  hope  in  the  disciples,  in  other  words  as  a 
spiritual  fantasy.  For  they  had  no  such  im- 
agination and  no  such  hope.  The  fact  of  the 
resurrection  is  attested,  not  by  persons  predis- 
posed to  believe  in  it,  but  by  skeptical  critics 
hard  to  be  convinced.  They  were  utterly  dis- 
heartened by  his  death  and  had  as  little  expec- 
tation of  his  resurrection  as  they  had  before 
entertained  of  his  crucifixion.  The  women  who 
came  to  anoint  the  body  were  surprised  and 
grief-stricken  to  find  it  gone  ;  they  thought  the 
tomb  had  been  robbed.  When  they  carried  back 
the  report  of  the  resurrection  to  the  other  dis- 
ciples "their  words  seemed  to  them  as  idle 
words,  and  they  believed  them  not."  The  two 
disciples  who  conversed  with  the  unrecognized 


Christ  on  their  walk  to  Emmaus,  had  given  up 
their  faith  in  the  Messiahship,  and  were  thunder- 
struck at  the  revelation  of  his  presence.  When 
he  appeared  to  the  ten,  Thomas  refused  to  ac- 
cept their  testimony.  So  marked  and  stubborn 
was  their  increduUty,  that  Christ  more  than  once 
upbraided  them  for  their  unbelief.  The  reader 
who  is  interested  to  see  how  little  historical  basis 
there  is  for  the  latest  and  perhaps  most  popular 
rationalistic  theory  of  the  resurrection,  namely, 
that  it  was  the  honest  figment  of  a  diseased  im- 
agination, the  unconscious  creation  of  those  who 
"amuse  themselves  with  what  is  impossible, 
and,  rather  than  renounce  all  hope,  do  violence 
to  every  reality,"  may  find  it  in  an  examination 
of  the  following  among  other  passages,  indicating 
how  stolid,  prosaic,  despairing,  unhopeful,  and 
unimaginative  were  the  witnesses  who  have  tes- 
tified to  the  resurrection  (Mark  le  :  lO-U;  Late 
24  :  11-20,  21,  25,  32,  37-39  ;     John  20  :  9,  11-13,  24,  25).        The 

facts,  then,  are  indisputable,  even  admitted  by 
rationalistic  writers, — Schenkel,  Renan,  Strauss, 
and  by  Rabbinical  writers  (see  Goidstien's  Life 
of  Jesus), — that  the  grave  of  Jesus  was  found 
empty  early  in  the  morning  of  the  first  day  of  the 
week  following  the  crucifixion,  that  it  was  not 
opened  by  connivance  of  the  disciples,  that  they 
believed  that  they  saw  their  risen  Lord,  con- 
versed with  him,  touched  him,  ate  with  him, 
that  this  belief  was  shared  by  above  five  hun- 
dred persons  who  at  different  times  had  inter- 
course with  him  (i  cor.  15 :  s-s),  that  on  this  belief 
the  whole  structure  of  Christianity,  as  a  divine 
religion,  was  rested  by  the  early  preachers,  at  a 
time  when  it  would  have  been  easy  to  expose 
the  error,  if  error  there  were,  and  was  univer- 
sally believed  in  the  church,  within  thirty  years 
after  its  occurrence.  (4.)  Only  the  fact  of  the 
resurrection  can  account  for  the  marvelous 
change  in  the  spirit  and  character  of  the  Apos- 
tles. While  he  lived  they  had  no  accurate  con- 
ception of  his  mission,  believed  he  was  about  to 
inaugurate  a  political  Jewish  kingdom,  were 
eager  for  precedence  in  it,  and  this  even  up  to  the 
time  of  his  Passion,  looked  to  the  last  moment 
for  a  miraculous  deliverance  from  the  Roman 
soldiers,  when  this  hope  was  crushed  by  Chrisfs 
surrender,  forsook  him  and  fled,  and  after  his 
crucifixion  abandoned  all  idea  of  his  being  the 
Messiah  and  returned  to  their  old  avocation  of 

fishing    (Matt.  16  :  22 ;  20  :  20-24  ;    Luke  19:11;  22  :  24-30  ;  John 

21:3).  But  the  resurrection  completely  trans- 
formed them ;  inspired  them  with  a  new  con- 
ception of  Christ's  kingdom  as  for  all  people, 
with  a  new  courage  to  suffer  for  the  sake  of  their 
risen  Lord  and  his  kingdom,  and  with  a  new 
purpose  to  preach  Christ  and  him  crucified 
everywhere  as  a  spiritual  redemption  for  sin 
(Acts  2 :  39 ;  5 :  41 ;  10 :  43\  Neither  fraud  uor  fiction 
are  competent  to  account  for  the  moral  contrast 


Ch.  XXVIII.] 


MATTHEW. 


333 


between  the  Apostles  of  the  four  Gospels  and 
those  of  the  Book  of  Acts.  (5.)  A  singular  and 
significant  testimony  to  the  truth  of  the  resur- 
rection is  afforded  by  the  change  in  the  Sabbath- 
day.  Nothing  is  more  difficult  to  alter  than 
religious  ceremonials.  No  religious  ceremonial 
could  be  more  difficult  to  alter  than  a  day  ob- 
served, if  not  from  the  creation  of  the  world, 
certainly  for  1500  years.^  It  was  changed,  not  by 
any  express  command, 'for  there  is  none  in  the 
N.  T.,  but  by  the  almost  imiversal  consent  of  the 


church,  which  could  not  endure  to  observe  as  a 
day  of  joy  and  gladness  that  on  which  Christ  lay 
in  the  tomb,  nor  forbear  to  mark  as  a  weekly 
festival  that  on  which  he  arose.  This  fact  can 
be  accounted  for  only  by  recognizing  the  univer- 
sal and  ancient  character  of  the  belief  in  the 
resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ— a  belief,  for  which, 
as  we  have  seen,  it  is  impossible  to  account  on 
any  hypothesis  which  denies  the  substantial 
truthfulness  of  the  Evangelical  accounts. 


b^T^ii^l^^as^ 


ANCIENT    PATHWAY   FROM   BETHANY   TO   JERUSALEM.       (From  a  photograph.) 


The  view  is  taken  from  near  the  foot  of  the  Mount  of  Olives ;  the  garden  of  Getheemane  is  in  the  foreground ; 
in  the  background,  on  the  left,  is  the  north  comer  of  the  east  wall  of  Jerusalem.  The  path  crosses  the  Cedron 
near  the  garden  of  Gethsemane. 


The  Gospel 


ACCORDING   TO 


MARK, 


NOTES    AND    COMMENTS. 


THE    GOSPEL   ACCORDING   TO   MARK. 

INTRODUCTION. 


By  whom  written.  The  author  of  tliis  Gos- 
pel has  been  universally  believed  to  be  Mark  or 
Marcus,  designated  in  Acts  13  :  12,  35 ;  15  :  37  as 
John  Mark,  and  in  chapter  13  : 5, 13,  as  John.  For 
some  evidences  of  authorship  see  Intro.,  pp. 
15-19.  His  mother's  name  was  Mary  (Acta  12 :  12) ; 
she  was  a  sister  of  Barnabas  (coi.  4 :  10),  and  dwelt 
in  Jerusalem  (Acts  12 :  12).  Mark  was  converted  to 
Christianity  through  the  instrumentality  of  Peter 
(1  Peter  5 :  13) ;  became  the  minister,  i.  e.,  the  attend- 
ant of  Paul  and  Barnabas  in  their  first  missionary 
journey  (Acta  12 :  25) ;  and  was  the  cause  of  the  con- 
tention between  those  Apostles  and  their  separa- 
tion on  their  second  journey  (Acts  15  :  39),  after 
which  Mark  accompanied  Barnabas  (Acts  15 :  39). 
Subsequently  the  estrangement  between  Paul 
and  Mark  appears  to  have  been  removed  ;  so,  at 
least,  we  may  infer  from  Paul's  cordial  references 
to  him  in  the  Epistles— Col.  4  :  10 ;  3  Tim.  4  :  11 ; 
Phil.  21.  The  N.  T.  gives  no  further  information 
respecting  him,  and  subsequent  tradition  is  un- 
trustworthy. It  represents  him  as  the  first 
bishop  of  Alexandria  and  as  a  mai'tyr  there.  He 
has  been  identified  with  the  young  man,  whom 
he  alone  mentions,  who  barely  escaped  capture 
at  the  time  of  Christ's  arrest  (  Mark  i4 :  51, 52),  with 
one  of  those  who  turned  back  from  following  the 
Lord  at  the  hard  saying  in  John,  ch.  6  :  66, 
and  with  one  of  the  seventy  mentioned  in  Luke 
10  : 1 ;  but  these  are  mere  hypotheses,  unsup- 
ported by  evidence. 

Sources  of  information.  Mark  was  not  one 
of  the  twelve  ;  and  there  is  no  reason  to  believe 
that  he  was  an  eye  and  ear  witness  of  the  events 
which  he  has  recorded ;  but  an  almost  unani- 
mous testimony  of  the  early  fathers  indicates 
Peter  as  the  source  of  his  information.  The 
most  important  of  these  testimonies  is  that  of 
Papias,  who  says:  "He,  the  presbyter  (John), 
said:  Mark,  being  the  interpreter  of  Peter, 
wrote  exactly  whatever  he  remembered  ;  but  he 
did  not  write  in  order  the  things  which  were 
spoken  or  done  by  Christ.  For  he  was  neither  a 
hearer  nor  a  follower  of  the  Lord,  but,  as  I  said, 
afterward  followed  Peter,  who  made  his  dis- 
courses to  suit  what  was  required,  without  the 
view  of  giving  a  connected  digest  of  the  dis- 
courses of  our  Lord.  Mark,  therefore,  made  no 
mistake  when  he  wrote  down  circumstances  as 
he  recollected  them.  For  he  was  very  careful  of 
one  thing,  to  omit  nothing  of  what  he  heard,  and 
to  say  nothing  false  in  what  he  related."  Thus 
Papias  writes  of  Mark.  This  testimony  is  con- 
firmed by  other  witnesses,  the  most  important  of 
which  are  the  following.  Irenceus:  "Matthew 
wrote  a  Gospel  while  Peter  and  Paul  were 
preaching  the  Gospel  at  Rome  and  founding  a 


church  there.  And  after  their  decease,  Mark, 
the  disciple  and  interpreter  of  Peter,  delivered 
to  us  in  writing  the  things  that  had  been 
preached  by  Peter."  Clement  of  Alexandria: 
"The  occasion  of  writing  the  Gospel  accord- 
ing to  Mark  was  this :  Peter,  having  public- 
ly preached  the  word  at  Rome,  and  having 
spoken  the  Gospel  by  the  Spirit,  many  present 
exhorted  Mark  to  write  the  things  which  had 
been  spoken,  since  he  had  long  accompanied  Pe- 
ter, and  remembered  what  he  had  said ;  and  that 
when  he  had  composed  the  Gospel,  he  delivered 
it  to  them  who  had  asked  it  of  him,  which,  when 
Peter  knew,  he  neither  forbade  nor  encouraged 
it."  Tertullian:  "Although  that  Gospel  Uke- 
wise  which  Mark  published  may  be  said  to  be 
Peter's,  whose  interpreter  Mark  was."  Origen, 
as  given  by  Eusebius :  "  The  second  Gospel  is 
that  according  to  Mark,  who  wrote  it  as  Peter 
directed  him  ;  who  also  calls  him  his  son." 

It  is  not  at  all  certain,  however,  that  these  are 
independent  testimonies,  and  how  far  they  are  to 
be  accepted  as  true  is  a  vexed  question  among 
Christian  scholars.  It  has  even  been  denied 
that  the  Gospel  referred  to  by  Papias  is  the 
present  Gospel  of  Mark,  which  it  is  claimed  does 
not  correspond  in  character  to  his  description. 
For  a  discussion  of  this  question  the  student  is 
referred  to  ALford's  Greek  Testament,  Prolego- 
mena, Mark^s  Gospel,  Sec.  II ;  Smith's  Bible  Dic- 
tionary, arts.  Mark  and  3£ark,  Gosjxl  of;  David- 
son's Intro,  to  the  New  Testament;  Westcott'a 
Notes  to  the  Study  of  the  Gospels,  etc.  It  must 
suffice  here  to  say,  (1)  that  there  seems  to  me  no 
reason  whatever  for  doubting  that  Papias  refers 
to  our  Gospel  of  Mark.  I  agree  with  Edward 
Cone  Bissel  (Historic  Origin  of  the  Gospels,  p.  193) 
that  "the  description  which  he  here  gives  of 
Mark's  method  well  accords  with  the  charac- 
teristics of  the  second  Gospel,  as  being  not  a 
complete  record  of  the  life  of  our  Lord,  chrono- 
logically arranged,  but  a  vivid  and  picturesque 
arrangement  of  leading  facts  only,  having  a  defi- 
nite moral  as  well  as  historic  end ; "  (2)  That, 
while  it  must  ever  remain  uncertain  how  far  the 
influence  of  Peter  extended  in  the  composition  of 
this  Gospel,  its  character  seems  to  me  to  confirm 
this  testimony,  and  to  indicate  that  one  of  the 
Twelve  directly  participated  in  its  composition. 
Remembering  that  the  early  teaching  of  the 
Apostles  consisted  largely  of  a  narrative  of  the 
facts  in  the  life,  sufferings,  death,  and  resurrection 
of  our  Lord  (see  intro.,  pt.  II,  §  2,  p.  32),  it  is  reasona- 
ble to  suppose  that  Mark  derived  his  mformation 
from  these  discourses  of  Peter,  and  perhaps  also 
from  Peter's  conversation,  but  embodied  them  in 
his  own  language.     In  other  words,  he  was  a  true 


338 


MARK. 


[Ch.  I. 


historian,  not  a  mere  amanuensis ;  but  as  a  his- 
torian derived  most  of  his  information  from 
Peter. 

Characteristics.  Mark's  Gospel  is  occupied 
almost  entirely  with  the  ministry  in  Galilee  and 
the  events  of  the  Passion  week ;  it  is  the  shortest 
of  the  four  Gospels,  and  contains  almost  no 
incident  or  teaching  which  is  not  contained  in 
one  of  the  other  two  Synoptists  ;  its  report  of  the 
teaching  of  our  Lord  is  much  less  full  and  sys- 
tematic than  that  of  Matthew,  but  it  is  by  far  the 
most  vivid  and  dramatic  in  its  narratives,  and  tlieir 
pictorial  character  indicate  not  only  that  they  were 
derived  from  an  eye  and  ear  witness,  but  also  from 
one  who  possessed  the  observation  and  the  graphic 
artistic  power  of  a  natural  orator,  such  as  Peter  em- 
phatically was.  As  the  systematic  but  inartistic 
narrative  of  Matthew's  Gospel  harmonizes  with 
the  character  of  its  reputed  author— a  tax-gath- 
erer, and  the  spiritual  and  even  metaphysical 
character  of  John's  Gospel  with  such  indications 

•as  are  afforded  of  his  character  by  the  few  inci- 
dents in  his  life  and  by  his  other  writings,  so  the 
graphic  but  external  character  of  Mark's  Gospel 
harmonizes  with  the  ardent,  impulsive,  oratori- 
cal, but  not  deep  or  tender  character  of  Peter, 
to  whose  influence  its  composition  is  tradition- 
ally imputed.  "It  is  Mark  who  reveals  to  us 
the  comprehensive  gaze  of  Christ  (3 :  s,  34 ;  s ;  32  ; 
10 :  23 ;  11 :  ii) ;  his  loviug  embrace  of  the  children 
brought  to  him  (9 :  36 ;  10 :  16) ;  his  preceding  his 
disciples  while  they  follow  in  awe  and  amaze- 
ment (10 :  32) ;  we  see  him  taking  his  seat  to  ad- 
dress his  disciples  (9 :  35) ;  and  turning  around  in 
holy  anger  to  Peter  (s :  33) ;  we  hear  the  sighs 
which  burst  from  his  bosom  (7:34;  8:12);  and 
listen  to  his  very  accents  (5:4i;  7:34j  i4:36);  at 

.  one  time  we  have  an  event  portrayed  with  a 
freshness  and  pictorial  power  which  places  the 
whole  scene  before  us  with  its  minute  accesso- 
ries— the  paralytic  (2 : 1-12),  the  storm  (4 :  se^i),  the 
demoniac  (5 : 1-20),  Herod's  feast  (e  :  21-29),  the 
feeding  of  the  five  thousand  (e :  35-45),  the  lunatic 
child  (9 :  14-29),  the  young  ruler  (10 :  17-22),  Bar- 
timeus  (10  •  46-62),  etc. ;    at  another,   detaUs  are 


brought  out  by  a  single  word  (1 : 7 ;  1 :  10 ;  1 :  41 ; 

4:11;  6  :  63  ;  7  :  21,  23  :  9  :  26 ;  10  :  22  ;  14  :  3  ;  14  :  67)  Or  by  the 

substitution  of  a  more  precise  and  graphic  word 

for    one    less    distinctive    (l  :  12  ;    2  :   12  ;    4  :  37  ;    6  :  S9  ; 

6 :  46 ;  7 : 9 ;  14 :  33) ;  it  is  to  Mark  also  that  we  are 
indebted  for  the  record  of  minute  particulars, 
of  persons,  places,  times,  and  number,  which 
stamp  on  his  narratives  an  impress  of  authentici- 
ty."— Kilto's  Cyclopcedia.  Further  illustrations 
of  this  character  of  Mark's  Gospel  wUl  be  found 
on  almost  every  page  of  this  Commentary,  and 
generally  referred  to  in  the  notes.  The  refer- 
ences to  Peter  in  this  Gospel  throw  little  or  no 
light  on  the  question  of  his  connection  with  it. 
See  them  collated  in  Smith's  Bible  Dictionary, 
art.  Mark,  Gospel  of. 

Time  and  place  of  composition.  This  is 
uncertain.  Internal  evidence  indicates  that  it  was 
written  before  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem. 
Otherwise  the  omission  of  all  reference  to  so  sig- 
nal a  fulfilment  of  our  Lord's  prophecies  would 
be  inexplicable.  According  to  Irenseus  it  was 
composed  after  the  death  of  Peter  and  Paul, 
which  would  place  it  as  late  as  a.  d.  63.  The 
place  also  is  unknown.  The  traditions  are  con- 
flicting and  untrustworthy. 

Object  and  language.  As  it  is  clear  from 
internal  indications  that  Matthew's  Gospel  was 
written  for  Hebrew  readers,  so  it  is  evident  that 
Mark's  Gospel  was  written  for  Gentile  readers. 
He  omits  the  genealogical  registers  given  by 
Matthew  and  Luke  ;  he  rarely  cites  from  the 
O.  T.,  except  in  reporting  discourses  of  our 
Lord;  he  interprets  Hebrew  or  Aramaic  ex- 
pressions   (3  :  17  ;  5  :  40  ;  7:11;  10  :  46  ;  14  :  36  ;  15  :  34)  ;  he 

explauis  Jewish  names  and  customs  (7  :  3,4; 
12 :  42 ;  15 : 6) ;  he  Contains  no  references  to  the 
law  of  Moses ;  even  the  word  law  (lo/joc)  does 
not  occur  ;  and  matter  that  might  offend  or  be 
misapprehended  by  Gentile  readers  is  omitted 
(comp.  Matt.  10 : 6, 6  with  Mark  6 : 7,  g).  There  is  cvcry  in- 
dication, both  external  and  internal,  that  this 
Gospel  was  written  originally  in  the  Greek  lan- 
guage, and  no  reason  to  doubt  this,  which  is  the 
almost  universal  opinion  of  scholars. 


THE    GOSPEL    ACCORDING    TO 


MARK. 


CHAPTER    I. 


THE  beginning  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  » 
Son  of  God ; 

2  As  it  is  written  in  the  prophets,''  Behold,  I  send  my 
messenger  before  thy  face,  which  shall  prepare  thy 
way  before  thee. 

3  The  "^  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness.  Pre- 
pare ye  the  way  of  the  Lord,  make  his  paths  straight. 

4  John"*  did  baptize  in  the  wilderness,  and  preach 
the  baptism  of  repentance  for  the  remission  "  of  sins. 

5  And  there  went  out  unto  him  all  the  land  of  Judsea, 
and  they  of  Jerusalem,  and  were  all  baptized  of  him  in 
the  river  of  Jordan,  confessing '  their  sins. 

6  And  Jolin  was  clothed  with  camel's  hair,  and  with 
a  girdle  of  a  skin  about  his  loins ;  and  he  did  eat  lo- 
custs s  and  wild  honey  ; 

7  And  preached,  saying,  There  ^  cometh  one  mighti- 
er than  I  after  me,  the  latchet  of  whose  shoes  I  am  not 
worthy  to  stoop  down  and  unloose. 

8  I  mdeed  have  baptized  you  with  water:  but  he 
shall  baptize '  you  with  the  Holy  Ghost. 

9  And  it  came  to  pass  in  those  dajs,  that  Jesus  came 


from  Nazareth  of  Galilee,  and  was  baptized '  of  John 
in  Jordan. 

10  And  straightway  coming  up  out  of  the  water,  he 
saw  the  heavens  opened,  and  the  Spirit,''  like  a  dove, 
descending  upon  him  : 

11  And  there  came  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying^  Thou 
art  my  beloved  Son,'  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased. 

12  And  immediately  the  Spirit  driveth  him  into  the 
wilderness. 

13  And™  he  was  there  in  the  wilderness  forty  days, 
tempted  of  Satan  ;  and  was  with  the  wild  beasts  ;  and 
the  angels  ministered  unto  him. 

14  Now  after  that  John  was  put  in  prison,  Jesus" 
came  into  Galilee,  preaching  the  gospel"  of  the  king- 
dom of  God, 

15  And  saying.  The  timeP  is  fulfilled,  and  the  king- 
dom of  God  is  at  hand  :  repent  1  ye,  and  believe  ^  the 
gospel. 

16  Now'  as  he  walked  by  the  sea  of  Galilee,  he  saw 
Simon,  and  Andrew  his  brother,  casting  a  net  into  the 
sea:  for  they  were  fishers. 

17  And  Jesus  said  unto  them.  Come  ye  after  me, 
and  I  will  make  you  to  become  fishers  of  men. 


aHeb.   1:  1,  2....bMal.   3:l....cl8a.  40:3....d  Matt.  3:1;    Luke  3:3;    John  3:23....e  Acts  22:  16.... f  Lev.  26  :  4(M2  ;    Ps.  32:5; 
Prov.  28:  13;  1  John  1  :8-10....g  Lev.  U  :  22....h  Matt.  3:  11;    John   1:27;   Acts   13  :  25. ..  .i  Joel  2  :  28 ;   Actsl:6;    2:4;    10:45; 

11  :  15,  16  ;  1  Cor.   12,  13 j  Matt.  3  :  13  ;  Luke  3  :  21        k  Isa.  42  :  1 ;  John   1  :  32 1  Ps.  2  :  7 m  Matt.  4  :  1,  etc. ;  Luke  4 :  1,  etc 

n  Mitt.  4:  23.... o  Luke  8:l....p  Dan.  2:44:    9  :  25  ;   Gal.  4:4:  Epbes.  1  :  10.... q  Acts  2  :  38.... r  Rom.  16  :  26. ..  .a  Matt.  4  :  18,   etc.; 
Luke  6  :  4,  etc. 


Ch.  1  :  1-8.  John  the  Baptist  and  his 
Preaching.  Matt.  3  : 1-13,  notes  ;  Luke  3  : 1-18, 
notes.  See  for  a  different  phase  of  his  ministry, 
John  1  :  19-36,  notes ;  for  his  character,  Matt. 
11  :  2-19,  notes  ;  for  a  brief  account  of  his  life, 
Matt.  14  : 1-12,  notes,  and  Mark  6  :  17-30,  notes. 
1.  This  is  a  general  introduction  to  the  Gospel. 
Matthew  and  Luke  alone  give  any  account  of  the 
birth  and  childhood  of  Christ.  Mark  and  John 
begin  with  his  baptism,  which  precedes  and  inau- 
gurates his  public  ministry.  Tischendorf  omits 
from  this  verse  the  words,  "the  Son  of  God." 
Alford  retains  them.  Observe  that  the  preach- 
ing of  John  the  Baptist,  the  forerunner,  is  ac- 
counted the  beginning  of  the  glad  tidings  of 
Jesus  the  Messiah. 

2,  3.  The  prophets.  The  better  reading  is 
Imiah  the  prophet.  There  are,  however,  two 
references,  the  first  to  Mai.  3  :  1,  the  second  to 
Isaiah  40  :  3.  "As  Matthew,  in  chap.  21 :  4,  5, 
quotes  from  Zachariah  under  the  title  of  one 
prophet,  and  adds  something  from  Isaiah  62  :  11 ; 
and  as  Paul  also  in  Rom.  9  :  26,  27,,  mentions 
Isaiah  by  name,  and  has  added  something  from 
Hosea  1  :  10,  so  Mark  here  refers  to  two  proph- 
ets, and  yet  names  only  one,  the  prophet  Isaiah." 
—{Bengel.)  As  to  the  meaning  of  the  two  refer- 
ences, see  notes  respectively  on  Matt.  11  :  10  and 
3  :  3.— The  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wil- 
derness. "A  preacher  should,  if  possible,  be 
nothing  but  a  voice,  which  should  be  always 
heard  and  never  seen." — (Quesml.) 

4.  In  the  Avilderness.  Of  Judea  (Matt,  a :  i). 
—For  the  remission  of  sins.     Not  merely 


for  the  pardon  .of  sin,  but  for  the  putting  away 
of  and  cleansing  from  sin.  See  Matt.  26  :  28,  note, 
and  references  there  quoted.  This  John  declared 
was  necessary  for  all  the  children  of  Israel,  not 
merely  for  the  heathen  (Luke  3 :  s),  and  was  to  be 
obtained  not  by  sacrifices,  but  by  abandonment 

of  sin  (Matt.  3  :  2,  note). 

8.  With  the  Holy  Ghost.  Matthew  and 
Luke  add,  "and  with  fire."  See  Matt.  3  :  11, 
note. 

Ch.  1  :  9- 1 1 .    The  Baptism  of  Jesus.    Matt. 

3  :  13-17  ;  Luke  3  :  21,  22 ;  John  1  :  32-34.  See 
notes  on  Matthew. 

Ch.    1  :  13,  13.    The  Temptation.     Matt. 

4  : 1-11 ;  Luke  4  : 1-13.  It  is  not  mentioned  by 
John.  Mark's  account  is  briefest,  but  the  state- 
ment that  Christ  "was  with  the  wild  beasts" 
is  peculiar  to  him.  The  ministry  of  the  angels 
(ver.  is)  was  at  the  close  of  the  temptation.  (Matt. 
4 :  11.)    See  notes  on  Matthew. 

Ch.  1  :  14-20.  Beginning  of  Galilean 
ministry.  Between  the  baptism  and  the  com- 
mencement of  Christ's  public  ministry  in  Galilee 
occurred  the  events  narrated  in  John,  chaps.  2,  3 
and  4.  To  this  ministry  belongs  the  Sermon  and 
consequent  mob  in  Nazareth  (Luke  4: 16-31),  which 
preceded  the  call  of  the  four  disciples  here 
narrated.  For  notes  on  this  ministry,  see  Matt. 
4  :  13-25  ;  for  notes  on  the  call  of  the  four  Apos- 
tles, Luke  5  : 1-11. 

15.  And  believe  in  the  Gospel.  Peculiar 
to  Mark.  John  had  already  preached  faith  as  well 
as  repentance  (John  1 :  20, 36),  though  perhaps  only 
privately  to  his  own  disciples.     Christ  did  not  as 


340 


MARK. 


[Ch.  I. 


i8  And  straightway  they  forsook  their  nets,  and  fol- 
lowed him. 

19  And  when  he  had  gone  a  little  farther  thence,  he 
saw  James  the  son  of  Zebedee,  and  John  his  brotlier, 
who  also  were  in  the  ship  mending  their  nets. 

20  And  straightway  he  called  them :  and  they  left 
their  father  Zebedee  in  the  ship  with  the  hired  ser- 
vants, and  went  after  him. 

21  And  they  went  into  Capernaum  :  and  straightway 
on  the  sabbath  day  he  entered  into  the  synagogue, 
and  taught. 


22  And'  they  were  astonished  at  his  doctrine  :  for  he 
taught  them  as  one  that  had  authority,  and  not  as  the 
scribes. 

23  And  ■■  there  was  in  their  synagogue  a  man  with 
an  unclean  spirit ;  and  he  cried  out, 

24  Saying,  Let  us  alone  ;  what  have  we  to  do  with 
thee,  thou  Jesus  of  Nazareth?  art  thou  come  to  de- 


25  And  Jesus  rebuked  him,  saying.  Hold  thy  peace, 
nd  come  out  of  him. 


t  Matt.  7  :  28. . . 


Luke  4  :  33,  etc. 


yet  preach  faith  in  himself  as  the  Messiah,  but 
only  faith  in  the  glad  tidings  that  the  time  was 
fulfilled  and  the  kingdom  of  God  (Matt.  3 : 2,  note) 
was  at  hand. 

Ch.  1  !  21-38.  THE  MINISTRY  OP  A  DAT.-Christ  a 
Savioub:  He  delivers  the  mind;  he  heals  the 
BODY ;  he  saves  the  soul  ;  he  cabkies  the  gospel 

BOTH  TO  THE  awakened  AND  TO  THE  ENDLPPEBENT.— 

The  busiest  have  time  fob  prayer. 

Verses  21-38  give  the  record  of  a  single  day  in 
Christ's  life.  There  is  no  reason  to  suppose  it  an 
exceptional  day.  The  account  of  the  healing  of 
the  demoniac  (verses  21-28)  is  peculiar  to  Mark  and 
Luke  (chap.  4 :  31-3?).  FoF  a  discussion  of  the  phe- 
nomenon of  demoniac  possession,  see  Matt.  8  : 
88-34,  note,  p.  133.  The  harmonists  are  not  agreed 
as  to  the  time  and  occasion  of  this  and  the  other 
contemporaneous  incidents.  Alford  puts  them 
after  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  and  the  call  and 
ordination  of  the  twelve  Apostles.  Robinson, 
Ellicott,  Andrews,  and  Townsend,  with  much 
better  reason,  place  all  the  incidents  in  this  chap- 
ter at  the  commencement  of  Christ's  Galilean 
ministry,  and  prior  to  the  ordination  of  the  Twelve 
and  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  Christ  had  pre- 
viously preached  the  sermon  at  Nazareth,  which 
led  to  the  mob  there  and  his  final  departure  from 
that  city  to  take  up  his  home  in  Capernaum  (Luke 

4  :  16-31). 

31.  Into  Capernaum.  For  description  of 
Capernaum  see  Matt.  4  :  13,  note.  It  was  situ- 
ated upon  the  Sea  of  Galilee. — Straightivay. 
That  is,  probably,  on  the  sabbath  immediately  fol- 
lowing the  call  of  the  four  Apostles.  He  goes  to 
give  his  disciples  their  first  lessons  in  catching 
men  (verse  n),  and  to  inspire  them  with  faith  in 
him.  Obsers^e  the  rapidity  of  Christ's  movement. 
Apparently  on  his  first  sabbath  in  Capernaum  he 
preaches  the  Gospel.  Compare  the  example  of 
Paul,  who  preached  the  first  sabbath  after  his 
conversion  (Acts  9: 20).  Observe,  too,  that  Christ 
preaches  in  the  synagogues  until  he  is  driven  out 
of  them.  Corruption  in  the  church  is  not  a  suflQ- 
cient  reason  for  refusing  to  work  in  it. — The 
synagogue.  For  description  of  the  Jewish 
synagogue,  see  Matt.  4  :  23,  note. 

22.  Doctrine.  Rather  teaching  ;  not  so  much 
the  thing  taught  as  the  manner  and  spirit  of  the 


teachmg  astonished  the  people. — As  one  haA'- 
ing  authority.  Matt.  7  :  28,  29,  note. — As  the 
scribes.  For  description  of  Jewish  scribes,  see 
Matt.  5  :  20,  note. 

23.  A  man  in  an  unclean  spirit.  Luke's 
description  is  still  more  explicit:  "■Having  the 
spirit  of  an  unclean  devil,''^  rather  demon.  Ob- 
serve the  peculiar  phraseology  here ;  not  with 
but  in  an  unclean  spirit.  As  Christ  dwells  in  his 
children  and  they  in  him,  so  the  evil  spirit  dwells 
in  the  children  of  the  devil.  That  there  is  here 
described  not  a  case  of  physical  and  mental  dis- 
ease merely,  but  a  real  and  actual  possession  of 
the  soul  by  a  fallen  spirit,  I  think  clear,  both  from 
the  tenor  of  the  narrative  here,  and  from  other 
parallel  passages  in  the  N.  T.  How  could  a 
lunatic  know  Christ  to  be  the  Holy  One  of  God, 
when  as  yet  he  was  unknown  even  to  his  own 
disciples  ?  How  should  he  fear  that  Christ  would 
destroy  him,  who  came  to  heal  the  sufferer  but 
destroy  the  devil  ?  How  could  lunacy  be  said  to 
"come  out  of  him"  and  to  "cry  with  a  loud 
voice?"  See  the  whole  question  discussed  on 
p.  123,  Matt.  8  :  28-34,  note. 

24.  Let  alone.  Some  manuscripts  omit  this 
exclamation  here.  But  it  is  found  in  Luke,  where 
its  authenticity  is  unquestionable.  It  is  in  the 
original  an  exclamation  rather  than  a  request, 
and  answers  nearly  to  our  away. — What  have 
Ave  to  do  with  thee  ?  This  is  a  common  Jew- 
ish phrase,  signifying  a  wish  not  to  be  troubled 
by  the  importunity  or  interference  of  another 
(Matt.  8 :  29,  note).  The  customary  demand  of  the 
devil  is  to  be  "let  alone"  (1  Kings i8:n;  Actsieiso; 
17:6).— Jesus  the  Nazarene..  The  epithet 
Nazarene  can  hardly  be  regarded  here  as  other 

than     opprobrious      (Matt.  2  :  23 ;   John  1  :  46).  —  Art 

thou  come  to  destroy  us  ?  Observe,  (1)  an 
unconscious  and  significant  testimony  to  the  true 
mission  of  Christ,  which  is  to  destroy  the  devil 
and  his  works  (ijohn3:8;  Rev. 20:io).  Comp.  ex- 
pression of  the  devil  in  Matt.  8  :  29.  (2.)  That 
here  there  is  no  indication  that  Christ  literally 
destroyed  the  demon  ;  what  he  destroyed  was 
the  demon's  supremacy  over  the  soul.  (3.)  That 
Christ  had  not  directly  threatened  to  disturb  that 
supremacy  ;  but  his  mere  presence  is  always  a 
disturbance  and  a  destruction  of  the  devil.     (4.) 


Ch.  L] 


MAKE. 


341 


26  And  when  the  unclean  spirit  had  torn  him,  and 
cried  with  a  loud  voice,  he  came  out  of  him. 

27  And  they  were  all  amazed,  insomucii  that  they 
questioned  among  themselves,  saying.  What  thing  is 
this?  what  new  doctrine  is  this?  for  with  authority 
commandeth  he  even  the  unclean  spirits,  and  they  do 
obey  him. 

28  And  immediately  his  fame  spread  abroad  through- 
out all  the  region  round  about  Galilee. 

29  And^  forthwith,  when  they  were  come  out  of  the 
synagogue,  they  entered  into  the  house  of  Simon  and 
Andrew,  with  James  and  John. 

30  But  Simon's  wife's  mother  lay  sick  of  a  fever  ;  and 
anon  they  tell  him  of  her. 

31  And  he  came  and  took  her  by  the  hand,  and 
lifted  her  up ;  and  immediately  the  fever  left  her,  and 
she  ministered  unto  them. 

32  And  at  even,  when  the  sun  did  set,  they  brought 
unto  him  all  that  were  diseased,  and  them  that  were 
possessed  with  devils. 


33  And  all  the  city  was  gathered  together  at  the  door. 

34  And  he  healed  many  that  were  sick  of  divers  dis- 
eases, and  cast  out  many  devils ;  and  suffered  not  the 
devils  to  speak,  because  they  knew  him. 

35  And  in  the  morning,  rising  up  a  great  while  be- 
fore day,  he  went  out,  and  departed  into  a  solitary 
place,  and  there  prayed. 

36  And  Simon,  and  they  that  were  with  him,  fol- 
lowed after  him. 

37  And  when  they  had  found  him,  they  said  unto 
him.  All  men  seek  for  thee. 

38  And  he  said  unto  them,  Let  us  go  into  the  next 
towns  that  I  may  preach  there  also:  for  therefore" 
came  I  forth. 

39  And  he  preached  in  their  synagogues  throughout 
all  Galilee,  and  cast  out  devils. 

40  And  "  there  came  a  leper  to  him,  beseeching  him, 
and  kneeling  down  to  him,  and  saying  unto  him,  If 
thou  wilt,  thou  canst  make  me  clean. 


Matt.  8  :  14 ;  Luke  4  :  38 w  Isa.  61  :  1,  2  ;  John  17  : 


Matt.  8:2;  Luke  6  :  12. 


That  the  demon  speaks  in  the  plural.  Destroy 
us.  "The  demons  make  common  cause." — 
(Bengel.) — I  know  thee  who  thou  art,  the 
Holy  of  God.  This  demon  had  a  better  creed 
about  Christ  than  any  one  in  the  synagogue,  but 
no  faith  in  him  (james  2 :  19).  The  Holy,  not  a  holy. 
This  word  (<)  (iyi-o-c)  is  employed,  as  here,  as  a 
noun,  to  designate  the  Temple  (Heb.  9  :i,  etc).  In 
a  sense  every  Christian  is  a  temple  of  God ;  but 
Christ  was  the  temple  of  God,  in  whom  dwelt  the 
fullness  of  the  Godhead  bodily  (coi.  2I9).  It  was 
the  demon's  sense  of  the  God  in  Christ  that 
extorted  from  him  this  cry. 

35.  Hold  thy  peace.  Christ  seems  to  have 
habitually  forbidden  the  demons  to  testify  to  him 

(verse  34  ;  chap.  3:12;  Luke  4  :  41  ;   comp.  Acta  16  :  16-18).      Cal- 

vin  suggests  what  may  be  the  true  explanation  : 
"  The  devil  dexterously  acknowledges  that  Christ 
is  the  Holy  One  of  God,  in  order  to  insinuate  into 
the  minds  of  men  a  suspicion  that  there  was  some 
secret  understanding  between  him  and  Christ." 
And  such  appears  to  have  been  in  part  the  effect. 
Comp.  Mark  3  :  11  with  Mark  3  :  23.  "  The 
devil  and  the  world  never  praise  but  in  order  to 
seduce.  It  is  a  necessary  part  of  prudence  not 
to  lay  ourselves  open  to  their  commendations." 
— ( Quemel. ) 

26.  And  when  the  unclean  spirit  had 
torn  him.  Rather,  thrown  him  into  convulsions. 
Comp.  Mark  9  :  36.  The  man  was  not  hurt 
(Luke  4: 35).  The  final  outgoing  of  gatan  or  any 
of  his  emissaries  is  almost  always  accompanied 
with  violence,  which  is  the  sign  of  his  wrath 
(Rev.  12 :  12).  But  this  violeuce  can  do  no  perma- 
nent harm.— Cried  with  a  loud  voice.  This 
was  not  in  defiance  of  Christ's  command.  For 
that  forbade  speech,  and  this  was  an  inarticulate 
cry.— He  came  out  of  him.  The  whole  lan- 
guage of  this  verse  unmistakably  shows  that  the 
Evangelist  believed  in  a  real  possession  of  the 
soul  by  a  personal  evil  spirit. 

37.  They  were  all  amazed.     That  is,  all 


in  the  synagogue.  What  surprised  them  was, 
not  merely  the  cure  of  the  demoniac,  but  that 
the  demon  obeyed  the  simple  voice  of  Christ. 
For  the  Lord  used  no  charm,  or  exorcism. 

38.  A  fuller  description  of  this  widening  fame 
of  Christ  is  given  by  Matthew.  See  ch.  4  :  25, 
note. 

39-34.  The  Healing  of  Peter's  Mothek- 
IN-LAW.  See  Matt.  8  :  14,  15,  notes ;  Luke  4  : 
38-40.  The  only  differences  in  the  accounts  are 
verbal,  Mark  giving  some  graphic  touches  that  are 
not  found  in  the  other  Evangelists,  such  as  verse 
39,  "  with  James  and  John ;  "  verse  31,  he  "  lifted 
her  up;"  verse  33,  "all  the  city  was  gathered 
together  at  the  door."  The  knowledge  pos- 
sessed by  the  devils  (verse  34)  is  interpreted  by 
Luke,  "  They  knew  that  he  was  Christ  (Luke  4 :  4i), 
i.  e.,  the  Messiah.  The  time  for  the  full  disclo- 
sure of  that  fact  had  not  yet  come. 

35-39.  Christ's  First  Circott  in  Gali- 
lee.   Luke  4  :  42-44  ;  Matt.  4  :  23,  25. 

35.  Rising  a  great  Avhile  before  day. 
Matt.  8  :  17  intimates  a  reason  why  he  could 
not  sleep,  viz.,  the  burden  of  others'  sorrows 
which  he  took  upon  himself.  Observe,  (1)  the 
rest  for  the  restless  here  indicated — prayer ;  (2) 
the  correction  of  a  notion,  popularly  current  in 
these  days,  that  one  can  pray  equally  well  at  all 
times  and  in  all  places — Christ  was  accustomed 
to  seek  solitude  for  special  occasions  of  prayer 

(Mark6:46;  Luke  5  :  16;  6  :  12;  22  :  4l). 

36.  Simon.  More  generally  known  in  the 
N.  T.  as  Peter ;  here,  as  throughout  his  career, 
a  leader.  It  is  characteristic  of  him  that  he  has 
no  fear  of  obtruding  on  the  retirement  of  his 
Master.  On  his  character,  see  p.  147,  Note  on 
the  Twelve  Apostles. 

38.  Towns.  Literally,  village-cities,  i.  e.,  un- 
walled  towns.  Christ  had  no  ambition  to  be  a. 
metropolitan  preacher.  Having  awakened  spir- 
itual desires  in  the  people  of  Capernaum,  he 
went  elsewhere  that  he  might  awaken  them  in 


342 


MAEK. 


[Ch.  L 


41  And  Jesus,  moved  with  compassion,  put  forth  his 
haaid,  and  touched  him,  and  saith  unto  him,  I  will ;  be 
thou  clean. 

42  And  as  soon  as  he  had  spoken,  immediately  y  the 
leprosy  departed  from  him,  and  he  was  cleansed. 

43  And  he  straitly  charged  him,  and  forthwith  sent 
hmi  away  ; 

44  And  saith  unto  him,  See  thou  say  nothing  to  any 


man  :  but  go  thy  way,  shew  thyself  to  the  priest,  and 
otfer  for  thy  cleansing  those  tt.iiigs"  which  Moses  com- 
manded, fur  a  tescimuny  unto  tlieiii. 

45  But  he  went  out,  and  began  to  •'  publish  it  much, 
and  to  blaze  abroad  the  matter,  insomuch  that  Jesus 
could  no  more  openly  enter  into  the  city,  but  was 
without  in  desert  places  ;  and  '  they  came  to  him  from 
every  quarter. 


y  Ps.  33  :  9  ;  John  15:3 z  Lev.  14  :  2-32. 


Cor.  10  :  11 b  Ps.  77  :  11,  12  ;  Tit.  1  :  10 c  cb.  2  :  13. 


others  also.  His  example  does  not  require,  but  it 
certainly  justifies  an  itinerant  ministry. — That  I 
may  preach.  As  yet  the  Apostles  did  not 
preach.  Apparently  four  only  had  been  called 
—James,  John,  Andrew,  and  Simon.— I  came 
forth  for  this  purpose.  Not,  I  came  forth 
from  the  city — for  his  purpose  in  that  had  been 
retirement  and  prayer ;  but,  I  came  forth  from 
the  Father  (John  le :  ds).  His  mission  is  here  indi- 
cated, viz.,  to  herald  the  glad  tidings  of  divine 
love  to  all  the  world,  a  mission  which  he  leaves 
to  his  followers  to  complete  (John  17 :  is). 

30.  Throughout  all  Galilee.  This  de- 
scribes the  first  missionary  circuit  in  Galilee, 
the  same  described  in  Matt,  4  :  33-25  (see  notes 


there).  Galilee,  the  northernmost  provmce  of 
Judea,  was  the  scene  of  Christ's  most  abundant 
labors ;  all  the  Apostles  except  Judas  Iscariot 
were  Galileans ;  its  inhabitants  were  simple- 
minded,  and  comparatively  free  from  the  control 
of  the  priestly  class,  which  ruled  in  Judea,  and 
from  the  bigotry  and  intolerance  of  the  Judeans. 

(For    history,   see    Matt.    2    :   2-2,    note.)        The     immediate 

vicmity  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee  was  the  home  of  a 
crowded  and  busy  population.  This  sea,  or  lake, 
is  13  miles  long,  4  to  6  miles  wide,  16.5  feet  deep 
in  the  deepest  part,  and  lies  near  700  feet  below 
the  surface  of  the  Mediterranean.  Its  climate  is. 
and  its  productions  were,  those  of  an  almost 
tropical  nature.     Grapes  and  figs  ripened  on  its 


LAKE  OF   GENNESABET,    SHOWING  THE   MIRACLES  AND  JOUKNEYS   OF   OUR  LORD  IN  ITS 
NEIGHBORHOOD. 


1.  Peter's  draught  of  fishes.  Matt.  4  :  18-22 ;    Mark 
1 :  16-20  ;  Luke  5  :  1-11. 

2.  Stilling  the  waves.  Matt.  8  :  23-27 ;  Mark  4  :  35-41 ; 
Luke  8  :  22-25. 

3.  Miracles  with  the  Gergesenes,  Matt.  8  :  28-34; 
Mark  5  :  1-20  ;  Luke  8  :  2Q-39. 

4.  Return  to  Capernaum,  Matt.  9:1;  Mark  2  :  1. 

5.  Journey  to  the  Desert,  Matt.  14  :  13  ;  Mark  6  :  31 ; 
Luke  9  :  10. 

6.  Feeding  the  5,000,  Matt.  14  :  14-21 ;  Mark  C  :  32-41 ; 
Luke  9  :  11-17  ;  John  6  :  1-15. 

7.  Christ  walks  on  the  sea.  Matt.  14  :  22-34 ;   Mark 
6  :  45-56 ;  John  6  :  16-21. 

8.  Feeding  the  4,000,  Matt.  15  :  32-38  ;  Mark  8  :  1-9. 

9.  Return  to  the  parts  of  Dalmanutha,  Matt.  15  :  39 ; 
Mark  8  :  10. 

10.  Crosses  to  the  East  side.  Matt.  16  :  5 ;  Mark  8  :  13. 

11.  Reminds  of  the  miraculous  feeding.  Matt.  16 :  6-10 ; 
Mark  8 :  14-21 

12.  Heals  the  blind  near  Bethsaida,  Mark  8  :  22-26. 


shores  ten  months  in  the  year.  Its  waters 
abounded  with  fish,  which  supplied  the  country 
for  mUes  around.  On  the  south-western  shore 
some  warm  mineral  springs  constituted  a  favorite 
resort  of  wealthy  Romans ;  on  the  north  and 
north-western  shore  five  cities  of  considerable 
Bize  were  crowded  along  thirteen  miles  of  coast- 


line,— Tiberias,  Magdala  or  Dalmanutha  (see  Mark 
8 :  10,  note),  Cliorazin,  Capernaum,  and  Bethsaida. 
It  was  on  the  direct  route  between  Damascus 
and  the  Mediterranean,  and  so  was  commer- 
cially important.  It  was  thus  an  appropriate 
centre  for  Christ's  Galilean  ministry.  It  is  now 
utterly  desolate  ;  there  is  only  one  boat  on  the 


Ch.  IL] 


MAEK. 


343 


CHAPTER    II. 


AND  again  he  entered  into  Capernaum  after  some 
(Jays  ;  and  it  was  noised  that  he  was  in  the  house. 
2  And  straightway  many  were  gathered  together, 


insomuch  that  there  was  no  room  to  receive  them,  no, 
not  so  much  as  about  the  door :  and  he  preached  "i  the 
word  unto  them. 

And  0  they  come  unto  him,  bringing  one  sick  of  the 


3  Ana  =  iney  come  unto  mm,  d 
palsy,  which  was  borne  of  four. 


Ps.  40  :  9 e  Matt.  9:1,  etc. ;  Luke  5  :  18,  etc. 


lake;  and  of  the  populous  cities  only  the  town  of 
Tiberias  and  the  little  village  of  Migdel  (Mag- 
dala)  are  left.  The  accompanying  map  and  table 
indicate  the  most  important  miracles  and  jour- 
neys of  our  Lord  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
this  lake  itself,  the  heart  and  centre  of  the  prov- 
ince. The  greater  part  of  Mark's  Gospel  is 
devoted  to  an  account  of  this  Galilean  ministry, 
and  to  a  graphic  picture  of  the  works  rather 
than  a  systematic  account  of  the  teachings  of 
our  Lord. 
40-45.  Healing  or  the  Lepee.    Matt    8  : 


2-4;  Luke  5  :  12-15.  See  notes  on  Matthew. 
The  Leper's  disobedience  of  Christ's  command 
(verse  45)  is  uot  Stated  by  Matthew. 


Ch.  2  :  1-12.    THE  HEALIJSG  OF  THE  PARALYTIC- 
A  PARABLE  OF  redemptiok:  the  helplessness  akd 

THE  HOPE  OP  THE  SINNER.— ThE  NATURE  AND  THE 
EFFICACY  OP  FAITH.— The  POWER  AND  THE  OFFICE  OP 

Christ  :  the  remission  of  sins. — The  test  of  all 
priestly  claims  to  like  office  and  authority: 
are  the  priesthood  able  to  remit  the  physical 
penalty  of  transgression? 


---     t^ 


CHRIST   HEALING   THE   PARALYTIC 


This  account  is  also  given  in  Matthew  9  :  2-8, 
where  nothing  is  said  of  letting  the  paralytic 
through  the  roof,  and  in  Luke  5  :  17-36,  where 
is  one  important  addition  (ver.  n).  The  healing 
probably  took  place  at  or  about  the  time  indi- 
cated here  and  in  Luke,  that  is,  in  the  early  part 


of  Christ's  Galilean  ministry,  before  the  Sermon 
on  the  Mount,  and  before  the  call  of  Matthew, 
who  was  not,  therefore,  an  eye-witness.  The 
evidence  of  this  is  the  order  indicated  in  Mark 
and  Luke. 
1.  Capernaum.     For  description  see  Mat- 


344 


MARK. 


4  And  when  they  could  not  come  nigh  unto  him  for 
the  press,  tliey  uncovered  the  roof  where  he  was :  and 
when  they  had  broken  it  up,  they  let  down  the  bed 
wherein  tiie  sick  of  tlie  palsy  lay. 


[Ch.  II. 


5  When  Jesus  saw  their  faith/  he  said  unto  the  sick 
of  the  palsy,  Son,  thy  sins  be  forgiven  thee. 

6  But  there  were  certain  of  the  scribes  sitting  there, 
and  reasoning  in  their  hearts, 


f  AcU  14  :  9 ;  Ephes.  2  :  i 


thew  4  :  13,  note.— It  was  noised  that  he 
was  in  a  house.  Not  necessarily  his  own 
house,  though  this  may  have  been  the  ease. 
His  house,  so  far  as  he  had  one,  was  at  Caper- 
naum (Matt.  4  :  13). 

2.  Many  were  gathered  together.    Luke 

(5 :  17)  says  that  amoug  them  were  Pharisees  and 
doctors  of  the  law  from  Galilee,  Judea,  and  Je- 
rusalem. He  also  intimates  that  other  cures  were 
performed  at  this  time.  See  note  there.  —  No 
room  to  receive  them.  One  of  the  incidental 
evidences  of  Christ's  popularity  as  a  preacher 
at  this  stage  of  his  work  and  in  Galilee ;  it 
was  doubtless  increased  by  curiosity  to  witness 
his  miracles. — And  he  preached  the  word 
unto  them.  That  is,  the  word  of  the  Kingdom 
of  God,  that  it  was  at  hand,  and  that  repentance 
and  faith  were  the  necessary  preparations  for  it 
(Matt.  4 :  n ;  13 :  19, 2o).  Observc  how  Simple  must 
have  been  the  preaching  of  Christ,  a  house-to- 
house  preaching  ;  and  that  there  is  no  evidence 
that  it  was  accompanied  with  any  formal  order 
of  service  or  worship.  But  for  public  worship 
other  and  abundant  provision  was  made  by  the 
Temple  and  the  synagogues. 

3.  One  palsied.  The  original  Greek  word 
rendered  here  palsied  signifies  literally  a  loosen- 
ing or  relaxing.  It  is  defined  by  Celsus,  a  writer 
on  medicine  of  about  the  time  of  Christ,  as  "a 
weakness  of  the  nerves,  either  throughout  the 
whole  body  or  throughout  the  part  diseased." — 
{Hob.  Lex.,  art.  naQuXt-Tixiic.)  Mr.  Barnes  (note  on 
Matt.  4 :  24)  classifics  the  infirmities  included  under 
the  general  name  of  palsy  in  the  N.  T.  as  fol- 
lows :  1st.  The  paralytic  shock,  affecting  ^he 
whole  body.  2d.  The  hemiplegy,  affecting  only 
one  side  of  the  body— the  most  frequent  form  of 
the  disease.  3d.  The  paraplegy,  affecting  all 
the  system  below  the  neck.  4th.  The  catalepsy, 
caused  by  a  contraction  of  the  muscles  in  the 
whole  or  a  part  of  the  body,  and  very  dangerous 
(Matt.  12:10-13).  5th.  The  cramp,  in  castcm  coun- 
tries  a  fearful  malady,  and  by  no  means  infre- 
quent. It  originates  from  chills  in  the  night. 
The  limbs,  when  seized  by  it,  remain  immovable, 
and  the  person  afflicted  with  it  resembles  one  un- 
dergoing a  torture  (Matt.  8:6;  Luke  7 : 2).  Death  fol- 
lows from  this  disease  in  a  few  days.  It  is  evident 
from  the  narrative  that  the  patient  in  this  case 
was  rendered  utterly  helpless  by  his  palsy.  The 
disease  in  its  worst  forms  is  generally  incurable. 

4.  And  not  being  able  to  come  nigh 
unto  him  for  the  throng,  they  unroofed 


the  roof  where  he  was.  To  do  this  they 
went  up  on  the  roof  (Luke  s :  19),  possibly  by  out- 
side stairs,  which  sometimes  led  up  from  the 
street  to  the  house-top,  perhaps  by  a  ladder 
brought  for  that  purpose,  or  perhaps  by  the 
stairs  in  a  neighboring  house.  As  they  were  in 
a  city,  the  houses  would  adjoin,  and  it  would  be 
easy  to  pass  from  one  roof  to  another.  What  is 
meant  by  uncovering  the  roof  is  not  clear.  Luke 
says  they  "let  him  down  through  the  tiling." 
The  roofs  of  Jewish  houses  were  often  made  of 
tile,  i.  e.,  burnt  clay.  The  larger  Jewish  houses 
were  built  around  an  open  square.  See  picture 
in  note  on  Matt.  26  :  69,  etc.  This  was  some- 
times protected  from  the  rain  and  sun  by  an 
awning  or  broad  roofing,  sometimes  by  a  more 
permanent  roof  supported  on  columns,  with  an 
aperture  in  the  centre,  and  a  corresponding 
basin  below  to  receive  the  rain-water  which 
flowed  through  the  opening.  Into  this  court, 
opened  the  rooms  of  the  house.  It  may  be  that 
Christ  stood  in  one  of  these  rooms,  and  the 
crowd  in  the  court,  and  that  the  bearers  of  the 
palsied  man  removed  enough  of  the  tiling,  either 
of  the  parapet  of  the  roof  proper,  or  of  the  roof 
over  the  court,  possibly  by  widening  the  aper- 
ture in  it,  to  let  the  sick  man  down ;  or  it  may 
be  that  Christ  was  standing  in  the  room  within, 
and  that  the  roof  proper  was  broken  up  for  the  pur- 
pose of  reaching  him.  See  in  Dr.  Thomson's  La7id 
and  Book,  H  :  7,  a  description  of  the  modern  roof 
in  Palestine,  and  of  the  method  of  uncovering  it, 
which  he  says  he  has  often  seen  done.  On  either 
hypothesis,  the  significance  of  the  fact  remains, 
viz.,  that  the  sick  man  and  his  friends  showed 
their  faith  by  overcoming  great  obstacles  in 
order  to  come  to  Christ  for  help.  And  this 
showed  their  confidence  both  in  his  willingness 
and  his  ability  to  help.— They  let  down  the 
bed.     Mark  specifies  the  kind  of  bed  by  the 


THE  GBABATUS. 

word  he  uses  (xodii^arog),  grabatus.  This  was  a 
small,  low  couch  or  bed  of  the  commonest  de- 
scription, such  as  was  used  by  poor  people,  hav- 
ing a  mere  network  of  cords  stretched  over  the 
frame  to  support  the  mattress.     The  annexed 


Ch.  II.] 


MARK. 


345 


7  Why  doth  this  man  thus  speak  blasphemies?  Who 
can  forgive  sins  e  but  God  only  ? 

8  And  immediately,  when  Jesus  perceived  in  his 
spirit  that  they  so  reasoned  within  themselves,  he  said 
unto  them,  Why  reason  ye  these  things  in  your  hearts  ? 


o  Whether  is  it  easier  to  say  to  the  sick  of  the  palsy, 
Thy  sins  be  forgiven  thee  ;  or  to  say,  Arise,  anci  take 
up  thy  bed,  and  walk  ? 

lo  But  that  ye  may  know  that  the  Son  of  man  hath 


g  Iss.  43  :  35 ;  Dan.  9  :  .9 


engraving  is  from  Rich's  Dictionary.  The  grata- 
tus  could  easily  be  carried  about. 

5.  And    when    Jesus    saw    their   faith. 

As  exemplified  by  their  actions.  And  observe 
the  illustration  of  true  faith,  not  a  strong  con- 
viction of  any  doctrine  about  Christ,  but  a  strong 
trust  and  confidence  in  Christ.  The  term  "  their 
faith  "  includes  that  of  the  sick  man,  for  they 
would  scarcely  have  carried  him  to  Christ  against 
his  will.  The  conclusion  of  Quesnel,  therefore, 
though  just,  is  hardly  justified  by  this  incident : 
"God  willingly  accepts  the  desires,  prayers,  and 
good  works  which  are  ofEered  for  the  conversion 
of  sinners,  who  are  not  themselves  sensible  of 
their  misery."  Observe,  too,  that,  apparently, 
Christ  answers  the  prayer  before  it  is  presented. 
They  say  nothing  ;  he  speaks  to  the  silent  prayer 
of  their  actions.  Indeed,  the  four  were  proba- 
bly still  on  the  roof,  and  could  not,  if  they 
would,  well  present  a  petition.  The  man's  help- 
lessness is  his  prayer. — He  said  unto  the  sick 
of  the  palsy.  To  Mark's  report  Matthew  adds 
the  words  Be  of  good  cheer ;  the  word  here  and 
there  rendered  Son  (tky.vov)  is  a  term  of  endear- 
ing address  nearly  equivalent  to  "my  child;" 
and  the  verb,  rendered  in  the  English  in  the  im- 
perative, Thy  sitis  he  forgiven  thee,  is  in  the  per- 
fect tense,  and  signifies  a  forgiveness  already 
perfected.  The  spirit  of  Christ's  address  may, 
therefore,  be  thus  rendered  :  Be  of  good  cheer,  my 
child,  thy  sins  have  been  forgiven  thee.  There  was, 
on  the  part  of  the  sick  man,  no  request  for  for- 
giveness, but  the  Jews  regarded  disease  as  a 
punishment  for  sin  (john  9 : 2),  and  while  specific 
disease  is  not  always  a  punishment  for  specific 
transgression,  "yet  there  is  a  deeper  sense  in 
which  all  sickness  and  death  is  the  fruit  of  sin,  a 
fact  which  Christ  here  and  elsewhere  recognizes 
(John  5 :  14).  Calvin's  comment,  therefore,  is  legiti- 
mate :  "The  only  way  of  obtaining  deliverance 
from  all  evil  is  to  have  God  reconciled  to  us." 

6,  7.  Certain  of  the  scribes.  Among 
them  were  those  who  had  come  up  from  Judea 
and  Jerusalem  (LnVe  5 :  n),  where  Christ  never  had 
the  popularity  he  possessed  in  Galilee. — Rea- 
soning: in  their  hearts.  Matthew  says  inthirt, 
themselves. — Why  doth  this  man  thus  speak  ? 
He  blasphemes.  This  is  the  better  reading ; 
it  is  adopted  by  both  Alford  and  Tischendorf. 
By  blaspheme  the  scribes  do  not  mean,  speaks 
evil  of  God,  nor,  takes  God's  name  in  vain,  but, 
arrogates  to  himself  the  function  and  office  of 


God.  On  the  nature  of  blasphemy  under  the 
Jewish  law  see  Note  on  Blasphemy  against  the 
Holy  Ghost,  p.  168  (/),  and  Matt.  26  :  57-68,  Prel. 
Note. — Who  can  forgive  sins  except  one- 
God  ?  Christ  had  not  as  yet  assumed  to  forgive 
sins  ;  he  had  simply  declared  that  the  man's  sins 
were  forgiven.  "  Christ  says  nothing  more  than 
the  prophets  frequently  say  when  they  announce 
the  grace  of  God." — {Calvin.)  But  he  does  now 
assume  the  power  which  they  have  denied  him, 
and  this  without  calling  in  question  their  princi- 
ple, that  only  God  can  forgive  sins. 

8.  And  Jesus,  immediately  perceiving 
in  his  spirit  that  they  so  reasoned  within 
themselves.  Not,  as  in  our  English  version, 
when  he  perceived,  but  instantly  perceiving.  The 
knowledge  was  supernatural,  and  was  itself  as 
great  a  testimony  of  his  divine  power  as  was  the 

healing  which  followed  (Luke  7  :  39,  40 ;  John  2  :  24,  25). — 

Why  reason  ye  these  things  in  your  hearts  ? 

Matthew's  report  is.  Wherefore  think  ye  evil  in 
your  hearts?  Their  reasonings  therefore,  it  is  evi- 
dent, did  not  spring  from  a  sincere  reverence  for 
God,  nor  from  an  honest  mental  perplexity,  but 
from  jealousy  and  ill-will.  It  was  the  beginning 
of  their  opposition  to  Jesus  as  the  Messiah,  and 
it  aflords  an  illustration  of  the  spirit  of  theologi- 
cal cavU  in  all  ages.  Chrysostom  notes  the  gen- 
tleness of  Christ's  rebuke  :  "He  said  not,  O  ac- 
cursed and  sorcerers,  as  ye  are  ;  O  ye  envious 
and  enemies  of  men's  salvation,  but.  Wherefore 
think  ye  evil  in  your  hearts  ?  "  And  he  applies 
Christ's  example  to  the  modern  teacher :  "  We 
must,  you  see,  use  gentleness  to  eradicate  the 
disease  ;  since  he  who  has  become  better  through 
the  fear  of  man,  will  quickly  return  to  wicked- 
ness again." 

9.  Whether  is  it  easier  to  say,  etc. 
"In  our  Lord's  argument  it  must  be  carefully 
noted  that  he  does  not  ask  which  is  easiest,  to 
forgive  sins  or  to  raise  a  sick  man — for  it  could 
not  be  affirmed  that  that  of  forgiveness  was 
easier  than  this  of  healing — but,  which  is  easiest, 
to  claim,  this  power  or  that,  to  say.  Thy  sins  be 
forgiven  thee,  or,  Arise  and  walk.  The  former 
is  easiest ;  and  I  will  prove  my  right  to  say  it  by 
saying  with  effect,  and  with  an  outward  conse- 
quent setting  the  seal  to  my  truth,  the  harder 
word.  Arise  and  walk.  By  saying  that  which  is 
capable  of  being  put  to  the  proof  I  wUl  indicate 
my  right  and  power  to  do  that  which  in  its  very 
nature  is  incapable  of  being  proved." — {Trench.) 


346 


MARK. 


power"  on  earth  to  forgive  sins,  (he  saith  to  the  sick 
of  the  palsy,) 

II  I  say  unto  thee,  Arise,  and  take  up  thy  bed,  and 
go  thy  way  into  thine  house. 


[Ch.  II. 


12  And  immediately  he  arose,  took  up  the  bed,  and 
went  forth  before  them  all ;  insomuch  that  they  were 
all  amazed,  and  glorified  God,  saying.  We'  never  saw 
it  on  this  fashion. 


.  1  John  7  :  31  ;  9  : 


Christ's  argument  here  affords  a  fair  test  of  all 
priestly  claims  to  absolve  from  sin.  If  the  priest 
has  power  to  remit  the  eternal  punishment  of  sin, 
he  should  be  able  certainly  to  remit  tlie  physical  and 
temporal  punishment  of  sin.  This  Christ  did; 
this  the  priest  does  not  and  cannot  do. 

10.  But  that  ye  may  knoAV  that  the  son 
of  man,  i  e.,  the  Messiah.  The  term  Son  of 
man,  when  used  in  the  Gospels,  always  refers  to 
Christ,  and  generally,  if  not  always,  to  him  as 
the  Messiah.  It  is  his  customary  designation  of 
himself.  It  is  borrowed  from  Daniel  (Dan.  i  -.  is), 
where  it  is  applied  prophetically  to  the  Messiah 
{see  Matt.  10 :  23,  note).  Here,  therefore,  the  claim  is 
a  purely  personal  one ;  it  does  not  indicate  a 
power  vested  in  man,  or  in  the  Apostles,  or  in  a 
hierarchy.  Yet  there  is  a  significance  in  the  fact 
that  both  judgment  (John  5 :  27)  and  forgiveness, 
that  is,  all  dealing  with  sin,  is  attributed  to  him 
who,  as  the  son  of  man,  had  full  experience  of 
temptation (Hei).  2 :  is;  4 :  15,  16).— Hath  authority 
on  earth  to  forgive  sins.  Not  merely,  author- 
ity while  on  the  earth  to  forgive  sins,  nor,  au- 
thority to  forgive  sins  committed  on  the  earth, 
but,  authority  to  exercise  the  function  of  for- 
giveness of  sins  upon  the  earth,  i.  e. ,  that  ye  may 
know  that  this  is  the  Messiah's  earthly  mission. 
"  Christ's  meaning  was,  that  forgiveness  of  sins 
ought  not  to  be  sought  at  a  distance  ;  for  he  ex- 
hibits it  to  men  in  his  own  person,  and  as  it  were 
in  his  hands." — {Calvin.)  And  here,  as  every- 
where in  the  N.  T.,  forgiveness  of  sins  is  really 
the  remission  or  putting  away  of  sin  as  well  as 
its  punishment.  Only  he  who  has  power  to  do 
the  one  has  authority  to  do  the  other. 

11.  Arise,  take  up  thy  bed.  This  he 
could  easily  do,  the  grabatus  being  light  and 
easily  carried.  Observe,  (1)  that  the  evidence  of 
the  man's  forgiveness  did  not  follow  immediately 
after  the  forgiveness  was  declared,  nor  the  dec- 
laration of  pardon  immediately  after  forgiveness 
was  secured.  He  was  forgiven  the  moment  that, 
with  unfeigned  penitence  for  his  sins,  he  began 
to  seek  the  Lord  (isaiah  ss :  7) ;  forgiveness  was  de- 
clared by  Christ  to  be  already  perfected  when  he 
came  into  Christ's  presence  (ver.  5,  note) ;  but  the 
evidence  of  the  forgiveness,  in  the  healing,  was  not 
given  until  after  the  conflict  with  the  Scribes, 
Pardon  and  the  personal  assurance  of  pardon  are 
not  always  contemporaneous;  (2)  there  was  no 
natural  ability  in  the  paralytic  to  obey  the  divine 
command  ;  his  attempt  to  obey  was  an  act  of 
faith,  and  with  the  faith  that  attempted  obedi- 


ence came  the  power  to  obey.  The  cure  illus- 
trates the  principle  of  divine  grace,  as  set  forth 
in  Phil.  2  :  12.  "Let  us  bring  what  is  ouis ;  God 
will  supply  the  rest." — (Chrysostom.)  It  is  not 
faith  to  do  nothing  and  leave  all  to  God ;  it  is 
faith  to  do  what  we  can  4nd  leave  all  to  God. 

12.  They  were  all  amazed.  Luke  says, 
Filled  tvitJbfcar  ;  Matthew,  according  to  the  best 
readings,  Were  afraid.  The  immediate  disclo- 
sure of  God  at  first  awakens  in  the  soul  the  feel- 
ing of  fear  (Matt.  17 : 7,  note ;  Luke  5 :  s). — And  glori- 
fied God.  The  Scribes  charged  Christ  with 
blasphemy,  i.  e.,  derogating  from  the  divine  dig- 
nity by  claiming  a  divine  function.  In  fact,  his 
act  led  the  people  to  gloHfy  God.  And  so, 
whenever  Christ  has  been  accepted  as  God  man- 
ifest in  the  flesh,  and  as  the  One  who  forgives 
sins  on  earth,  the  worship  and  glory  of  God,  the 
Father,  has  been  increased,  not  lessened.- - 
Saying,  We  never  saw  it  thus.  Luke  says, 
We  have  seen  strange  things  to-day  ;  Matthew  con- 
tains an  important  addition,  "The  multitude 
glorified  God,  which  had  given  such  power  unto 
nten."  To  them  Jesus  was  simply  a  man,  a 
rabbi,  perhaps  an  inspired  prophet ;  and  his 
miraculous  powers,  like  those  possessed  by  cer- 
tain of  the  O.  T.  prophets,  were  accounted 
among  God's  gifts  to  the  human  race. 

Of  this  whole  incident  it  may  be  remarked,  (1) 
that  it  strikingly  illustrates  the  difference  in 
spiritual  authority  between  Christ  and  his  Apos- 
tles, none  of  whom  assumed  to  forgive  sins. 
Compare  Acts  8  :  22-24,  where  Peter  refers  Simon 
to  God  for  forgiveness  ;  (2)  that  it  affords  a  test 
for  all  claims  by  a  hierarchy  to  pardon  sin,  or 
even  officially  and  authoritatively  to  promise 
absolution  of  sin  ;  if  they  possessed  power  to  ab- 
solve from  sin  they  should  be  able,  as  Christ,  to 
relieve  from  the  temporal  consequences  of  sin ; 
(3)  that  it  illustrates  the  gentleness  of  Christ  in 
his  language  of  reassurance  to  the  sick,  Be  oj 
good  cheer  my  child,  and  in  his  language  of  rebuke 
to  the  Scribes,  Why  ( o  ye  think  evil?  (4)  that  it 
may  he  regarded  as  a'l  enacted  parable  of  sin  and 
redemption.     The  paralytic  typifies  the  sinner, 

by   his   original   helplessness    (isaiah  40  :  so ;  John  6:  44; 

15 : 6) ;  faith,  by  his  earnestness  to  come  to  Christ 
in  spite  of  obstacle  (Psaima  25 :  is ;  86 . 2, 7) ;  a  common 
Christian  experience,  by  the  delay  he  suffers 
between  his  rerjentance  and  faith,  and  his  cure 
(James  5 : 7, 8) ;  and  the  power  of  divine  grace,  in 
the  abihty  to  obey  Christ's  command,  received 
in  the  very  attempt  to  comply  with  it  (phu.  4 :  13). 


Oh.  Ill] 


MARK. 


347 


13  And  he  went  forth  again  by  the  sea  side  ;  and  all 
the  multitude  resorted  unto  him,  and  he  taught  them. 

14  And  >  as  he  passed  bv,  he  saw  Levi  the  son  of  Al- 

Ehaeus  sitting  at  the  receipt  of  custom,  and  said  unto 
im,  Follow  me.     And  he  arose  and  followed  him. 

15  And  "  it  came  to  pass,  that,  as  Jesus  sat  at  meat  in 
his  house,  many  publicans '  and  sinners  sat  also  to- 
gether with  Jesus  and  his  disciples:  f^r  there  were 
many,  and  they  followed  him. 

i6  And  when  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  saw  him  eat 
with  publicans  and  sinners,  they  said  unto  his  disci- 
ples. How  is  it  that  he  eateth  and  drmketh  with  publi- 
cans and  .sinners  ? 

17  When  Jesus  heard  zV,  he  saith  unto  them.  They"" 
tliat  are  whole  have  no  need  of  the  physician,  but  they 
that  are  sick :  I  came  not  to  call  the  righteous,  but 
sinners  »  to  repentance. 

18  And  the  disciples  of  John  and  of  the  Pharisees 
used  to  fast :  and  they  come  and  say  unto  him,  Why 
do  ths  disciples  of  John  aud  of  the  Pharisees  fast,  but 
thy  disciples  fast  not  ? 

19  And  Jesus  said  unto  them.  Can  the  children  of 
the  bridechamber  fas',  while  the  bridegroom"  is  with 
them  ?  As  long  as  they  have  the  bridegroom  with 
them,  they  cannot  fast. 

20  But  the  days  will  come  when  the  bridegroom 
shall  be  taken  away  from  them,  and  then  p  shall  they 
fast  in  those  days. 

21  No  man  also  sevireth  a  piece  of  new  cloth  on  an 
old  garment :  else  the  new  piece  that  hlled  it  up  taketh 
away  from  the  old,  and  the  rent  is  made  worse. 

22  And  no  man  putteth  new  wine  into  old  bottles ; 
els2  the  new  wine  doth  burst  the  bottles,  and  the  wine 
is  spilled,  and  the  bottles  will  be  marred:''  but  new 
wine  must  be  put  into  new  bottles. 


23  And '  it  came  to  pass,  that  he  went  through  the 
corn  fields  on  the  sabbath  day  ;  and  his  disciples  be- 
gan, as  they  went,  to  pluck"  the  ears  of  corn. 

24  And  the  Pharisees  said  unto  him,  Behold,  why  do 
they  on  the  sabbath  oay  that  which  is  not  lawful  ? 

25  And  he  said  unto  them,  Have  ye  never  read  what 
David  did,'  when  he  had  need,  and  was  an  hungred, 
he,  and  they  that  were  with  him  ? 

26  How  he  went  into  the  house  of  God  in  the  days 
of  Abiathar  the  high  priest,  and  did  eat  the  show- 
bread,"  which  is  not  lawful  to  eat  but  for  the  priests, 
and  gave  also  to  them  which  were  with  him  ? 

27  And  he  said  unto  them,  The  sabbath  was  made 
for  man,"  and  not "  man  for  the  sabbatli : 

28  Therefore  »  the  Son  of  man  is  Lord  also  of  the 
sabbath. 

CHAPTER    III. 

NDy  he  entered  again  into  the  synagogue;  and 
there  was  a  man  there  which  had  a  withered  hand. 

2  And  they  watched^  him,  whether  he  would  heal 
him  on  the  sabbath  day  ;  that  they  migiit  accuse  him. 

3  And  he  saith  unto  the  man  which  had  the  withered 
hand.  Stand  forth. 

4  And  he  saith  unto  them,  Is  it  lawful  to  do  good  on 
the  sabbath  days,  or  to  do  evil  ?  to  save  life,''  or  to 
kill  ?     But  they  held  their  peace. 

5  And  when  he  had  looked  round  about  on  them 
with  anger,  being  grieved  for  the  hardness  of  their 
hearts,  he  saith  unto  the  man.  Stretch  forth  thine  hand. 
And  he  stretched  zV  out :  and  his  hand  was  restored 
whole  as  the  other. 

6  And  the  Pharisees  went  forth,  and  straightway 
took  counsel  with  the "  Herodians  against  him,  how 
they  might  destroy  him. 


A 


i  .\I:itt.  9:  9;  Luke  5  :  27.... k 
Luke  19  :  10;  1  Cor.  6:9-11 
6:  l,etc....3Deiit.  23:  S5.  . 
18.... X  Johu9;  14;  Ephes.  1 


itc 1  Luke  16  :  1-5... 

.....o  Mull.  25  :  1....P 
fi....u  Exod.  29  :  32,33 
;  10 y  Matt.  12  :  9.  el 


m  Matt.  9  :  12,  13 ;  Luke  5  :  31,  32. . .  .1 
Acts  13  :  2. . .  q  Job  32  :  19  ;  Ps.  119  : 
;  Lev.  24  :  9. . .  .V  Neli.  9:14;    Isa.  58 


Isa.  1  :  18;   66  :  7  ;    Matt.  18:  11 
80,  83. . .  .r  Mint.  12:1,  etc.  ;  Luke 

13  ;  Ezek.  20  :  12,  20 w  Col.  2  : 

Hosea  6:6 b  Matt.  22  :  16. 


The  student  will  observe  that  there  is  no  verbal 
expression  of  either  penitence  or  faith  on  the 
man's  part,  and  no  demand  by  Christ  for  such 
expression.  However  this  may  accord  with  our 
method  of  dealing  with  sinful  and  suffering  souls, 
it  accords  with  Christ's  method,  who  customarily 
by  his  insight  perceived  and  by  his  gracious  help- 
fulness developed  the  first  germs  of  repentance 
and  faith,  not  always  waiting  till  they  had  wak- 
ened even  into  consciousness  (Luke?  :  47-60;  23:42, 
43;    John  5  :  8,  9,  14 ;    8  :  ll).        It    is    the    disclOSUre    Of 

divine  forgiveness  that  leads  to  repentance  (Rom. 

2:4). 

13-22.  The  call  of  Levi  (Matthew)  and 
Christ's  consequent  teaching.  Matt.  9  : 9-17 ; 
Luke  5  :  37-39.  See  Notes  on  Matthew.  The 
phrase  here.  In  his  house  (rerse  15)  means  the  house 
of  Levi  or  Matthew  (Luke  6 :  29),  not  the  house  of 
Jesus,  who  had  none  (Matt,  s :  20). 

23-28.  Ch.  3  :  1-6.  The  Law  of  the 
Christian  Sabbath  Illustrated.  Matt.  13  : 
1-8;  Luke  6  :  1-11.  See  Notes  on  Matthew. 
I  treat  here  only  one  or  two  points,  peculiar  to 
Mark. 

20.  In  the  days  of  Abiathar  the  hish- 
priest.  The  reference  is  to  1  Sam.  21  :  1-9. 
There,  however,  Ahimelech  is  represented  as  the 
high-priest,  and  elsewhere  Abiathar  is  repre- 
sented as  his  son.  The  most  probable  explana- 
tion is  that  Abiathar  was  the  son  of  Ahimelech 
and  ministered  with  his  father,  and  perhaps  per- 


sonally gave  the  shew-bread  to  David,  and  being 
subsequently  high-priest  is  here  given  his  title, 
a  title  which  did  not,  however,  properly  become 
his  until  a  later  period. 

27.  Peculiar  to  Mark.  It  implies  (1)  the  per- 
petuity of  a  sabbath  rest ;  it  was  made  for  man, 
not  merely  for  the  Jews,  and  the  law  requiring  it 
is  written  in  man's  physical  and  spiritual  nature; 
(2)  its  universality  ;  it  was  made  for  man,  not  for 
any  single  class,  for  man-servant  and  maid-ser- 
vant, and  the  stranger  within  the  gates  (Exod. 
20 :  10) ;  (3)  its  object,  for  man — man^s  day,  there- 
fore, as  truly  as  the  Lord's  day ;  hence,  what- 
ever is  for  man's  highest  and  truest  welfare, 
whatever  generally  adopted,  will  tend  to  the  phys- 
ical, intellectual  and  spiritual  development  of 
man,  not  of  exceptional  indimduals,  but  of  the  com- 
munity or  the  race,  is  appropriate  for  the  day 
which  was  made /or  man,  and  whose  observance 
is  tested  by  its  usefulness  to  man. 

Ch.  3  :  3.  Stand  forth.  His  object  ap- 
parently, was  to  call  attention  to  the  cure  and 
make  it  prominent  in  order  to  emphasize  his 
teaching. 

4.  Is  it  laAvfuI  *  *  *  to  save  life  or  to 
kill?  "A  terrible  home-thrust.  He  was  in- 
tending to  do  good,  to  relieve  a  disabled  fellow- 
man — they  were  harboring  murderous  thoughts. 
They  would  fain  destroy  Jesus.  '  Which  of  us,' 
he  virtually  asks,  'is  breaking  the  sabbath,  you 
or  I?'  " — {Furness.) 


348 


MAEK. 


[Ch.  III. 


7  But  Jesus  withdrew  himself  with  his  disciples  to 
the  sea  :  and  a  great "  multitude  from  Galilee  followed 
him,  and  from  Judaea, 

8  And  Irom  Jerusalem,  and  from  Idumsea,  and/rotn 
beyond  Jordan  ;  and  they  about  Tyre  and  Sidon,  a 
great  multitude,  when  they  had  heard  what  great 
things  he  did,  came  unto  him. 

g  And  he  spake  to  his  disciples,  that  a  small  ship 
should  wait  on  him  because  of  the  multitude,  lest  they 
should  throng  him. 

lo  For  he  had  healed  many  ;  '^  insomuch  that  they 
pressed  upon  him  for  to  touch  him,  as  many  as  had 
plagues. 


11  And«  unclean  spirits,  when  they  saw  him,  fell 
down  before  him,  and  cried,  saying.  Thou  art  the  Son 
of  God. 

12  And  he  straitly  charged  them  that  they  should  not 
make  him  known. ' 

13  Ande  he  goeth  up  into  a  mountain  and  calleth 
unio  him  whom  he  "^  would  :  and  they  came  unto  him. 

14  And  he  ordained  twelve,  that  they  should  be  with 
him,  and  that  he  might  send  them  forth  to  preach, 

15  And  to  have  power  to  heal  sicknesses,  and  to  cast 
out  devils : 

16  And  Simon '  he  surnamed  Peter ; 


5.  With  anger  being  grieved.  Grief  and 
indignation  are  not  inconsistent  emotions.  Only 
that  anger  which  grieves  at  sin  is  the  Christian's 
anger.  —  The     hardness    of    their    hearts. 

Exemplified  by  their  silence,  as  an  evidence  of 
their  obdurate  persistence  in  their  murderous 
designs. 

6.  Pharisees.  Matt.  3  :  7,  note.  — Hero- 
dians.    Matt.  23  :  16,  note. 

T-12.  Christ's  period  of  popularity  in 
Galilee. — Parallel  to  Mark's  account  here,  is 
Matt.  13  :  15-21.  See  notes  there,  especially  on 
verses  17-21,  which  are  peculiar  to  Matthew. 
Mark's  account  of  the  multitude  which  fol- 
lowed Christ  is  more  detailed.  He  also  narrates 
the  incident  of  the  boat  kept  for  Jesus'  disci- 
ples (ver.  9).  There  appears  to  be  no  chrono- 
logical order  observed  by  Mark  in  this  chapter. 
The  ordination  of  the  twelve  Apostles  (verses  13-19) 
and  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  which  Mark  does 
not  report,  but  which  accompanied  their  ordina- 
tion, preceded  the  teaching  of  Christ  on  the  Sab- 
bath question  (ch.  1  -.  23-28 ;  3 :  i-g)  and  the  incidents 
narrated  here.  For  other  evidences  of  Christ's 
great  popularity  at  this  period  of  his  ministry, 
consult  Matt,  li  :  13  ;  Mark  5  :  24 ;  6  :  33  ;  Luke 
8:45;  12:1. 

7.  8.  To  the  sea,  i.  e.,  the  Sea  or  Lake  of 
Galilee.  See  map  and  description,  ch.  1  :  39. — 
From  Galilee.  The  northern  province  of  Pal- 
estine. On  its  character  and  inhabitants,  see  ch. 
1  :  39 ;  Matt.  2  :  22 ;  4  :  11-10,  notes.— From  Ju- 
dea.  Compare  Luke  5  :  17. — And  from  Idu- 
mea.  A  Greek  word  answering  to  the  Hebrew 
Edom.  It  was  the  region  inhabited  by  the  de- 
scendants of  Esau  or  Edom  (oen.  25 :  30),  whence  its 
name.  Originally  the  Edomites  occupied  a  tract 
of  countiy  extending  from  the  Dead  to  the  Red 
Sea,  about  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  broad  and  one 
hundred  miles  long ;  but  after  the  Babylonish 
captivity  they  were  permitted  to  settle  in  South- 
ern Palestine,  and  subsequently,  under  the  Macca- 
bees, were  subdued  and  compelled  to  submit  to 
the  Jewish  rites  and  Jewish  goverament,  and 
were  practically  incorporated  in  the  Jewish  na- 
tion.    Herod  the  Great,   the  last  king  of  the 


Jews,   was    an    Idumean.— They  about  Tyre 
and  Sidon.    See  note  on  Matt.  11  :  21. 

9.  A  small  boat.  Probably  a  row-boat,  used 
for  fishing,  and  perhaps  also  furnished  with 
a  sail.  See  Mark  4  :  36  for  illustration.  Christ's 
object  was  probably  twofold,  in  part  retirement, 
for  by  the  boat  he  could  easily  escape  to  the 
eastern  and  comparatively  solitary  shores  of  the 
sea  (Matt.  14 :  is),  in  part  labor,  for  from  the  prow 
of  the  boat,  he  could  preach  to  the  people  on  the 
shore,  without  being  hindered  by  the  throng 
(Luke  6 : 3).  We  may  fairly  deduce  Christ's  fond- 
ness for  both  the  water  and  the  mountains,  from 
this  and  analogous  incidents  in  his  ministry. 

10.  Pressed  upon  him.  Literally,  threw 
themselves  iqMii  him. — As  many  as  had 
plagues.  Literally,  scourges.  Disease  was  re- 
garded by  the  Jews  as  a  scourge  from  God.  Not 
any  particular  kind  of  contagious  disease  is 
meant;  all  physical  afflictions  would  be  included 
under  the  general  word  here  rendered  plagues. 

11.  12.  And  unclean  spirits,  i.  c,  persons 
possessed  with  them.  See  Note  on  Demoniacal 
Possession,  Matt.  8  :  28-34,  p.  123.  For  the  reason 
of  Christ's  command  to  silence,  see  notes  on  Matt. 
8:4;  Mark  1  :  25. 

13-19.  The  Call  and  Ordination  of  the 
Twelve. — This  occurred  previous  to  the  events 
recorded  in  the  preceding  part  of  this  chapter. 
Immediately  following  this  ordination  Christ 
preached  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  Mat- 
thew gives  the  ordination  of  the  twelve  out  of 
its  order,  in  connection  with  their  first  commission 
to  preach  the  Gospel  (Matt,  lo :  i^) ;  Luke  in  its 
proper  order  (Luke  6 :  is-ie).  On  the  ordination  of 
the  twelve,  see  Matt.  10  : 1-4,  and  notes,  and  on 
their  individual  lives  and  characters.  Note  on 
the  Twelve  Apostles,  Matt.  chap.  10,  p.  147. 

14, 1.5.  Mark  states  more  definitely  than  either 
of  the  other  Evangelists  the  office  of  the  Apos- 
tles. They  were  to  be  ivith  Christ  that  they  might 
bear  personal  witness  to  what  they  had  them- 
selves seen  (john  i5 :  27 ;  Acts  1 :  21, 22),  and  Paul  rest8 
his  claim  to  be  an  Apostle  on  his  having  been  an 
eye-witness  to  Christ's  resurrection  (icor. 9:i; 
16 : 8, 9) ;  this  was  their  preparation  for  their  work. 


Ch.  III.] 


MARK. 


349 


17  And  James  the  son  of  Zebedee,  and  John  the 
brother  of  James  ;  and  he  surnamed  them  Boanerges, 
which  is,  The  sons  of  thunder  :  J 

18  And  Andrew,  and  Philip,  and  Bartholomew,  and 
Matthew,  and  Thomas,  and  James  the  son  ot  Alphseus, 
and  Thaddaeus,  and  Simon  the  Canaanite, 

iQ  And  Judas  Iscariot,  which  also  betrayed  him : 
ancf  they  went  into  an  house. 

20  And  the  multitude  cometh  together  again,  so^ 
that  thev  could  not  so  much  as  eat  bread. 

21  And  when  his  friends  heard  0/  it,  they  went  out 
to  lay  hold  on  him  :  for  they  said,  He '  is  beside  himself. 

22  And  the  scribes  which  came  down  from  Jerusa- 
lem said.  He™  hath  Beelzebub,  and  by  the  prince  of 
the  devils  casteth  he  out  devils. 

23  And  he  called  them  unto  him,  and  said  unto  them 
in  parables,  How  can  Satan  cast  out  Satan  ? 

24  And  if  a  kingdom  be  divided  against  itself,  that 
kingdom  cannot  stand. 

25  And  if  a  house  be  divided  against  itself,  that  house 
cannot  stand. 

26  And  if  Satan  rise  up  against  himself,  and  be  di- 
vided, he  cannot  stand,  but  hath  an  end. 


27  No  "  man  can  enter  into  a  strong  man's  house, 
and  spoil  his  goods,  unless  he  will  first  bind  the  strong 
man  ■  and  then  he  will  spoil  his  house. 

28  Verily  I  say  unto  you.  All  °  sins  shall  be  forgiven 
unto  the  sons  of  men,  and  blasphemies  wherewith  so- 
ever they  shall  blaspheme : 

29  But  he  that  shall  blaspheme  against  the  Holy 
Ghost  p  hath  never  forgiveness,  but  is  in  danger  of 
eternal  damnation  ; 

30  Because  they  said.  He  hath  an  unclean  spirit. 

31  There  came  then  his  brethren  and  his  mother, 
and,  standing  without,  sent  unto  him,  calling  him. 

32  And  the  multitude  sat  about  him  ;  and  they  said 
unto  him.  Behold,  thy  mother  and  thy  brethren  with- 
out seek  for  thee. 

33  And  he  answered  them,  saying,  Who  is  my 
mother,  or  my  brethren  ? 

34  And  he  looked  round  about  on  them  which  sat 
about  him,  and  said.  Behold  my  mother  and  my  breth- 
ren ! 

35  For  whosoever  shall  do'  the  will  of  God,  the  same 
is  my  brother,  and  my  sister,  and  mother. 


Isa.  58  :  1  ;  Jer.  23  :  29. . .  .k  ch.  6  :  31. . 
. . .  .n  l3a.  49  :  24,  26  ;  61  :  1 ;  Matt.  12  : 
1  ;  25;  1  John  2  :  17. 


Hosea9:7;  John  10:20....m  Matt.  9:34;  10:25;  12:21;  Luke  11  :  15  ;  John  7  ;  20 ;  8  :  48,  6» 
...0  Malt;  12:31;  Luke  12  :  10...  p  Heb.  10:29....q  Matt.  12  :  46-48  ;  Luke  8  :  19-21.... r  James 


They  were  to  preach,  literally  to  herald,  i.  e.,  to 
go  before  and  proclaim  the  coming  of  the  Mes- 
siah, in  person  to  the  Jewish  nation,  in  spirit  and 
in  power  to  the  whole  world,  and  in  his  second 
advent  to  his  church ;  this  was  their  work.  And 
they  were  to  have  power  to  heal  the  sick  and  cast 
out  devils,  a  power  subsequently  exercised  by  the 
Apostles  ;  this  was  the  divine  seal  and  evidence 
of  their  authority.  In  strictness  of  speech  the 
Apostles  can  have  no  successors,  for  none  after 
that  generation  can  bear  personal  witness  to 
Christ's  life,  death,  and  resurrection,  and  none 
can  show  the  miraculous  evidence  they  showed 
of  their  authority.  But  every  true  minister  of 
the  Gospel  must  be  a  successor  to  the  Apostles, 
and  read  his  commission  in  this  verse.  He  must 
have  Christ  with  him  (Matt.  28 :  20),  and  testify  out 
of  his  personal  experience  to  the  Christ  he  knows 

(Acts  26  :  16  ;  1  Cor.  2  :  12 ;  I  John  4  :  14, 16)  ;    mUSt    act   aS  a 

herald  of  the  Messiah  and  Saviour,  preaching 
not  himself  but  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  and  he 
must  attest  his  divine  authority  by  his  power  in 
and  through  Christ  to  fulfill  Christ's  mission  of 
mercy.     Luke  4  :  18,  19,  with  John  19  :  18. 

16-19.  Simon  he  surnamed  Peter,  i.  e.,  a 
rock.  This  he  did  previously  (john  1  :  42),  for 
Peter  and  Cephas  are  different  words  with  the 
same  meaning— the  former  Greek,  the  latter  He- 
brew. The  reason  for  this  title  Christ  explains 
subsequently  (Matt.  16  :  is,  note).  —  Boaner&;es. 
This  word  is  composed  of  two  Hebrew  words 
signifying  "sons  of  thunder."  The  reason  of 
this  appellation,  which  appears  only  here,  is  not 
given.  It  may  signify  the  character  and  power 
of  James  and  John  as  preachers,  though  their 
subsequent  history  does  not  justify  this  expla- 
nation. More  probably  it  referred  to  their  nat- 
ural fiery  temperament,  of  which  we  see  signs  in 
Mark  9  :  38  and  Luke  9  :  54. — Judas  Iscariot. 


See  Note  on  Character,  etc.,  of  Judas  Iscariot, 
Matt.  27  : 1-10,  p.  303,  304. 

1 9-35 .  AttemptedInteeeuption  of  Cheist's 
Preaching  by  both  Friends  and  Foes.  Comp. 
Matt.  13  :  22-50  and  Luke  8  :  19-31 ;  11 :  14-26.  See 
notes  on  Matthew  for  a  consideratioQ  of  the  time, 
p.  166, 172 ;  for  discussion  of  Blasphemy  against 
Holy  Ghost,  pp.  168,  169 ;  for  attempt  by  Christ's 
mother  to  interrupt  his  preaching,  p.  173. 

19-21.  And  they  went  into  a  house. 
Not,  as  one  might  suppose  from  the  English  ver- 
sion here,  immediately  after  the  ordination  by 
the  twelve.  The  incidents  and  teachings  re- 
corded here  took  place  at  a  later  period  in 
Christ's  ministry.  See  Matt.  12  :  33-37,  Prel. 
Note,  p.  166.— So  that  they  could  not  so 
much  as  eat  bread.  That  is,  Christ  and  his 
apostles  had  no  time  or  opportunity  for  their 
ordinary  meals. — And  when  his  kinsfolk 
heard  of  it.  The  original  (ol  nuqu  aizoO)  is 
ambiguous ;  it  may  mean  either  companions  or 
kinsfolk.  The  latter  meaning  is  given  by  both 
Robinson  and  Winer,  and  better  suits  the  con- 
text. The  interference  here  referred  to  is  that 
attempted  by  Christ's  mother  and  brethren  (ver. 
31-35),  the  intervening  verses  being  parenthetical. 
At  the  same  time  that  the  Pharisees  were  at- 
tempting to  put  a  stop  to  Christ's  ministry  by 
their  accusations,  his  mother  and  brethren, 
thinking  that  he  was  carried  beyond  the  bounds 
of  prudence  by  his  religious  enthusiasm,  endeav- 
ored to  get  him  out  of  the  crowd  and  away  from 
the  emnity  in  which  he  had  involved  himself. 

23.  In  parables.  That  is,  with  illustrations 
or  in  figures.  These  are  reported  in  verses  24, 
25,  27,  and  another  one  is  added  in  Matt.  12  : 
43-45. 

29.  Is  subject  to  eternal  sin.  The  re- 
ceived text  has  here  eternal  judgment  (xqIoi?),  but 


350 


MARK. 


[Ch.  IV. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


AND"  he  began  again  to  teach  by  the  sea  side  :  and 
there  was  gathered  unto  him  a  great  multitude, 
so  that  he  entered  into  a  ship,  and  sat  in  the  sea  ;  and 
the  whole  multitude  was  by  the  sea  on  the  land. 

2  And  he  taught  them  many  things  by  parables,' and 
said  unto  them  in  his  doctrine, 

3  Hearl<en  ;"  Behold,  there  went  out  a  sower  to  sow : 

4  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  he  sowed,  some  fell  by  the 
way  side,  and  the"  towls  of  the  air  came  and  devoured 
it  up. 

5  And  some  fell  on  stony"  ground,  where  it  had  not 
much  earth  :  and  immediately  it  sprang  up,  because  it 
had  no  depth  of  earth  : 

6  But  wtien  the  sun  was  up,  it  was  scorched  ;  and  ^ 
because  it  had  no  root,  it  withered  away. 

7  And  some  fell  among  thorns  ;  y  and  the  thorns  grew 
up,  and  choked  it,  and  it  yielded  no  fruit. 

8  And  other  fell  on  good^  ground,  and  did  yield 
fruit  "that  sprang  up  and  increased  ;  and  brought  forth, 
some  thirty,  and  some  sixty,  and  some  an  hundred. 

■  9  And  he  said  unto  them.  He  that  hath  ears  to  hear, 
let  him  hear. 

ID  And "  when  he  was  alone,  they  that  were  about 
him  with  the  twelve  asked  of  him  the  parable. 

11  And  he  said  unto  them,  Unto'^  you  it  is  given  to 
know  the  mystery  of  the  kingdom  of  God  ;  but  unto 
them  that  are  without,""  all  i/iese  things  are  done  in 
parables  : 

12  That''  seeing  they  may  see,  and  not  perceive  ;  and 
hearing  they  may  hear,  and  not  understand  ;  lest  at 
any  time  they  should  be  converted,  and  i/ieir  sins 
should  be  forgiven  them. 

13  And  he  said  unto  them,  Know  ye  not  this  para- 
ble ?  and  how  then  will  ye  know  all  parables  ? 

14  The  sower  f  soweth  the  word. 


15  And  these  are  they  by  the  way  side,  where  the 
word  is  sown  ;  but  when  they  have  heard,  Satan  com- 
ethe  immediately,  and  taketh  away  n  the  word  that 
was  sown  in  their  hearts. 

16  And  these  are  they  likewise  which  are  sown  on 
stony  ground  ;  who,  when  they  have  heard  the  word, 
immediately  receive  it  with  gladness  ; 

17  And  have  no  root'  in  themselves,  and  so  endure 
but  J  for  a  time:  afterward,  when  affliction  or  persecu- 
tion ariseth  for  the  word's  sake,  immediately  "  they  are 
offended. 

18  And  these  are  they  which  are  sown  among 
thorns  ;  such  as  hear  the  word, 

19  And  the '  cares  of  this  world,  and  the  deceitful- 
ness™  of  riches,  and  the"  lusts  of  other  things  entering 
in,  choke  the  word,  and  it  becometh  unfruitful. ° 

20  And  these  are  they  which  are  sown  on  good 
ground :  such  as  hear  the  word,  and  receive  ??,  and 
bring  forth  fruit,P  some  thirtyfold,  some  sixty,  and 
some  an  hundred. 

21  And  he  said  unto  them.  Is  a  candle  brought  to  be 
put  under  a  bushel,  or  under  a  bed  ?  and  not  to  be  set 
on  a  candlestick  ? 

22  Fori  there  is  nothing  hid,  which  shall  not  be 
manifested ;  neither  was  any  thing  kept  secret,  but 
that  it  should  come  abroad. 

23  If  any  man  have  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear. 

24  And  he  said  unto  them.  Take  heed  what  ye 
hear  :  with  ^  what  measure  ye  mete,  it  shall  be  meas- 
ured to  you  ;  and  unto  you  that  hear  shall  more  be 
given. 

25  For  he  that  hath,  to  him  shall  be  given  :  and  he 
that  hath  not,  from'  him  shall  be  taken  even  that  which 
he  hath. 

26  And  he  said,  So  "  is  the  kingdom  of  God,  as  if  a 
man  should  cast  seed  into  the  ground. 


S  Mntt.  13:1,  elc;    Luke  8:4,  etc.... t  ver.  34;    Ps.  78  :  2. . .  .u  ver.  9,  23  ;    eh.  7  :16....v  Gen.  15:  11....W  Ezek.  11  :  19  ;  36  :  26. 

1:4;  James  1  :  11 y  Jer.  4:3 z  Heb.  6  :  7,  8 a  Col.  1  :  6 b  Matt.  13  :  10,  etc c  Ephes.  1  :  9....d  Col.  4  :  6  ;    1  Thcs: 

ITim.  3:7....e  Isa.  6  :  9,  10;  John  12  :  40  ;  Acts  28  :  26,  27;  Rom.  11  :8....f  Isa.  32:  20  ;  1  Pet.  1  :  25....g  1  Pet.  5:8;  Rev.  1 
h  Heb.  5:  l....i  Jobl9:  28....J  Job  27  :  10....k  2  Tim.  1  :  15....1  Luke  14:  18-20;  1  Tim.  6  :  9,  17  ;  2  Tim.  4:  10....m  Prov.  2 
IJohnS:  16,  17.... o  I«a.  6  :2,  4.  ...p  Rom.  7  :4;  Col.  1  :  10;  2  Pet.  1  :8....q  Eccles.  12:  14;  Matt.  10  :  26;  Luke  12:  2;  1  Cor. 


.Pet   2  :  2. 


Matt.  '. 


.1  Luke  8  : 


Matt.  13  :  24. 


Alford  and  Tischendorf  both  have  sin  {ui.iuQTTifia), 
and  this  is  undoubtedly  the  correct  reading. 
Interpreted  by  John  3  :  19  and  Rev.  22  :  11,  it 
explains  the  nature  of  the  penal  consequences  of 
which  Christ  warns  the  Pharisees,  viz.,  a  charac- 
ter given  over  to  hopeless  and  irredeemable  sin. 

31-35.  See  notes  on  Matt.  12  :  46-50,  for  a 
consideration  of  the  lessons  of  this  incident. 

Ch.  4  :  1-35.  Parable  of  the  Sower;  its 
EXPLANATION  ;  OTHER  INSTRUCTIONS.  The  par- 
able of  the  sower  is  found  also  in  Matt.  13  :  1-23 
and  Luke  8  :  4-15.  Matthew  gives  much  the 
fullest  report  of  these  parables  by  the  sea. 
See  notes  there.  The  phrases  in  verse  7,  It 
yielded  no  fruit,  and  in  verse  8,  T?iat  sprang  up 
and  increased,  are  peculiar  to  Mark.  On  the 
explanation  by  Christ  of  the  reason  he  used  par- 
ables (ver.  10-12),  scc  Prcl.  Note  to  Matt.,  ch.  13, 
§  3,  p.  173.  The  language  here,  "That  seeing  they 
may  see,  and  not  perceive,"  etc.,  is  from  Isaiah 
6  :  9,  10,  but  the  passage  is  suggested,  not 
fully  cited.  The  words  of  the  prophet  are  : 
"  Make  the  heart  of  this  people  fat,  and  make 
their  ears  heavy,  and  shut  their  eyes ;  lest  they 
see,"  etc.,  and  this  language,  though  in  form  a 
command,  is  in  fact  simply  a  prophecy,  equiva- 
lent to.  They  will  certainly  make  their  own 
hearts  fat,  etc.    See  Henderson  on  the  passage. 


Matthew,  who  repeats  Christ's  language  more 
fully,  gives  by  his  citation  both  the  true  mean- 
ing of  the  prophecy  and  of  our  Lord's  applica- 
tion of  it.  His  meaning  is  not.  These  things  are 
done  in  parables,  lest  they  should  be  converted, 
but,  Their  eyes  they  have  closed,  etc.,  lest  at  any 
time  they  should  be  converted.  That  is,  jnen 
wilfully  close  their  hearts  to  the  truth  lest  they 
should  be  led  to  repent- 
ance and  reformation ; 
hence  Christ  speaks  in 
parables,  that  he  may  gain 
entrance  for  the  truth  into 
hearts  unwilling  to  re- 
ceive it. 

21-25.  These  verses 
appear  in  the  same  con- 
nection in  Luke  8  : 
16-18,  but  in  Matthew 
in  various  passages  and 
in  different  connections. 
On  verse  21  see  Matt. 
5  :  15,  note ;  on  verse 
22,  Matt.  10  :  26,  note; 
on  verse  23,  Matt.  11  :  15, 
note;  on  verse  24,  Matt.  7  :  2,  note;  on  verse  25, 
Matt.  13  :  12,  note.  The  accompanying  illustra- 
tion shows  the  candle  and  candlestick  of  the 


Ch.  IV.] 


MAEK. 


351 


27  And  should  sleep  and  rise,  night  and  day,  and  the 
seed  should  spring  and  grow  up,  he  knoweth  not  how. 

28  For  the  earth  bringeth  forth  fruit  of  herself;' 
first"  the  blade,  then  the  ear;  after  that,  the  full  corn 
in  the  ear. 


29  But  when  the  fruit  is  brought  forth,  immediately 
he  "  putteth  in  the  sickle,  because  the  harvest  is  come. 

30  And  he  said,  Whereunto  shall  we  liken  the  king- 
dom of  God  ?  or  with  what  comparison  shall  we  com- 
pare it  ? 


East;  they  are  really  a  lamp  and  light-stand.  The 
connection  of  these  verses  with  the  rest  of  the 
chapter  is  not  very  clear.  I  doubt  whether  they 
were  spoken  at  this  time  ;  rather  surmise  that 
they  Avere  incorporated  here  by  Mark  and  Luke 
on  account  of  their  parabolic  character.  If 
they  really  belong  in  the  discourse  by  the  seaside, 
their  object  may  be  to  indicate  that,  though  now 
the  mystery  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  was  hid 
from  the  people,  the  Apostles  were  not  to  keep 
it  to  themselves,  as  the  priests  of  heathenism 
the  sacred  mysteries  of  their  religions,  but  were 
to  measure  it  out  to  others.  Observe  the  prac- 
tical teaching  of  verse  24 :  the  way  out  of  skepti- 
cism is  a  ready  and  unprejudiced  hearing  of  such 
truth  as  is  made  plain ;  all  is  not  disclosed  at 
once.  Observe  the  difference  in  phraseology 
here  and  in  Luke  8  :  18.  In  Mark,  Take  heed 
what  ye  hear ;  in  Luke,  Hoiv  ye  hear.  Both  ad- 
monitions are  important,  and  both  apply  to 
leading  as  well  as  hearing. 

Ch.  4 :  26-29.  PARABLE  OF  THE  SEED  GEOWIXG  SE- 
CRETLY.—Diligence  IN  SOWING,  PATIENCE  IN  WAIT- 
ING, PROMPTNESS  IN  HARVESTING  ARE  THE  0ONT1TTION9 
OF  A  SUCOESSFtTL  SPIRITUAI,  HUSBANDRY. 

This  parable  is  peculiar  to  Mark,  but  belongs 
with  the  parable  of  which  Matthew  (ch.  13)  has 
given  the  fullest  report.  On  its  relations  to  those 
parables,  see  Prel.  Note,  §  4,  p.  174.  It  does  not 
exactly  correspond  to  either  of  the  parables 
there,  though  analogous  in  part  to  those  of  the 
tares  and  the  mustard  seed.  Its  general  lesson 
is  enforced  by  parallel  passages,  e.  jr.,  Isaiah  55  : 
10,  11 ;  James  5  :  7, 8 ;  1  Pet.  1  :  23-25.  In  the 
kingdom  of  grace  as  in  nature,  we  are  laborers 
together  with  God,  the  results  of  our  work  de- 
pend on  him,  and  for  the  perfection  of  these  re- 
sults he  takes  his  own  time  (1  Cor.  3 : 6-9).  Hence, 
(1)  it  is  ours  to  sow  the  seed  (the  truth),  his  to 
give  it  growth  ;  (3)  having  sown,  we  are  to  wait 
for  time  and  God  to  perfect  it ;  (3)  this  he  does 
according  to  a  deiinite  order  of  development — 
first  the  blade,  then  the  ear,  then  the  full  corn  in 
the  ear ;  (4)  not  until  there  has  been  time  for  the 
development  and  perfection  of  the  truth  are  we 
to  expect  to  reap.  The  lesson  is  one  of  trust  and 
hope ;  first,  for  ourselves  in  our  own  personal 
experience ;  second,  for  all  ministers.  Sabbath- 
school  teachers  and  parents,  in  working  for 
others.  Gal.  5  :  22,  23,  describes  the  fruits  of  the 
spirit  which  grow  thus  secretly  and  require  time 
for  development  and  perfection.    Ephes.  4  :  15, 


and  Col.  2  :  6,  7,  show  the  source  whence  this 
growth  is  derived,  namely,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Phil.  2  :  12,  and  2  Pet.  1  : 5,  show  that  though 
the  growth  is  the  work  of  God,  still  diligence  is 
required  of  the  spiritual  as  of  the  natural  hus- 
bandman. 

26.  As  if  a  man  should  cast  seed  into 
the  ground.  The  man  of  the  parable  is  not 
Christ ;  for,  (1)  it  cannot  be  said  of  him  that  "  he 
knoweth  not  how  "  the  seed  springs  and  grows 
up  ;  nor  does  he  leave  the  seed  to  itself,  and 
"sleep  and  rise  night  and  day,"  but,  on  the  con- 
trary, is  continually  with  his  church,  and  by  his 
presence  and  blessing  germinates  the  truth  (Matt. 
S8 :  18-20) ;  (2)  the  very  point  of  the  parable  is  to 
teach  that  we  may  throw  off  the  care  as  to  re- 
sults upon  him,  not  that  he  throws  it  off  and 
leaves  it  to  itself.  The  point  of  the  parable  is  the 
growth^  and  the  sovjer  must  be  regarded  as  inci- 
dental, either  a  mere  necessary  figure  to  give  it 
life-likeness,  or  perhaps  the  human  sower,  the 
preacher,  teacher,  or  friend. 

27.  And  should  sleep  and  rise  night 
and  day.  Sleeping  by  night,  and  rising  by  day 
to  go  about  other  work,  leaving  the  seed  to  the 
influences  of  nature,  i.  e.,  to  God.  But  this  is  no 
excuse  for  sleeping  by  day,  i.  e.,  for  sloth  and  care- 
lessness.—And  the  seed  should  spring,  i.  e., 
germinate,  and  grow  up,  i.  e.,  develop  from 
the  germ  into  the  plant.  Often  the  truth,  drop- 
ped in  the  heart  by  a  word  in  public  teaching 
or  private  conversation,  seems  to  be  lost,  but 
getting  lodgment  germinates  in  after  months 
or  years,  seeming  to  lie  meanwhile  dead,  yet 
never  having  lost  its  power.  Often  by  our  im- 
patience to  force  an  immediate  growth,  or  to 
examine  for  it,  we  frustrate  our  own  work.— He 
knoweth  not  how.  Compare  John  3:8;  and 
observe  Christ's  emphatic  declaration  that  how 
the  truth  in  the  heart  produces  the  results  on 
character  we  cannot  tell.  And  yet  by  far  the 
fiercest  theological  discussions  have  been  con- 
cerning this,  the  unknown  in  theology,  not  con- 
cerning the  practical  question,  How  shall  we  best 
inculcate  the  truth  and  develop  its  results  ?  But 
because  we  cannot  force  immediate  results  from 
the  truth,  it  does  not  follow  that  we  are  not  to 
watch  for  results,  nor  that  we  are  not  to  foster 
and  cultivate  the  seed.  "We  cannot  do  the 
saving ;  but  we  can  do  the  destroying. '  '—{Arnot. ) 
And  this  either  by  our  mismanagement  or  our 
neglect.    Compare  Matt.  13  :  22. 

28.  For  the  earth  hringeth  forth  fruit  of 


352 


MAKE. 


[Ch.  IV. 


31  //y  is  like  a  grain  of  mustard  seed,  which,  when  it 
is  sown  in  the  earth,  is  less  than  all  the  seeds  that  be  in 
the  earth : 

32  But  when  it  is  sown,  it  groweth  up,  and  becometh 
greater^  than  all  herbs,  and  shooteth  out  great  branch- 
es ;  so  that  the  fowls  of  the  air  may  lodge  under  the 
shadow  of  it. 

33  And  with  many  such  parables  spake  he  the  word 
unto  them,  as  °  they  were  able  to  hear  ii. 


34  But  without  a  parable  spake  he  not  unto  them : 
and  when  they  were  alone,  he  expounded  all  things  to 
his  disciples. 

35  And  the  same  day,  when  the  even  was  come,  he 
saith  unto  them,  Let  us  pass  over  unto  the  other  side. 

36  And  when  they  had  sent  away  the  multitude,  they 
took  him  even  as  he  was  in  the  ship :  and  there  were 
also  with  him  other  little  ships. 


y  Matt.  13  :  31,  32  ;  Luke  13  :  18,  19 z  Prov.  4  :  18  ;  Isa.  11  ;  9  ;  Dan.  2  :  44  ;  Mai. 


John  16  :  12. 


herself.  Literally,  the  spontaneous  earth  bring- 
eth  forth  fruit.  But  the  earth  is  not  to  be  likened 
to  the  heart  and  the  conclusion  drawn  that  the 
latter  has  a  natural  power  to  receive  and  ger- 
minate the  truth.  For  "  by  nature,"  i.  e.,  natural 
growth  "we  are  the  children  of  wrath  "  (Ephes. 
2:3).  But,  as  in  nature  divine  forces  begin 
to  operate  straightway  on  the  seed,  so  in  grace, 
divine  influences  begin  straightway  to  fructify 
the  truth.  It  is  ours  to  study  seeds  and  soils, 
i.  e.,  to  adapt  our  teaching  to  the  hearts  of 
those  before  us,  and  leave  the  rest  to  God. — 
First  the  blade,  etc.  There  is  not  only  a 
divine  development  but  a  definite  order  of  devel- 
opment. Some  growths  are  quicker  than  others, 
but  in  all  there  is  growth.  And  we  have  no  right 
to  look  for  the  end  at  the  beginning,  the  ripened 
Christian  experience  in  the  young  convert,  the 
full  corn  in  the  first  appearance  of  the  blade. 
Observe,  too,  that  we  can  know  that  there  is  a 
growth  by  its  results,  though  we  know  not  the 
how,  and  that  each  stage  of  the  growth  is  more 
apparent  than  the  preceding  stage.  The  germ  is 
unseen ;  the  blade  of  corn  is  not  easily  distin- 
guished from  that  of  an  unfruitful  grass ;  the  ear 
is  more  apparent ;  there  is  no  mistaking  the  full 
corn  in  the  ear.  "  The  growing  is  a  secret  thing ; 
but  the  grown  ripened  grain  is  visible." — (Arnot.) 

29.  The  harvest  is  come.  Not  here,  as  in 
Matt.  13  :  39,  the  end  of  the  world  ;  for  (1)  "  he  " 
i.  e.,  the  sower,  not  Christ,  puts  in  the  sickle; 
and  (3)  the  language  of  the  verse  implies  that  the 
appearance  of  the  fruit  is  the  evidence  that  the 
harvest  has  come,  and  a  warrant  to  the  sower 
to  reap  (comp.  John  4 :  35).  I  Understand,  then,  that 
this  verse  teaches  that  ivhenever  fruit  is  brought 
forth  {MteraXlj,  presents  itself)  then  is  the  harvest- 
time,  i.  e.,  whenever  the  results  of  religious 
teaching  show  themselves  in  character  and  con- 
duct, then  are  the  individuals  to  be  gathered  into 
the  church,  the  granary.  We  are  not  to  wait  for  a 
definite  time  as  in  nature,  before  we  gather  in, 
but  "when the  fruit  presents  itself  immediately  " 
we  are  to  put  in  the  sickle.  Comp.  John  4  :  85, 
36 ;  Matt.  9  :  37,  38,  and  Psalm  126  :  6. 

30-34.  Parable  of  the  Mustard  Seed. 
Comp.  Matt.  13  :  31-35,  and  notes,  and  Luke 
13  :  18,  19.  For  illustration  of  Christ's  expo- 
sition of  parables,  see  Matt.  13  :  36-43,  49,  50 ; 
15  :  15-30.- 


Ch.  4  !  35-41.  STILLING  OF  THK  TEMPEST.— Christ 
THE  Lord  over  nature.    "Faith  is  courageous; 

INCREDULITY  IS  FEARFUL." 

Compare  Matt.  8  :  23-37,  and  Luke  8  :  23-25. 
The  narrative  is  most  graphic  here.  Matthew 
indicates  for  the  incident  a  different  point  in 
Christ's  ministiy.  But  Mark  alone  gives  a  defi- 
nite note  of  time,  and  the  best  harmonists  follow 
him  in  placing  it  immediately  after  the  parables 
by  the  sea. 

35.  On  that  same  day.  Immediately  pre- 
ceding occurred  the  oflEer  of  certain  persons  to 
follow  Christ,  and  Christ's  rejoinder  (Matt,  s  -.  18-22; 
Luke  9 :  67-62,  notes). — When  the  cveu  was  come. 
The  Hebrews  reckoned  two  evenings  (Eiod.  12-.  6, 
marg.  reading) ;  the  first,  according  to  Pharisaic 
reckoning,  began  with  the  declining  sun,  hence 
the  hour  of  evening  sacrifice  was  3  p.  m.  ;  the 
second,  with  the  setting  sun.  A  like  distinction 
was  made  by  the  Greeks  between  the  former  and 
the  latter  evening.  Here,  probably,  the  early 
evening,  i.  e.,  late  in  the  afternoon,  is  intended, 
for,  notwithstanding  the  delay  occasioned  by  the 
storm,  Christ  found  the  swineherds  watching 
their  swine  on  the  other  side  of  the  sea  ;  proba- 
bly, therefore,  it  was  then  still  daylight. — Let 
us  pass  over  unto  the  other  side.  That  is 
of  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  Probably  (see  Matt,  s :  is)  his 
object  was  to  escape  from  the  multitude  and  ob- 
tain rest.  How  wearied  he  was  with  his  labors 
is  indicated  by  his  sleeping  through  the  storm. 

36.  They  took  him  even  as  he  was. 
That  is,  without  preparation.  Under  the  mild 
skies  of  Palestine  it  was  no  hardship  to  sleep  out 
of  doors  wrapped  in  the  cloak  answering  to  the 
modern  bumoose  (Matt.  b:40,  note). — In  the  ship. 
Rather  boat.  In  Mark  3  :  9  we  are  told  that  one 
had  been  provided  for  Christ  and  his  disciples  by 
Christ's  direction,  and  it  is  there  described 
more  definitely  as  a  small  boat  (TtloidQior).  That 
it  was  propelled  by  oars  is  evident  from  John 
6  :  19.  Josephus  designates  the  fishermen's 
boats  on  the  sea  of  GalDee  as  skiffs,  a  name  de- 
scriptive of  a  vessel  answering  to  our  modem 
pinnace,  or  perhaps  launch.  Our  illustration  of 
the  ancient  skiff  is  from  a  Pompeian  painting. 
Observe  the  form  of  the  stern,  which  afforded  a 
convenient  rest  for  the  head  of  the  sleeper. 
Doubtless  the  skiff  in  which  Christ  and  his  dis- 
ciples embarked  was  larger  than  the  one  here 


Ch.  IV.] 


MARK. 


353 


37  And*  there  arose  a  great  storm  of  wind,  and  the 
waves  beat  into  the  ship,  so  that  it  was  now  full. 

38  And  he  was  in  the  hinder  part  of  the  ship,  asleep 
on  a  pillow :  and  they  awake  him,  and  say  unto  him, 
Master,<=  carest  thou  not  that  we  perish  ? 

39  And  he  arose,  and  rebuked  the  wind,  and  said 


unto  the  sea,  Peace,  be  still.    And  "^  the  wind  ceased, 
and  there  was  a  great  calm. 

40  And  he  said  unto  them,  Why  are  ye  so  fearful  ? « 
how  is  it  that  ye  have  no  faith  ? 

41  And  they  feared  f  exceedingly,  and  said  one  to 
another.  What  manner  of  man  is  this,  that  even  the 
wind  and  the  seae  obey  him  ? 


Matt.  8  ;  24  ;  Lake  8  :  23. 


Pa.  46  :  1,  2;  Isa.  43:2. 


AXCIENT    SKIFF. 

represented ;  but  the  general  character  was 
probably  the  same. — And  there  were  also 
with  him  other  boats.  Probably  containing 
some  of  his  audience  who  embarked  to  follow 
him.  Compare  for  a  similar  following  of  Christ, 
Mark  6  :  33.  Perhaps  in  these  boats  were  some 
of  those  who  had  just  offered  to  join  the  band 

of  Apostles  (Matt.  8  :  18-22). 

37.  And  there  arose  a  great  storm  of 
wind.  The  Sea  of  Galilee  lies  six  hundred  feet 
below  the  level  of  the  Mediterranean.  The  snowy 
peaks  of  Lebanon  are  directly  to  the  north.  The 
heated  tropical  air  of  the  valley  is  a  constant  in- 
vitation to  the  cold  and  heavy  winds  from  the 
north,  which  sweep  down  with  great  fury  and  in 
sudden  storms  through  the  ravines  of  the  hills, 
which  converge  to  the  head  of  the  lake,  and  act 
like  gigantic  funnels.  See  Thomson's  Land 
and  Book,  II  :  33.  Luke's  language,  "  There  came 
down  a  storm  of  m'wfZ,"  exactly  corresponds  to 
the  phenomena  of  these  sudden  storms  as  de- 
scribed by  modem  travellers.  Matthew  describes 
it  as  a  ^^ great  tempest  ^^  or  tornado  (ofiauoc), 
literally  a  shaking  or  concussion. — And  the 
waves  heat  upon  the  ship,  i.  e.,  beat  over  it. 
— So  that  it  was  now  filling.  Not  full.  In 
Matthew  the  rendering  should  be,  vxis  getting 
covered  b>j  the  waves,  and  in  Luke,  was  gettitig 
filled.  The  process  of  filling  was  going  on. 
Luke  adds  that  they  were  iti  jeopardy. 

38.  And  he  Avas  in  the  stern  of  the  boat, 
asleep  on  a  pillow.  Rather  a  cushion  ;  one 
such  as  are  used  for  passengers  in  our  modem 
row-boats.  Bengel's  statement  that  a  part  of 
the  boat  is  intended  appears  to  be  without  any 
adequate  authority.  Trench  contrasts  the  sleep 
of  Jesus  with  that  of  Jonah  (jonah  i :  5).  "  We 
behold  in  him  exactly  the  reverse  of  Jonah  ;  the 
fugitive  prophet  asleep  in  the  midst  of  danger 
out  of  a  dead  conscience,  the  Saviour  out  of  a  pure 
conscience  ;    Jonah  by  his  presence  making  the 


danger,  Jesus  yielding  the  pledge  and  the  assur- 
ance of  deliverance  from  the  danger." — And 
they  awake  him  and  say  unto  him.    It  is 

curious  and  significant  that  whUe  each  of  the 
three  Evangelists  reports  the  words  with  which 
Christ  was  awakened,  they  do  not  agree.  Mat- 
thew's report  is.  Lord,  save  us,  we  perish;  Mark, 
Teacher,  carest  thou  not  that  we  perish?  Luke, 
Master,  Master,  we  jierish.  The  difference  is  not 
merely  verbal ;  there  is  also  a  difference  of  tone 
in  the  three  appeals.  The  first  is  the  language 
of  appeal,  the  second  that  of  reproach,  the  third 
that  of  importunity  aroused  by  imminent  dan- 
ger. It  seems  to  me  impossible  to  reconcile- 
such  variations  with  the  doctrine  of  verbal  inspi- 
ration. Bnt  they  are  just  what  we  might  expect 
from  honest  and  independent  eye-witnesses. 
Probably  all  three  feelings  were  commingled  in 
the  disciples,  and  perhaps  all  three  had  expres- 
sion. Is  it  asked.  Which  Evangelist  gives  the 
correct  account '?  The  answer  may  be  that  each 
gives,  in  dramatic  form,  that  phase  of  feeling 
which  was  most  prominent  to  his  own  mind,  but 
neither  of  them  the  exact  words. 

39.  And  he  arose.  More  literally,  and 
being  awakened.  Note  the  sudden  change  from 
the  deep  sleep  to  the  scene  of  confusion  and 
terror.  "  It  is  such  cases  as  these — cases  of  sud- 
den, unexpected  terror,  met  without  a  moment 
of  preparation — which  test  a  man,  what  spirit  he 
is  of,  which  show  not  only  his  nerve,  but  the  gran- 
deur and  purity  of  his  whole  nature." — {Trench.) 
— And  rebuked  the  wind  and  said  unto  the 
sea,  Peace,  be  still.  Literally,  Be  muzzled. 
I  cannot  see,  with  Trench,  in  this  language  "  a 
tracing  of  all  the  discords  and  disharmonies  in 
the  outward  world  to  their  source  in  a  person," 
viz.,  Satan ;  rather  a  rebuke  of  that  notion,  and 
a  distinct  implication  that  the  winds  and  waves 
are  the  servants  of  God,  and  do  his  bidding. 
Mark  alone  gives  the  words  of  command,  Peace, 
be  still— And  the  wind  ceased,  and  there 
was  a  great  calm.  The  command  was  ad- 
dressed to  both  wind  and  wave,  and  both  obeyed. 
The  stopping  of  the  wind  might  have  been 
thought  an  accidental  coincidence,  for  these  sud- 
den storms  cease  as  suddenly  as  they  arise.  But 
it  always  requires  time  for  the  sea  to  subside ; 
here  the  calm  was  instant. 

40.  And  he  said  unto  them.    There  is  an- 


354 


MARK. 


[Ch.  V. 


CHAPTER    V. 


AND""  they  came  over  unto  the  other  side  of  the 
sea,  into  the  country  of  the  Gadarenes. 

2  And  when  he  was  come  out  of  the  ship,  immediate- 
ly there  met  him  out  of  the  tombs  a  man  with  an  un- 
clean spirit, 

3  Who  had  his  dwelling'  among  the  tombs:  and  no 
man  could  bind  him,  no,  not  with  chains: 

4  Because  that  he  had  been  often  bound  with  fetters 
and  chains,  and  the  chains  had  been  plucked  asunder 
by  him,  and  the  fetters  brolien  in  pieces :  neither  could 
any  tnan  tame  him. 


5  And  always,  night  and  day,  he  was  in  the  moun- 
tains, and  in  the  tombs,  crying,  and  cutting  himself 
with  stones. 

6  But  when  he  saw  Jesus  afar  off,  he  ran  and  wor- 
shipped J  him, 

7  And  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  and  said,  What  have  I 
to  do  with  thee,  Jesus,  thou  Son  of  the  most  high  God? 
I  adjure  thee  by  God,  that  thou  torment  me  not. 

8  For  he  said  unto  him.  Come''  out  of  the  man,  tkou 
unclean  spirit. 

9  And  he  asked  him,  What  is  thy  name?  And  he 
answered,  saying.  My  name  is  Legion;'  for  we  are 
many. 


h  Matt.  8  :  28,  etc. ;  Luke  8  :  26,  etc i  Isa.  65  :  4 j  Ps.  72  :  9 k  Acts  16:  18;  Heb.  2:  14;  IJohn  3  :  8 1  Matt.  12:45. 


Other  instructive  difference  in  the  three  reports  of 
the  Evangelists  here.  According  to  Matthew, 
Christ  first  rebuked  the  disciples ;  according  to 
Mark  and  Luke,  first  the  sea,  then  the  disciples. 
According  to  Matthew  he  characterizes  them  as 
of  '■'■  little  faith ; '''  according  to  Mark  he  asked, 
How  have  ye  no  faith  ?  according  to  Luke,  Where 
is  your  faith  ?  The  spirit  of  the  rebuke  is  the 
same  in  all  the  accounts  ;  very  probably  neither 
has  preserved  Christ's  exact  words.  That 
he  first  stilled  the  tempest  and  then  addressed 
his  admonition  to  the  disciples  seems  to  me 
most  probable  ;  for  during  the  howling  of  the 
storm  his  admonition  could  have  had  but  little 
effect.  Observe  that  it  is  Matthew,  whose  repre- 
sentation of  the  appeal  of  the  disciples  is,  Lord 
save,  we  perish,  who  reports  his  reply  as  "Ye  of 
little  faith."  There  may  have  been  a  glimmering 
hope  in  their  call,  that  he  who  had  wrought 
other  miracles  could  save  them  from  this  peril. 
That  they  did  not  expect  it  is  evident  from  the 
next  verse.  Trench  expresses  well  their  mental 
state.  "  They  had  it  (faith)  as  the  weapon 
which  a  soldier  has,  but  cannot  lay  hold  of  at  the 
moment  when  he  needs  it  the  most.  Their  sin 
lay,  not  in  seeking  help  of  him  ;  for  this  indeed 
became  them  well ;  but  in  the  excess  of  their  ter- 
ror." It  must  not,  however,  be  forgotten  that 
the  peril  was,  in  seeming,  imminent.  Nothing 
less  would  have  terrified  these  fishermen,  accus- 
tomed to  the  perils  of  the  sea. 

41.  And  they  feared  exceedingly.  Mat- 
thew says,  Tfie  men  feared,  which  Alford  inter- 
prets as  "  the  men  who  were  in  the  ship,  besides 
our  Lord  and  his  disciples."  But  there  is  no  in- 
dication that  there  were  any  other  men.  See  ver. 
36.  That  his  disciples  should  be  astonished  at  the 
miracle  accords  with  what  is  said  of  them  on  other 

occasions    (Matt,  le  :  6,  l ;  Mark  6  :  52  ;    John  6  :  5-9  ;  20  :  25). 

The  direct  lesson  of  this  incident  appears  to 
me  to  be  that  Christ  is  the  Lord  of  nature,  that 
we  may  trust  him  in  times  of  peril  from  wind, 
or  lightning,  or  wave,  or  earthquake.  He  does 
not  always  deliver  ;  but  always  the  winds  and  the 
sea  obey  him.  Compare  the  O.  T.  teaching  of 
Psalms  89  :  8,  9 ;  93  :  4.     Contrast  with  his  com- 


mand to  nature  Elijah's  prayer  to  the  God  of 
nature  (james  s :  n,  is).  The  commentators  have 
delighted  to  treat  this  incident  allegorically. 
Thus  Augustine  :  "  We  are  sailing  in  this  life  as 
through  a  sea,  and  the  wind  rises,  and  storms  of 
temptation  are  not  wanting.  Whence  is  this, 
save  because  Jesus  is  sleeping  in  thee.  If  he 
were  not  sleeping  in  thee,  thou  wouldest  live 
calm  within.  But  what  means  this,  that  Jesus 
is  sleeping  in  thee,  save  that  thy  faith,  that 
which  is  from  Jesus,  is  slumbering  in  thine 
heart?  What  shalt  thou  do  to  be  delivered? 
Arouse  him,  and  say.  Master,  we  perish.  He 
wUl  awaken  ;  that  is,  thy  faith  will  return  to 
thee,  and  abide  with  thee  always.  When  Christ 
is  awakened,  though  the  tempest  beat  into,  yet 
it  will  not  fill  thy  ship ;  thy  faith  will  now  com- 
mand the  winds  and  the  waves,  and  the  danger 
will  be  over."  So  again  Quesnel :  "The  ship  in 
the  midst  of  the  sea  is  an  emblem  of  the  church 
in  the  midst  of  the  world.  We  ought  to  expect 
to  meet  with  tempests  in  the  church,  and  to  see 
it  covered  with  waves."  "  The  waves  of  heresy 
toss  it  from  without;  but  the  corruption  of 
manners  within,  like  the  water  which  beat  into 
this  ship,  puts  it  in  much  greater  danger  of  per- 
ishing." Carrying  out  this  allegory,  we  may 
observe,  (1)  Christ's  presence  does  not  prevent 
our  ship  of  life  from  being  endangered ;  but  if 
he  is  with  us  it  cannot  be  wrecked.  (2.)  Our 
unuttered  but  often  heart-felt  reproaches  of  a 
seemingly  indifferent  Christ,  "  Carest  thou  not 
that  we  perish?"  are  always  unjust.  (3.)  To 
timid  disciples,  who  imagine,  because  of  sudden 
and  serious  storms,  that  all  is  lost,  for  them- 
selves, their  children,  the  nation,  or  the  church, 
Christ  still  says,  Why  are  ye  fearful  ?  How  is  it 
that  ye  have  no  faith?  (4.)  He  does  not  always 
bring  the  help  he  might,  nor  as  soon  as  he  might 

(comp.  Mark  6  :  48  ;  John  11:6).      But  he  askS  US  tO  trUSt 

him  alike  when  he  comes  and  when  he  tarries, 
when  he  seems  to  be  watching  and  when  he  seems 
to  be  sleeping. 

Ch.  5  :  1-21.  Cure  of  the  Gadarene  De- 
moniac. Matt.  8  :  28-35 ;  Luke  8  :  26-39.  See 
notes  on  Matthew,  where  I  have  discussed,  briefly, 


Ch.  v.] 


MAKK. 


355 


10  And  he  besought  him  much,  that  he  would  not 
send  them  away  out  of  the  country. 

11  Now  there  was  there,  nigh  unto  the  mountains,  a 
great  herd  of  swine  ■"  feeding. 

12  And  all  the  devils  besought"  him,  saying.  Send  us 
into  the  swine,  that  we  may  enter  into  them. 

13  And  forthwith  Jesus  gave"  them  leave.  And  the 
unclean  spirits  went  out,  and  entered  into  the  swine : 
and  the  herd  ran  violently  down  a  steep  place  into  the 
sea,  (they  were  about  two  thousand,)  and  were  choked 
in  the  sea. 

14  And  they  that  fed  the  swine  fled,  and  told  it  in  the 
city,  and  in  the  country.  And  they  went  out  to  see 
what  it  was  that  was  done. 

15  And  they  come  to  Jesus,  and  see  him  that  was 
possessed  with  the  devil,  and  p  had  the  legion,  sitting, 
and  clothed,  and  in  his  right  mind:  and  they  were 
afraid. 1 


16  And  they  that  saw  it,  told  them  how  it  befell  to 
him  that  was  possessed  with  the  devil,  and  also  con- 
cerning the  swine. 

17  And  they  began  to  pray  him  to  depart'  out  of 
their  coasts. 

18  And  when  he  was  come  into  the  ship,  he  that  had 
been  possessed  with  the  devil  prayed  him  that  he 
might  be  with  him. 

19  Howbeit,  Jesus  sufl^ered  him  not,  but  saith  unto 
him,  Go  home  to  thy  friends,  and '  tell  them  how  great 
things  the  Lord  hath  done  for  thee,  and  hath  had  com- 
passion on  thee. 

20  And  he  departed,  and  began  to  publish  in  Decapo- 
lis  how  great  things  Jesus  had  done  for  him :  and  all 
7nen  did  marvel. 

21  And  when  Jesus  was  passed  over  again  by  ship 
unto  the  other  side,  much  people  gathered  unto  him : 
and  he  was  nigh  unto  the  sea. 


7,8;  Deut.  I4:8....n 
q  Job  13:  11;  Ps.  14: 


10,  12;  2:6,6 


Rev.  13:7;  1  Pet.  3  :  22 ;  Job  5  :  26. . .  .p  Isa.  49  :  25  ;  Col, 
Job  21:  14;  Luke6:8j  Acts  16  :  39.... s  Pa.  66  :  16  ;  Ua.  38  :  19. 


the  phenomena  of  demoniacal  possession,  p.  133. 
Matthew  mentions  two  possessed  of  devils,  Mark 
and  Luke  but  one.  On  this  discrepancy  see 
notes  on  Luke. 

3-6.  This  description  of  the  possessed  is  more 
detailed,  definite,  and  graphic 
ithan  is  afforded  by  either  of  ^^»    " — 

the  other  Evangelists.     Mat  _  r    _    *"  ' 

thew  attempts  no  descrip 
tion  ;  Luke's  is  briefer.  The 
great  muscular  strength,  and 
the  habit  of  self- wounding 
here  referred  to,  are  not  un 
common  in  certain  cases  of 
modern  lunacy.  Luke  adds 
that  "  he  wore  no  clothes ,  ' 
and  the  propensity  to  go  en 
tirely  naked  is  also  charac 
teristic  of  certain  forms  of 
mental  disease.  The  tombs 
are  not  infrequently  used  in 
Palestine  by  certain  of  the 
poorer  classes  as  dwelling 
places.  Their  character 
(caves  cut  in  the  rock)  makes 
them  a  perfect  shelter 
Tombs  are  found  in  the  im 
mediate  vicinity  of  Ger&a, 
the  scene  of  this  miracle 
The  annexed  cut  of  such  a 
tomb  is  from  The  New  Testa- 
ment Illustrated. 

10.  That  he  would  not 
send  them  out  of  the 
country.  Equivalent  to, 
"That  he  would  not  com-  i 

mand  them  to  go  out  into 
the  deep,"  that  is,  back  into 
their  prison-house.  See  Luke 
8  :  31,  note. 

18-20.  On  this  request  and  Christ's  reply,  see 
note  on  Luke  8  :  38,  .39.  It  is  not  mentioned  by 
Matthew.— Decapolis.  See  note  on  Matt.  4  :  25, 


Ch.  5  :  22-43.  CURE  OF  THE  WOMAN  WITH  AN  IS- 
SUE OF  BLOOD.-RAISINU  OF  JAIRDS'  DAUGHTER.- 
Cheist's  cure  of  superstition.— Christ's  inter- 
pretation OF  DEATH. 

Compare  Matt    9     18-26,  and  Luke  8    41-56 


BOCK  CUT    TOMB   AT    GADAKA. 


Matthew  gives  a  definite  note  of  time,  from  which 
it  appears  that  these  miracles  immediately  fol- 
lowed the  feast  made  by  Matthew  or  Levi  to  Christ 
(Matt.  9 :  is).    But  whcQ  that  fcast  was  given  is  not 


356 


MARK. 


[Oh.  V. 


22  And,'  beholdj  there  cometh  one  of  the  rulers  of 
the  synagogue,  Jairus  by  name  ;  and  when  he  saw  him, 
he  fell  at  his  feet, 

23  And  besought  him  greatly,  saying,  My  little 
daughter  lieth  at  the  point"  of  death  :  I  pray  thee,  come 
and  lay  thy  hands  on  her,  that  she  may  be  healed  ;  and 
she  shall  live. 

24  And  Jesus  went  with  him  ;  and  much  people  fol- 
lowed him,  and  thronged  him. 

25  And  a  certain  woman,  which  had  an  issue"  of 
blood  twelve  years, 

26  And  had  suflFered  many  things  of  many  physicians. 


and  had  spent  all  that  she  had,  and  was  nothing  ^  bet- 
tered, but  rather  grew  worse, 

27  When  she  had  heard  of  Jesus,  came  in  the  press 
behind,  and  touched  ^  his  garment : 

28  For  she  said.  If  I  may  touch  but  his  clothes,  I 
shall  be  whole. 

29  And  straightway  the  fountain  of  her  blood  was 
dried  up :  and  she  felt  in  her  body  that  she  was  healed 
of  that  plague. 

30  And  Jesus,  immediately  knowing  in  himself  that 
virtue  y  had  gone  out  of  him,  turned  him  about  m  the 
press,  and  said,  Who  touched  my  clothes  ? 


t  Mutt.  9  :  18, 


BO    clear  (see  Matt.  9  :  9-13,  Prel.  Note,  p.  IJ?).       There  iS 

some  dill'erence  in  the  accounts  of  the  three 
Evangelists,  those  of  Mark  and  Luke  heing  much 
fuller  than  that  of  Matthew.  The  comparison 
of  these  three  accounts  is  instructive,  and  indi- 
cates the  independence  of  the  narrators,  while 
their  substantial  accord  sustains  their  trustwor- 
thiness. The  more  important  differences  are 
noted  below. 

22.  One  of  the  rulers  of  the  synagogue. 
That  is,  one  of  the  board  of  presbyters  or  elders 
who  managed  the  affairs  of  the  synagogue ; 
probably  the  chief  or  president  of  the  board. 
See  Matt.  4  :  23,  note.— He  fell  at  his  feet. 
Matthew's  language,  worshipped  Mm,  is  inter- 
preted by  the  language  here  and  in  Luke.  See 
Matt.  8  :  2,  note. 

23,  24.  My  little  daughter.  She  was  an 
only  daughter,  twelve  years  old  (Luke  8  :  42). — 
Lieth  at  the  point  of  death.  Matthew  re- 
ports Jairus  as  saying,  "  My  daughter  is  even 
now  dead."  But  Matthew  makes  no  mention  of 
the  delegation  described  here  in  verse  3.5,  which 
reported  her  death.  He  probably  embodied 
the  two  appeals  in  one,  giving  a  summary  of  the 
events  which  Mark  and  Luke  more  fully  de- 
scribe. Luke's  language  is,  "She  lay  a  dying." 
— And  she  shall  live.  He  speaks  with  an  as- 
surance of  faith. — And  much  people  folloAV- 
ed  him.  Perhaps  drawn  by  curiosity  to  see 
whether  he  could  heal  the  maiden.  This  would 
furnish  an  additional  reason  for  Christ's  exclu- 
sion of  all  from  the  room  (ver.  40). 

25-29.  An  issue  of  blood.  A  hemorrhage, 
either  from  the  bowels  or  the  womb,  probably 
the  latter.  A  private  note  from  Dr.  William  H. 
Thomson,  of  New  York,  to  me,  in  reply  to  a 
question  on  this  subject,  states  the  reasons  for 
this  opinion  to  be,  (1)  that  the  latter  disease  is 
much  more  common  with  females  than  the  for- 
mer ;  (3)  that  certain  peculiar  conditions  produce 
prolonged  attacks  of  uterine  hemorrhage,  which 
are  still  unmanageable  by  the  most  proficient 
members  of  the  profession,  and  that  Lev.,  ch. 
15,  contains  severe  regulations  concerning  the 
latter,  but  says  nothing  concerning  the  former 
disease.     He  adds  the  noteworthy  suggestion : 


"I  think  the  circumstances  of  the  N.  T.  narra- 
tive render  the  inference  almost  certain  that  this 
account  was  meant  for  the  consolation  of  those 
multitudes  of  stricken  women,  in  all  ages,  who 
seem  to  be  afflicted  with  sorrows  in  very  unequal 
measure,  compared  with  the  strongerr,  and  so 
generally  also  the  more  depraved,  sex." — And 
had  suffered  many  things  of  many  physi- 
cians. Medicine  was  not  in  that  age  a  science  ; 
disease  was  exorcised  by  charms ;  the  physicians 
resembled  in  knowledge  and  practice  the  medi-* 
cine-man  of  the  North  American  Indians.  See 
Abbott's  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  pp.  157,  158.  Light- 
foot  gives  an  account  of  some  of  the  prescrip- 
tions contained  in  the  Eabbinical  books  for  this 
disease.  One  will  suffice  to  illustrate  the  sort 
of  things  she  had  suffered  from  the  physicians : 
"  Let  them  dig  seven  ditches,  in  which  let  them 
bum  some  cuttings  of  such  vines  as  are  not  cir- 
cumcised {i.  e.,  are  not  yet  four  years  old) ;  let 
her  take  in  her  hand  a  cup  of  wine ;  let  them 
lead  her  away  from  this  ditch,  and  make  her  sit 
down  over  that ;  let  them  remove  her  from  that, 
and  make  her  sit  down  over  another.  In  every 
removal  you  must  say  to  her,  'Arise  for  thy 
flux.'" — But  rather  grew  Avorse.  Observe 
her  sorrowful  condition,  sick,  impoverished, 
helpless. — Touched  his  garment.  Matthew 
and  Luke  say,  "The  hem  of  his  garment."  This 
was  a  peculiar  fringe,  required  by  the  law  (Nnmb. 
15 :  37^0 ;  Deut.  22 :  12).  The  Jews  paid  to  it  a  super- 
stitious reverence  (Matt.  23 : 6,  note  and  iiius.).  Shar- 
ing this  superstition,  and  imagining  that  Christ 
healed  by  a  sort  of  magic,  this  woman  touched 
it  in  hope  of  cure.  An  ordinary  teacher  would 
have  rebuked  her  superstition ;  Christ  used  it  to 
teach  her  better.  Observe  that  Christ  complied 
with  Jewish  law  and  Jewish  usage  in  his  attire. — 
For  she  said.  "  Within  herself  "  (Matt.  9:21). — 
She  Avas  healed.  Compare  Mark  6  :  56 ;  Luke 
6  :  19,  for  similar  cases  of  healing,  in  all  of  which, 
however,  says  Olshausen,  "the  cures  plainly  ap- 
pear to  be  actions  of  his  (Christ's)  will."  See, 
also,  Acts  5  :  15 ;  19  :  12. 

30.  Jesus  immediately  knowing  that 
power  had  gone  out  of  him.  According  to 
Luke,  he  said,  "I  perceive  that  power  is  gone 


Ch.  v.] 


MAEK. 


357 


31  And  his  disciples  said  unto  him,  Thou  seest  the 
multitude  thronging  thee,  and  sayest  thou.  Who 
touched  me  ? 

32  And  he  looked  round  about  to  see  her  that  had 
done  this  thing. 


33  But  the  woman,  fearing  and  trembling,  knowing 
what  was  done  in  her,  came  and  fell  down  before  him, 
and  told  ^  him  all  the  truth. 

34  And  he  said  unto  her,  Daughter,  thy  faith  "  hath 
made  thee  whole :  go  i'  in  peace,  and  he  whole  of  thy 
plague. 


i  ch.  10  :  52  ;  Acts  14  :  9 b  1  ! 


;  17;  20:42;  2  Kings  6  :  19. 


out  of  me. "  He  consciously  put  forth  the  power 
for  her  healing.  The  idea  that  the  woman  was 
healed  by  the  garment  and  without  the  conscious 
will  of  Christ,  repeats  the  superstition  of  the 
woman,  which  this  incident  is  recorded  to  cor- 
rect. Christ,  not  his  garment,  healed.  See 
below,  Lessons  of  (Ids  incident. — And  said,  Who 
touched  my  clothes  ?  Not  because  he  was 
ignorant,  for  his  searching  glance  showed  to  the 
woman  that  she  was  not  hid  from  him  (Luke  8 :  47), 
but  to  draw  out  her  confession  of  her  faith.  For 
illustration  of  similar  questions,  see  Gen.  3:9; 
4  ;  9  ;  2  Kings  5  :  3.5  ;  Luke  24  :  19.  Olshausen 
and  Trench  compare  the  question  to  that  of  "  a 
father  coming  among  his  children,  and  demand- 
ing. Who  committed  this  fault?  himself  con- 
scious, even  while  he  asks,  but  at  the  same  time 
willing  to  bring  the  culprit  to  a  free  confession, 
and  so  to  put  him  in  a  pardonable  state." 

31.  His  disciples  said  unto  him.  Peter 
was  the  spokesman  ( Luke  8 :  45).  The  commentators 
have  noted  the  difference  between  thronging 
Christ  and  touching  him.  "  Many  throng  Christ ; 
his  in  name ;  near  to  him  outwardly ;  in  actual 
contact  with  the  sacraments  and  ordinances  of 
his  church ;  yet  not  touching  him,  because  not 
drawing  nigh  in  faith,  not  looking  for,  and  there- 
fore not  obtaining,  life  and  healing  from  Him." 
— {Trench.)  The  contrasted  notes  of  Words- 
worth and  Alford  on  this  verse  are  so  suggestive 
that  I  transcribe  them  both.  "  A  solemn  warn- 
ing to  all. who  crowd  on  Christ ;  who  use  his  name 
lightly  and  profanely  ;  who  make  familiar  ad- 
dresses to  him  in  so-called  religious  hymns ; 
who  treat  with  carelessness  and  irreverence  his 
day,  his  house,  his  sacraments,  his  ministers ;  or 
who  read  his  holy  Scriptures  in  a  carping  spirit, 
handling  them  as  a  common  book.  Although 
such  as  these  may  crowd  upon  Christ  in  his 
word,  with  a  pressure  of  earthly  labor  and 
learning,  they  never  touch  him." — {Wordsioorth.) 
"  It  is  difficult  to  imagine  how  the  miracle  should 
be,  as  Dr.  Wordsworth,  '  a  solemn  warning  to  all 
who  crowd  on  Christ ; '  or  how  such  a  forbidding 
to  come  to  him  could  be  reconciled  with  '  Come 
unto  me,  all  ye  that  labor. '  Rather  should  we 
say,  seeing  it  was  one  of  those  that  thus  crowded 
on  him  who  obtained  grace  from  him,  that  it  is  a 
blessed  encouragement  to  us  not  only  to  crowd 
on  him,  but  even  to  touch  him  ;  so  to  crowd  on 
him  as  never  to  be  content  until  we  have  grasped, 
if  it  be  but  his  garment,  for  ourselves ;  not  to  de- 


spise or  discourage  any  of  the  least  of  those  who 
make  familiar  addresses  to  him  in  so-called 
religious  hymns,  seeing  that  thus  some  of  them 
may  touch  him  to  the  healing  of  their  souls.  I 
much  fear  that  if  my  excellent  friend  had  been 
keeping  order  among  the  multitude  on  the  way 
to  the  house  of  Jairus,  this  poor  woman  would 
never  have  been  allowed  to  get  near  to  Jesus. 
But  I  hope  and  trust  that  he  and  I  shall  rejoice 
together  one  day  in  his  presence,  amidst  a  greater 
crowd,  whom  no  man  can  number,  of  all  na- 
tions and  kindreds  and  peoples  and  tongues." — 
{Alford.) 

32.  To  see  her  who  had  done  this  thing. 
Observe,  not  to  see  who  had  done  it,  i.  e.,  inquir- 
ingly, but  to  see  her  who  had  done  it.  The  impli- 
cation is  that  she  was  already  known  to  him. 

33,  34.  The  woman  fearing  and  trem- 
bling. If  the  hemorrhage  was  from  the  womb, 
the  woman  would  be  ceremonially  unclean,  and 
whoever  touched  her  would  be  unclean  until 
even  (Lev.  15 :  25, 27).  Perhaps  the  woman  feared 
Christ's  anger,  and  his  rebuke  for  polluting  him 
by  her  touch,  or  possibly,  the  indignation  of 
others  in  the  crowd,  in  which  she  had  joined, 
without  in  any  way  indicating  her  uncleanness. 
It  thus  showed  a  very  considerable  confidence 
in  him,  to  throw  herself  upon  his  compassion  and 
tell  all,  as  she  did. — Knowing  what  Avas  done 
in  her.  And  that  "  she  was  not  hid  "  (Luke  8 :  47). 
— Thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole. — Be- 
cause by  faith  she  had  laid  hold  on  Christ  who 
had  made  her  whole.  Compare  Ephes.  2  :  8. 
"  More  than  once  a  person  first  learned  that  he 
had  faith  when  the  Saviour  told  him  of  it." — 
{Bengel.) — Go  in  peace.  So  the  healing  was  to 
mind  as  well  as  to  body.  Go,  not  fearing  and 
trembling,  nor  in  uneasiness  lest  the  trouble 
return. — Be  whole  of  thy  plague,  i.  e.,  perma- 
nently whole.  These  words  are  Christ's  assur- 
ance that  the  relief  is  not  temporary  but  final. 

Lesson  of  this  incident.  To  suppose  that  vir- 
tue resided  in  Jesus'  garment,  not  in  his  will, 
is  to  wholly  miss  the  meaning  of  this  incident. 
The  woman  superstitiously  reverenced  the  sacred 
fringe  and  pressed  forward  to  touch  it,  hoping 
so  to  be  healed.  Christ  knowing  her  approach 
cured  her,  not  by  touch,  or  even  word,  but  by  a 
mere  act  of  will.  Then,  when  she  was  healed, 
he  turned  him  about,  fixed  his  eye  upon  her, 
then  made  manifest  to  her  that  she  was  not 
hid  and  by  his  question  called  forth  a  public 


358 


MAEK. 


35  While  he  yet  spake,  there  came  from  the  ruler  of 
the  synagogue's  house,  certain  which  said,  Thy  daugh- 
ter is  dead :  <=  why  troublest  thou  the  Master  any  tur- 
ther? 

36  As  soon  as  Jesus  heard  the  word  that  was  spoken, 
he  saith  unto  the  ruler  of  the  synagogue,  Be  not  afraid, 
only ''  believe. 


[ChV. 


37  And  he  suffered  no  man  to  follow  him,  save «  Pe- 
ter, and  James,  and  John  the  brother  of  James. 

38  And  he  cometh  to  the  house  of  the  ruler  of  the 
synagogue,  and  seeth  the  tumult,  and  them  that  wept 


wailed  greatly. 
^9  And  when  he 
■H  hy  make  ye  this  ado,  and  weep  ?  the  damsel  is  not 


(9  And  when  he  was  come  in,  he  saith  unto  them, 
hy  make  ye  this     '  '  ~    ' 

dead,  but  sleepeth.' 


2  Chron.  20  :  20  ;  Jobn  11  :  40. 


ch.  9  :  2 ;  14  :  33. 


•  f  John  II  :  11-13. 


confession  from  her  who,  before  the  healmg, 
lacked  the  courage  to  make  it.  So  interpreted 
I  find  in  it  these  lessons  :  (1.)  It  is  not  merely 
intelligent  faith  which  saves,  but/ai/^,  even  when 
mated  to  and  marred  by  superstition.  The 
superstitious  reverence  which  regards  the  hem 
of  Christ's  garment  is  better  than  the  super- 
cilious wisdom  which  rejects  Christ  himself. 
*' This  is  a  most  encouraging  miracle  for  us  to 
recollect  when  we  are  disposed  to  think  despond- 
ingly  of  the  ignorance  or  superstition  of  much 
of  the  Christian  world ;  that  he  who  accepted 
this  woman  for  her  faith,  even  in  error  and  weak- 
ness, may  also  accept  them." — (Alford.")  (2.) 
The  proper  method  of  dealing  with  and  curing 
honest  superstition,  viz.,  not  by  attacking  the 
superstition,  but  by  encouraging  the  faith  which 
underlies  it,  and  directing  that  faith  from  the 
material  object  to  the  living  Christ.  Compare 
Paul's  course  in  Athens,  Acts  17  :  23,  23,  note, 
and  apply  to  our  dealings  with  honest  Komanists 
whose  faith  in  the  hem  of  Christ's  garment  is 
sometimes  a  rebuke  to  our  doubt  of  Christ  him- 
self. (3.)  Christ's  tenderness  with  the  weak  and 
the  ignorant.  "A  bruised  reed  will  he  not 
break. ' '  Ignorance  and  error  need  never  keep  the 
soul  from  him.  "  It  would  have  been  too  hard  to 
have  required  her,  before  her  cure,  to  speak 
openly  vn  the  presence  of  the  people.  Our  gra- 
cious Lord,  therefore,  softened  the  diflBculty  by 
making  this  demand  subsequent  to  the  cure,  and 
thus  helped  her  along  the  narrow  way."  — 
(OMausen.)  (4.)  But  he  required  an  open  con- 
fession, a  very  striking  illustration  of  the  truth 
that  "  Christ  will  have  himself  openly  confessed, 
and  not  only  secretly  sought ;  that  our  Christian 
life  is  not,  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  merely  a 
thing  between  ourselves  and  God ;  but  a  good 
confession  to  be  witnessed  '  before  all  the  people ' 
(Luke  8  :  4^)." —  {Alford.)  Comp.  Matt.  10  :  32; 
1  Tim.  6  :  12. 

35,  36.  There  came  *  *  *  certain. 
According  to  Luke,  a  single  messenger ;  Mark's 
language  indicates  more  than  one.  Probably 
others,  volunteers,  accompanied  the  messenger. 
— Thy  dan^hter  is  dead.  It  is  clear,  then, 
-that  the  immediate  friends  did  not  believe  in  the 
modem  theory  +.hat  this  was  a  case  of  syncope. 
—Why  troublest  thou  the  Master?  This 
might  be  the  language  of  those  who  truly  recog- 


nize in  Jesus  a  Master.  I  should  rather  regard 
it  as  an  indication  that  only  the  ruler  had  faith 
in  Christ,  and  that  his  friends,  who  could  not  dis- 
suade him  from  appealing  to  our  Lord  while  his 
daughter  lived,  hoped  to  do  so  by  the  report  of 
her  death.  The  language  of  verse  40  confirms  this 
opinion. — As  soon  as  Jesus  had  overheard. 
The  original  in  the  best  MSS.  indicate  that  the 
message  was  not  intended  for  Jesus,  but  was  over- 
heard by  him.  Tischendorf  renders  it,  Having 
casually  heard  the  word  ;  Alf ord,  Having  straight- 
way (yverlieard.  It  is  noted  that  Christ  anticipates 
the  ruler  and  speaks  words  of  cheer,  before  the 
latter  can  give  expression  to  doubt  and  fear. — 
Be  not  afraid;  only  believe.  Luke  adds, 
"And  she  shall  be  made  whole." 

37.  The  whole  multitude,  doubtless,  followed 
Jesus  to  the  house.  It  was  after  the  exclusion  of 
the  mourners  (verse  4o)  that  he  sufiered  only  the 
three  disciples  and  the  parents  to  go  with  him 
into  the  room  where  the  dead  lay.  This  is  the 
first  time,  but  not  the  last,  that  peculiar  honor 
was  conferred  upon  these  three.  Comp.  Mark 
9:2;  14  :  33.  Why  this  choice  among  the  chosen 
twelve  ?  We  can  no  more  answer,  than  we  can 
tell  why,  in  this  day,  Christ  discriminates  in  his 
gifts  to  his  church.    We  can  only  say,  It  is  his  wUl. 

38.  Them  that  wept  and  wailed  greatly. 
Including  professional  mourners,  in  Matthew 
designated  as  "minstrels."  "In  the  Orient,  yet 
more  than  with  us,  mourning  customs  are  con- 
ventional. Fashion  dictates  them.  The  friends 
of  the  dead  beat  their  breasts,  make  the  house 
resound  with  their  lamentations,  cover  their 
heads,  cut  their  flesh,  put  on  the  habiliments 
of  grief,  and  rend  their  garments.  There  are 
with  them,  as  with  us,  various  shades  of  grief 
nicely  expressed  m  external  symbol.  The  length 
of  the  rent  in  the  garments  is  accurately  deter- 
mined by  the  relation  of  the  deceased.  Profes- 
sional women,  skillful  in  the  simulation  of  grief, 
are  hired  to  swell  the  songs  of  lamentation  on 
these  occasions  (jer.  e :  n,  i3 ;  Amos  5 :  16).  Acquaint- 
ing themselves  with  the  private  sorrows  of  their 
auditors,  and  interweaving  in  their  chants  the 
stoi-y  of  their  woes,  they  evoke  their  tears,  and 
thus  add  amateur  to  professional  weeping.  Such 
was  the  scene  which  Christ  found  enacted  in  the 
house  of  the  prelate  when  he  arrived." — {AhhoiVs 
Jesus  of  Nazareth.)    Playing  of  dirges  on  flutes 


Ch.  v.] 


MAEK. 


359 


40  And  they  laughed  him  to  scorn.  But  when  he 
had  put  them  all  out,  he  taketh  the  father  and  the 
mother  of  the  damsel,  and  them  that  were  with  him, 
and  entereth  in  where  the  damsel  was  lying. 

41  And  he  took  the  damsel  by  the  hand,  and  said 
unto  her,  Talitha  cumi :  which  is,  being  interpreted, 
Damsel,  I  say  unto  thee,  arise.s 


42  And  straightway  the  damsel  arose,  and  walked ; 
for  she  was  of  the  age  of  twelve  years.  And  they  were 
astonished  with  a  great  astonishment. 

43  And  he  charged ''  them  straitly  that  no  man  should 
know  it;  and  commanded  that  something  should  be 
given  her  to  eat. 


gActs9:40 h  ch.  3:  12;  Matt.  8:4;  12:16-18;  Luke  6:  14. 


or  other  instruments  accompanied  this  profes- 
sional mourning.  Similar  customs  prevailed  in 
Greece  and  Rome,  and  to  the  present  day  exist 
in  Ireland.  In  France  and  Italy  professional 
mourners  are  also  employed  in  the  funerals  of 
the  wealthy.  The  annexed  cut,  from  an  ancient 
sarcophagus,  represents  three  professional  mour- 
ners in  the  attitudes  and  actions  of  grief. 
Christ's  act  in  excluding  these  mourners  from 
the  house,  is  a  protest  against  conventional  and 
hypocritical  grief. 


ANCIENT  MOURNING-WOMEN. 

39»  Not  dead  but  sleepeth.  Even  so 
evangelical  a  writer  as  Olshausen  has  taken  this 
literally,  and  supposed  the  case  of  the  maiden  to 
he  one  of  syncope.  But,  according  to  Lightf  oot,  it 
was  a  common  thing  among  the  rabbis  to  express 
the  idea  of  death  by  the  metaphor  of  sleep. 
Christ's  language  here  is  not  more  explicit  than  in 
John  11 :  11.  Comp.  Deut.  31 :  16 ;  1  Thess.  4  :  13. 
The  whole  account  of  this  incident  is  inconsistent 
with  the  idea  that  the  maiden  was  simply  raised 
from  slumber  or  a  fainting  fit.  She  is  reported 
dead  by  the  messenger  (ver.  35) ;  is  known  to  be 
dead  to  the  bystanders  (Luke  8 :  53) ;  on  Christ's 
taking  her  by  the  hand  her  spirit  returns  to  her 

again   (Luke  8  :  65  ;    comp.  1  Kings  17  :  21,  22),    thOUgh    this 

does  not  of  itself  necessarily  imply  her  death 
(comp.  Judges  15 :  19) ;  and  the  account  of  the  cure 
(ver.  42,  note)  implies,  uot  a  natural  awakening  from 
sleep,  but  a  miraculous  resurrection  from  the 
dead.  It  seems  to  me  unquestionable  that  the 
historian  believed  in  the  death,  and  the  miracu- 
lous resurrection  from  the  dead,  of  this  maiden. 
40.  And  they  laughed  him  to  scorn. 
Because  they  knew  that  she  was  dead  (Luke  8 :  ss). 
Chrysostom  suggests  that  it  was  Christ's  object 


to  impress  upon  the  minds  of  the  people  the 
death  of  the  maiden,  that  he  might  anticipate 
the  objection  of  subsequent  unbelievers  that  she 
was  not  dead;  and  he  quotes  as  parallel  the 
cases  of  Moses  and  his  rod  (Exod.  4 : 2),  and  of 
Lazarus  (John  11  :  34,  39). — When  he  had  put 
them  all  out.  From  a  comparison  of  the  three 
accounts,  it  would  appear  that  the  minstrels 
were  in  an  outer  room  ;  Christ  stops  the  mourn- 
ing, orders  the  mourners  to  leave,  and  then  en- 
ters the  inner  room  where  the  damsel  is,  accom- 
panied only  by  the  parents  and  the  three 
disciples.  The  reason  of  this  exclusion,  and  of 
the  prohibition  of  verse  43,  is,  he  will  not  have 
the  faith  of  the  people  rest  on  his  miracle. 
Meyer  observes  that  Christ  never  forbids  that 
men  should  know  his  teaching.  He  has  no  mys- 
teries in  his  doctrines  which  he  hides  from  the 
public.  Observe  the  incidental  evidence  of  the 
father's  faith ;  though  the  maiden  is  dead,  he 
allows  the  mourning  to  be  stopped  and  the 
mourners  to  be  sent  away.  Christ  is  truly , 
"  master  "  in  this  house. 

41.  Talitha  cumi.  This  is  Aramaic,  the 
language  generally  spoken  by  the  common  peo- 
ple in  Palestine  at  the  t'ime  of  Christ.  Its  pres- 
ence here,  and  in  Mark  7  :  34  and  15  :  34,  is  an 
indication  that  Christ  used  this  language  in  his 
ordinary  intercourse  with  the  Jews.  But  some- 
times, as  in  his  conference  with  Pilate,  he  must 
probably  have  used  the  Greek.  The  indication 
of  verbal  fidelity  in  this  report  is  considered  an 
evidence  that  Mark  derived  his  report  from  Pe- 
ter, who  was  an  ear-witness. — Damsel  awake. 
"I  say  unto  thee"  is  properly  put  in  paren- 
thesis ;  it  is  not  in  the  original  Aramaic  phrase, 
but  is  added  as  an  interpretation  by  the  Evan- 
gelist. The  word  which  I  have  rendered  awaM 
is  different  from  that  translated  ariae  in  the  fol- 
lowing verse. 

42,  43.  And  straightway;  not  after  a 
time,  as  if  arousing  from  a  trance,  or  as  in  the 
case  of  the  boy  raised  by  the  prayer  of  Elisha 
(2 Kings 4 : 34, 35).— The  damscl  arose;  the  verb 
is  the  same  used  in  the  N.  T.  in  describing  un- 
doubted resurrection  from  the  dead  (Luke  16 :  31 ; 
John  6:54;  11  :  23, 24;  20:9) ;  and  Walked;  au  evi- 
dence of  the  completeness  of  her  restoration. 
One  who  had  been  at  the  point  of  death  (ver.  23), 
and  was  simply  aroused  from  syncope,  could  not 
have  walked,  except  by  the  miraculous  imparta- 


360 


MAEK. 


CHAPTER     VI. 


AND  he  went  out  from  thence,  and  came  into  his 
own  country ;  and  his  disciples  follow  him. 
2  And '  when  the  sabbath  day  was  come,  he  began  to 
teach  in  the  synagoeue  :  and  many,  hearing  him,  were 
astonished,  saying.  From  -i  whence  hath  this  man  these 


[Ch.  VI. 


things  ?  and  what  wisdom  is  this  which  is  given  unto 
him,  that  even  such  mighty  works  are  wrought  by  his 
hands  ? 

3  Is  not  this  the  carpenter,  the  son  of  Mary,  the 
brother  of  James,''  and  Joses,  and  of  Juda,  and  Simon? 
and  are  not  his  sisters  here  with  us  ?  And  they  were 
offended '  at  him. 


tion  of  strength.  The  command  to  give  her 
something  to  eat  evidenced  the  reality  of  the 
resurrection  ;  it  was  a  tangible  proof  to  the  par- 
ents that  it  was  no  apparition  they  saw.  Comp. 
Luke  24  :  30 ;  John  20  :  27  ;  21  :  13.  Perhaps  it 
was  given  in  part  to  prevent  too  great  revulsion 
of  feeling  in  the  parents,  by  giving  them  some- 


There  are  three  specific  cases  of  resurrection 
from  the  dead  wrought  by  Christ — this,  that  of 
the  son  of  the  widow  of  Nain  (Luke  7 :  n-is),  and 
that  of  Lazarus  (john,  ch.  n).  In  the  first  the 
miracle  is  performed  immediately  after  death  ;  in 
the  second,  at  least  twenty-four  hours  after 
death,  and  during  the  passage  of  the  funeral 
procession  to  the  grave  ;  in  the  third, 
four  days  after  burial,  and  after  corruj)- 
tion  would  naturally  have  commenced  ; 
in  the  first  case  privately,  in  the  second 
before  the  people,  in  the  third  before 
embittered  enemies ;  in  each  case  by 
a  word,  with  no  effort,  with  no  appeal 
to  God,  though  in  the  case  of  Lazarus 
with  a  public  acknowledgment  to  God. 
Thus  Christ  shows  his  power  to  destroy 
the  last  enemy,  which  is  death.  "Let 
no  man,  therefore,beat  himself  any  more, 
nor  wail,  neither  disparage  Christ's 
achievement.  For  indeed  he  overcame 
death.  Why  then  dost  thou  wail  for 
nought  ?  The  thing  is  become  a  sleep. 
Why  lament  and  weep  ?  ^^—{Chrysostom.) 


EGYPTIAN  CAUPENTER'S  TOOLS. 
1,  2, 3,  4.  ChiPels  and  drills.  9.  Horn  of  oil. 

5.  Part  of  drill.  10.  Mallet. 

6.  Nut  ofwood  belonging  to  drill.     11.  Bagr  for  nails. 

7.  8.  Saws.  12.  Basket  which  held 

thing  to  do.  Comp.  John  11  :  44.— They  were 
astonished.  Luke  says,  "Her  parents." — 
That  no  man  should  know  it.  Matthew, 
who  describes  this  event  from  the  position  of 
one  without,  and  gives  less  details,  says  that  the 
fame  of  the  miracle  went  abroad. 


Ch.  6  :  1-6.  Christ  Rejected 
AGAIN  AT  Nazareth.  Matt.  13  :  53-58. 
See  notes  there.  He  had  been  rejected 
by  the  Nazarenes  once  before  (Lnke4: 

14-29,  and  notes). 

2,    3.  Whence    hath   this    man 
these  things?    This  question  of  the 
Nazarenes    uttered    in    contempt,  we 
may  repeat  in  seriousness,  to  the  un- 
belief of  to-day,  which  accounts  Jesus 
of  Nazareth  only  a  carpenter's  son. — 
The  carpenter.    The  implication  is, 
that  he  actually  worked  with  his  father 
at  the  trade ;    and  it  is  confirmed  by 
the  fact  that  every  father  was  required 
by  Jewish    custom,  to  teach   his   son 
a  trade,  that  he  might  be  able  by  his 
industry  to  earn  an  independent  live- 
the  tools,  lihood.    The  fact  is  itself  a  rebuke  of 
the  unchristian  pride  which  despises  me- 
chanical employments.      The  Jews  derived  their 
civilization  largely  from  Egypt ;    therefore  the 
annexed  cut,  representing  the  tools  of  an  Egyp- 
tian carpenter,  the  originals  of  which  are  now  in 
the  British  Museum  (see  Wilkinson's  Egypt,  II, 
112),  probably  gives  a  just  idea  of  the  general 


Ch.  VL] 


MAEK. 


361 


4  But  Jesus  said  unto  them,'"  A  prophet  is  not  with- 
out honour,  but  in  his  own  country,  and  among  his 
own  kin,  and  in  his  own  house. 

5  And  ■>  he  could  there  do  no  mighty  work,  save  that  he 
laid  his  hands  upon  a  few  sick  folk,  and  healed  them. 

6  And  he  marvelled"  because  of  their  unbelief. 
AndP  he  went  round  about  the  villages,  teaching. 

7  Andi  he  called  unto  liiM  the  twelve,  and  began  to 
send  them  forth  by  two  and  two,  and  gave  them  power 
over  unclean  spirits  • 

8  And  commanded  them  that  they  should  take  noth- 
ing for  their  journey,  save  a  staff  only ;  no  scrip,  no 
bread,  no  money  in  their  purse : 


9  But  be  shod '  with  sandals ; '  and  not  put  on  two 
coats. 

10  And  he  said  unto  them.  In  what  place  soever  ye 
enter  into  an  house,  there  abide  till  ye  depart  from  that 
place. 

11  And  whosoever  shall  not  receive  you,  nor  hear 
you,  when  ye  depart  thence,  shakt '  off  the  dust  under 
your  feet  for  a  testimony  against  them.  Verily  I  say 
unto  you.  It  shall  be  more  tolerable  for  Sodom  and  Go- 
morrah in  the  day  of  judgment,  than  for  that  city. 

12  And  they  went  out,  and  preached  that  men  should 
repent." 

13  And  they  cast  out  many'  devils,  and  anointed 
with  oil™  many  that  were  sick,  and  healed  them. 


n  Matt. 

!.■) 

67; 

John  4 

44. 

..n  ch.  9 

2.3  ;  Gen.  19 

:  92. . 

..0 

Isa    59  •  16 

•    Je 

r.  2  :  12. . . 

p  Matt 

9  :  .35 ; 

Luke  13 

99 

A 

ts  10  ■  38 

oh 

3:13, 

Matt.  10  :  ; 

;  Luke  9 

l.etc;  10: 

, .  ,r 

Ephe».  6  : 

•8        t 

..u  Luke  24'' 

47 

Acta  2 

:3tj 

;  3 

19.... T 

Luke  10:  11.. 

.w  James  5 

14. 

nature  of  the  tools  used  in  Joseph's  carpeuter's 
shop  in  Nazareth. 

4.  Not  without  honor  but  in  his  own 
country.  A  superficial  knowledge  of  Jesus 
may  prevent  a  truer  and  more  spiritual  acquaint- 
ance with  him. 

5.  And  he  could  there  do  no  mighty 
work.  Matthew  states  definitely  the  reason, 
"because  of  their  unbelief  "  (Matt.  13 :  ss).  Alford 
says,  "The  want  of  ability  here  spoken  of  is  not 
absolute  but  relative.  The  same  voice  which  could 
still  the  tempest,  could  anywhere  and  under  any 
circumstances  have  commanded  diseases  to  obey ; 
but  in  most  cases  of  human  infirmity,  it  was  our 
Lord's  practice  to  require  faith  in  the  recipient 
of  aid,  and  that  being  wanting,  the  help  could 
not  be  given."  Similarly  Theophylact,  "Not  that 
he  was  weak,  but  that  they  were  faithless."  But 
is  this  all  ?  May  we  not  say  that  among  the  con- 
ditions to  which  Christ  subjected  himself  on  earth 
was  this,  that  he  put  forth  his  powers  of  healing 
only  as  a  means  of  spiritual  development,  and  only, 
therefore,  to  those  in  whom  at  least  a  germ  of 
faith  was  awakened ;  and  that  this  being  want- 
ing, he  could  not  heal,  without  violating  the  fun- 
damental principle  of  his  life  ?  Nay,  may  we  not 
go  further  and  think  it  at  least  probable,  since 
Christ  always  called  for  the  exercise  of  faith  in 
the  patient,  that  his  miraculous  cures  were  not 
wrought  merely  by  the  exercise  of  a  physical 
power  on  the  body,  but  in  a  considerable  meas- 
ure through  the  connection  of  mind  and  body, 
the  healing  power  of  Christ  having,  by  the  very 
constitution  of  human  nature,  to  act  on  the 
mental  or  spiritual  nature,  before  it  could  prove 
effectual  on  the  body,  and  hence  it  could  not  prove 
effectual  except  as  the  sufferer  exercised  faith  ? 
And  may  we  not  say  further,  that  this  essential 
principle  still  holds  good,  that,  by  its  very  nature, 
his  salvation  can  be  made  available  only  to  such 
as  are  willing  in  humble  trust  to  accept  it,  and 
that  where  that  trust  is  wanting,  it  is  still  true 
that  Christ  cannot  do  the  mighty  work  of  salva- 
tion? The  language  employed  here  does  not 
necessarily  imply  a  literal  want  of  power,  as  is  evi- 


dent from  the  analogous  expression  in  Gen.  32  :  25. 
That  the  divine  remedy  is  in  fact  efficacious  only 
where  there  is  faith  to  receive  it,  is  illustrated  and 
enforced  by  many  passages  of  Scripture.  See, 
for  examples,  Isaiah  59  : 1,  3 ;  Mark  9  :  23 ;  He- 
brews 4  :  2. 

6.  He  marveled.  Their  unbelief  was  a  real 
wonder  to  him.  Compare  Matt.  8  :  10,  note. — 
He  Avent  round  about  the  villages.  See 
Matt.  9  :  35,  note. 

7-13.  Christ  '  8  Commission  of  the  Twelve. 
Matt.  10  :  l-i2;  Luke  9  :  1-6.  The  account 
is  much  the  fullest  in  Matthew.  See  notes 
there.  According  to  Matthew  they  were  not 
to  provide  a  staff ;  here  one  is  permitted.  The 
true  explanation  is,  that  they  were  to  go  as  they 
were,  without  providing  a  staff  for  the  journey, 
but  using  one  if  they  already  possessed  it.  The 
scrip  was  a  bag  used  for  carrying  food,  answer- 
ing to  the  modern  haversack.  For  bread,  they 
were  to  depend  on  the  hospitality  of  the  villages 
(Matt.  10 :  11-14).  The  '■'■money''''  here  is,  literally, 
brass  or  copper  ;  even  the  smallest  money  was  not 
to  be  provided  by  them.  In  Matthew  they  are 
directed  not  to  wear  shoes  ;  here,  to  be  shod  with 
sandals.  The  shoe  of  the  ancients  resembled  the 
modem  shoe  ;  the  sandal  was  simply  a  sole  of 
leather,  felt,  cloth,  or  wood  bound  upon  the  feet 
by  thongs,  the  shoe-latchet  of  Mark  1  :  7.  The 
former  was  for  more  delicate  use.  See  Matt. 
10  :  10,  note.  Our  illustrations  show  the  staff 
and  the  scrip  of  the  East,  and  the  ancient  shoes 
and  sandals.  With  the  staff  and  scrip  is  also 
represented  a  leather  or  skin  bottle,  such  as 
travelers  often  used  for  carrying  liquids  on  jour- 
neys where  water  was  likely  to  be  inaccessible. 
The  reference  to  anointing  with  oil  (ver.  13)  is 
peculiar  to  Mark.  Oil  was  in  the  O.  T.  a  symbol 
of  divine  grace,  and  anointing  with  oil  a  symbol 
of  the  gift  of  the  Spirit.  See  Matt.  25  : 1-13, 
Prel.  Note.  Anointing  with  oil  appears  here  to 
have  been  used  as  a  means  of  teaching  the  lesson 
that  the  healing  was  wrought  by  the  disciples, 
not  as  necromancers — with  whom  they  might 
otherwise  have  been  confounded,  but  as  Apostles 


MAKK. 


[Ch.  VI. 


14  And"  king  Herod  heard  0/  hivt;  (for  his  name 
was  spread  abroad  ;)  and  he  said,  That  John  the  Bap- 
tist was  risen  from  the  dead,  and  therefore  mighty 
works  do  shew  forth  themselves  in  him. 

15  Others  y  said,  That  it  is  Elias.  And  others  said, 
That  it  is  a  prophet,  or  as  one  of  the  prophets. 


16  But  when  Herod  heard  thereof,  he  said.  It  is  John, 
whom  I  beheaded :  he  is  risen  from  the  dead. 

17  For  Herod  himself  had  sent  forth  and  laid  hold 
upon  John,  and  bound  him  in  prison,  for  Herodias' 
sake,  his  brother  Philip's  wife:  for  he  had  married 
her. 


X  Matt.  14  :  1,  etc. ;  Luke  9  :  7,  etc y  ch.  8  :  28  ;  Matt,  16  :  14. 


of  the  Lord,  and  through  the  gift  of  his  grace. 
It  is  evident  from  the  general  tenor  of  the  in- 
structions that  the  oil  was  not  taken  by  them, 
but  was  such  as  they  found  at  the  houses.    The 


practice  of  using  oil  in  this  way  was  practiced 
long  after  (james  5 :  14).  There  is  nothing  in  this 
passage  to  justify  the  extreme  unction  of  the 
Romish  Church,  for  that  is  administered  in  the 


STAFF,  SCKIP,  AND  SKIN  BOTTLE. 

hour  of  death,  to  prepare  the  soul  spiritually  for 
the  last  great  change  ;  this  in  case  of  sickness,  as 
a  symbol  of  the  miraculous  gift  of  restoration  of 
the  body  to  health. 

14-29.  The  Death  op  John  the  Baptist. 
Matt.  14  : 1-13 ;  Luke  9  :  7-9.  See  notes  on  Mat- 
thew. Luke  refers  to,  but  does  not  describe  the 
death  of  John  the  Baptist.  Mark  gives  some  par- 
ticulars not  given  in  Matthew.  From  his  account 
we  learn  that  it  was  Herodias  who  instigated  the 
imprisonment  of  John  (ver.  n),  that  Herod  was 
kept  back  from  earlier  putting  John  to  death, 
not  only  by  a  fear  of  the  people  (Matt,  u :  5),  but 
also  by  a  real  regard  for  the  prophet  (ver.  20),  that 
the  snare  for  the  king  was  laid  by  the  mother 
(ver.  21,  note),  that  the  maiden  went  and  asked 
counsel  of  her  mother  before  preferring  her  re- 
quest for  the  head  of  the  prophet,  and  that  he 
was  beheaded  by  one  of  the  Tetrarch's  body-guard 
(ver.  27,  note).  On  the  true  chronology,  see  Matt. 
14:1. 

14.  And  king  Herod  heard  of  him.  In 
strictness  of  speech  he  was  Tetrarch,  not  king. 
Matt.  14  : 1.— His  name  was  spread  ahroad. 
Increasingly  so  by  the  mission  of  the  twelve. 

15.  A  prophet,  like  one  of  the  prophets. 


The  conjunction  or  is  not  in  the  original,  Alford 
gives  the  meaning  well :  "He  is  not  the  Prophet 
for  whom  all  are  waiting,  but  only  some  prophet 
like  those  who  have  gone  before." 

17.  Bound  him  in  prison.  This  prison, 
as  we  learn  from  Josephus,  was  in  the  fortified 
citadel  of  Machserus.  See  Matt.  11  :  2,  note. 
Recent  investigations  have  brought  to  light  the 
ruins  of  this  fortress,  and  even  the  dungeons 
connected  with  it.  Mr.  Tristram  {Land  of  Ifoab, 
p.  272)  thus  describes  the  citadel  and  dungeons 
annexed  to  it :  "The  citadel  was  placed  on  the 
summit  of  the  cone,  which  is  the  apex  of  a  long 
flat  ridge,  running  for  more  than  a  mile  from  west 
to  east.  Tlie  whole  of  this  ridge  appears  to  have 
been  one  extensive  fortress,  the  key  of  which 
was  kept  on  the  top  of  the  cone,  an  isolated  and 
almost  impregnable  work,  but  very  small,  being 
circular  and  exactly  one  hundred  yards  in  diam- 
eter. The  wall  of  circumvallation  can  be  clearly 
traced,  its  foundations  all  standing  out  for  a 
yard  or  two  above  the  surface  ;  but  the  interior 
remains  are  few.  One  well  of  great  depth,  a  very 
large  and  deep,  oblong,  cemented  cistern,  with  the 
vaulfring  of  the  roof  still  remaining,  and— most 
interesting  of  all — two  dungeons,  one  of  them 


Oh.  VI.] 


MAEK. 


363 


i8  For  John  had  said  unto  Herod,  It  is  not  lawful' 
for  thee  to  have  thy  brother's  wife.     , 

19  Therefore  Herodias  had  a  quarrel  against  him,  and 
would  have  killed  him  ;  but  she  could  not. 

20  For  Herod  feared"  John,  knowing  that  he  was  a 
just  man  and  an  holy,  and  observed  him  ;  and  when  he 
heard  him,  he  did  many  things,  and  heard  him  gladly. 

21  And  when  a  convenient  day  was  come,  that  Her- 
od on  his "  birthday  made  a  supper  to  his  lords,  high 
captains,  and  chief  estates  of  Galilee  ; 

22  And  when  the  daughter  of  the  said  Herodias  came 
in,  and  danced,^  and  pleased  Herod  and  them  that  sat 
with  him,  the  king  said  unto  the  damsel.  Ask  of  me 
whatsoever  thou  wilt,  and  I  will  give  it  thee. 

23  And  he  sware  unto  her.  Whatsoever  ^  thou  shalt 
ask  of  me,  I  will  give  it  thee,  unto  the  half  of  my  king- 
dom. 


24  And  she  went  forth,  and  said  unto  her  mother. 
What  shall  I  ask  ?  And  she  said.  The  head  of  John  the 
Baptist. 

25  And  she  came  in  straightway  with  haste  unto  the 
king,  and  asked,  saying,  I  will  that  thou  give  me  by 
and  by,  in  a  charger,  the  head'  of  John  the  Baptist. 

26  And  the  king  was  exceeding  sorry :  yet  for  his 
oath's  sake,  and  for  their  sakes  which  sat  with  him,  he 
would  not  reject  her. 

27  And  immediately  the  king  sent  an  executioner, 
and  commanded  his  head  to  be  brought :  and  he  went, 
and  beheaded  him  in  the  prison, 

28  And  brought  his  head  in  a  charger,  and  gave  it  to 
the  damsel :  and  the  damsel  gave  it  to  her  mother. 

29  And  when  his  disciples  heard  of  it,  they' came 
ancf  took  up  his  corpse,  and  laid  it  in  a  tomb. 

30  And  6  the  apostles  gathered  themselves  together 


z  Lev,  18  :  16. . .  .a  Eiod.  11:13;  Ezek.  2:6-7. 


Esther  5:  3,  6;  7:2... 


Ps.  37  :  12,  1 


deep  and  its  sides  scarcely  broken  in,  were  the 
only  remains  clearly  to  be  defined.  That  these 
were  dungeons,  and  not  cisterns,  is  evident  from 
there  being  no  traces  of  cement,  which  never 
perishes  from  the  walls  of  ancient  reservoirs,  and 
from  the  small  holes  still  visible  in  the  masonry, 
where  staples  of  wood  and  iron  had  once  been 
fixed.  One  of  these  must  surely  have  been  the 
prison-house  of  John  the  Baptist."  But  appar- 
ently he  was  not,  throughout  his  imprisonment, 
kept  in  such  close  confinement  as  this  would  in- 
dicate, since  his  disciples  had  access  to  him. 

18.  It  is  not  lawful.  See  Matt.  14  :  4, 
note,  and  Prel.  Note  to  that  chapter. 

19.  Therefore  Herodias  Avas  angry  with 
him.  More  literally,  held  herself  against  him. 
"  Had  a  quarrel  "  indicates  a  personal  controversy 
between  them,  whereas  there  is  nothing  to  show 
that  the  two  ever  met. — She  could  not.  On 
account  of  her  husband's  opposition  to  her,  de- 
scribed in  the  next  verse. 

20.  For  Herod  feared  John.  Matthew 
says,  "he  feared  the  multitude."  The  two  ac- 
counts are  not  inconsistent.  His  conscience  and 
his  fears  supported  each  other. — And  preserved 
him.  Not  observed  him,  as  in  our  English  ver- 
sion. The  Greek  verb  (ffun/otw)  is  elsewhere 
rendi&r&iii  preserved  (Matt.  9 :  n ;  Luke  s :  ss),  and  kept 
(Luke  2 ;  19).  He  guarded  John  from  his  wife's 
malice,  and  at  the  same  time  kept  him  in  prison, 
and  so  silenced  his  public  rebuke. 

21.  A  convenient  day.  Rather,  a  season- 
able day,  i.  e.,  for  the  execution  of  Herodias' 
plans.  The  implication  is  that  Herodias  watched 
her  opportunity  to  obtain  by  device  from  her  hns- 
band  the  death  of  her  enemy,  and  seized  this  as 
a  favorable  occasion. — Lords,  high  captains, 
and  first  men  of  Galilee.  The  first  were 
princes,  civilians  but  men  of  official  rank,  the 
second  military  officers,  the  third,  perhaps, 
simply  leading  men,  influential  but  without  spe- 
cial rank  or  office. 

22-2.).  Compare  notes  on  Matt.  14  :  6-9. 
The  word  here  rendered  by  and  by  (ver.ss)  should 


rather  be  rendered  immediately.  The  charger  or 
platter  (Luke  n  :  39)  was  a  flat  dish  answering 
somewhat  to  the  modern  waiter.     Our  illustra- 


THE   CHAKGEB. 

tion  represents  this  dish  and  its  use,  as  seen  at 
the  present  day  in  Palestine, 

26.  For  his  oath's  sake  and  for  their 
sakes  that  sat  with  him.  His  conscience, 
which  regarded  his  oath  more 
than  his  higher  duty,  and  his 
fear  of  public  reproach,  opera- 
ted now  to  drive  him  on  to  the 
murder,  as  before  they  had 
kept  him  from  it. 

27.  An  executioner.  Ra- 
ther, one  of  his  body-guard. 
The  Latin  version  renders  it 
'■'■  spiculalor.''''  "Under  the  em- 
pire, this  name  was  given  to  a 
select  body  of  men  retained  for 
the  service  of  the  prince's  per- 
son, as  a  sort  of  detective  force 
and  body-guard.  They  were 
armed  with  a  lance,  and  are  frequently  repre- 
sented on  the  columns  of  Trajan  and  Antoninus, 


EXECUTIONEK- 

Spiculator. 


364 


MARK. 


[Ch.  VI. 


unto  Jesus,  and  told  him  all  things,  both  what  they  had 
done,  and  what  they  had  taught. 

31  And  he  said  unto  them.  Come  ye  yourselves  apart 
into  a  desert  place,  and  rest  a  while:  for  there  were 
many  coming  and  going,  and  they  had  no  leisure  so 
much  as  to  eat. 

32  And  they  departed  into  a  desert  place  by  ship  pri- 
vately. 

33  And  the  people  saw  them  departing,  and  many 
knew  him,  and  ran  afoot  thither  out  of  all  cities,  and 
outwent  them,  and  came  together  unto  him. 

34  And  Jesus,  when  h'e  came  out,  saw  much  people, 
and  was  moved  with  compassion  toward  them,  be- 
cause ^  they  were  as  sheep  not  having  a  shepherd  ;  and 
he  began  to  teach  them  many  things. 

35  And '  when  the  day  was  now  far  spent,  his  disci- 
ples came  unto  him,  and  said.  This  is  a  desert  place, 
and  now  the  time  is  far  passed  : 

36  Send  them  away,  that  they  may  go  into  the  coun- 
try round  about,  and  into  the  villages,  and  buy  them- 
selves bread  :  for  they  have  nothing  to  eat. 

37  He  answered  and  said  unto  them.  Give  ye  them 
to  eat.  And  they  say  unto  him.  Shall  we  J  go  and  buy 
two  hundred  pennyworth  of  bread,  and  give  them  to 
eat? 

38  He  saith  unto  them  How  many  loaves  have  ye  ? 
go  and  see.  And  when  they  knew,  they  say.  Five,  and 
two  fishes. 

39  And  he  ^  commanded  them  to  make  all  sit  down 
by  companies  upon  the  green  grass. 

40  And  they  sat  down  in  ranks  by  hundreds,  and  by 
fifties. 

41  And  when  he  had  taken  the  five  loaves  and  the 
two  fishes,  he  looked  up  to  heaven,  and  blessed,'  and 
brake  the  loaves,  and  gave  i/ie»i  to  his  disciples  to  set 
before  them ;  and  the  two  fishes  divided  he  among 
them  all. 

42  And  they™  did  all  eat,  and  were  filled. 


43  And  they  took  up  twelve  baskets  full  of  the  frag- 
ments, and  of  the  Jishes. 

44  And  they  that  did  eat  of  the  loaves  were  about 
five  thousand  men. 

45  And  straightway"  he  constrained  his  disciples  to 
get  into  the  ship,  and  to  go  to  the  other  side  before  unto 
Bethsaida,  while  he  sent  away  the  people. 

46  And  when  he  had  sent  them  away,  he  °  departed 
into  a  mountain  to  pray. 

47  And  when  even  was  come,  the  ship  was  in  the 
midst  of  the  sea,  and  he  alone  on  the  land. 

48  And  he  saw  them  toiling  p  in  rowing  ;  for  the  wind 
was  contrary  unto  them :  and  about  the  fourth  watch 
of  the  night  he  cometh  unto  them,  walking  upon  the 
sea,  and  would  have  passed  1  by  them. 

49  But  when  they  saw  him  walking  "■  upon  the  sea, 
they*  supposed  it  had  been  a  spirit,  and  cried  out: 

50  For  they  all  saw  him,  and  were  troubled.  And 
immediately  he  talked  with  them,  and  saith  unto  them, 
Be  of  good  cheer: '  it  is  I  ;  be  not  afraid. 

51  And  he  went  up  unto  them  into  the  ship  ;  and  the" 
wind  ceased  :  and  they  were  sore  amazed  in  themselves 
beyond  measure,  and  wondered. 

52  For  they  considered  not  i/ie  miracle  of  the  loaves : 
for  their  heart '•'  was  hardened. 

53  And™  when  they  had  passed  over,  they  came  into 
the  land  of  Gennesaret,  and  drew  to  the  shore. 

54  And  when  they  were  come  out  of  the  ship, 
straightway  they  knew  him, 

55  And  ran  "  through  that  whole  region  round  about, 
and  began  to  carry  about  in  beds  those  that  were  sick, 
where  they  heard  he  was. 

56  And  whithersoever  he  entered,  into  villages,  or 
cities,  or  country,  they  laid  the  sick  in  the  streets,  and 
besought  him  that  they  might  touch,y  if  it  were  but  the 
border^  of  his  garment:  and  as  many  as  touched  him 
were  made  whole. 


1  Kings  22  :  17  .     i  Matt.  14  :  15,  etc. ;  Luke  9  :  12 

1  1  Sam.  9:13;    Matt.  26  :  26  ;    Luke  24  :  30 n 

6:12 p  Jonah  1:13 q  Luke  24  :  28 r  J 

. . .  -x  ch.  2  :  1-3  ;  Matt.  4  :  24. . .  .y  ch.  5  :  27,  28 


etc. ;  John  6  :  6,  etc j  Numb.  11  :  13,  22  ;  2  Kings  4  :  43 k  ch.  8  :  6  ;  Malt.  15  : 

Deut.  8:  3.... n  Matt.  14:22,  etc.  ;  John  6  :  17,  etc. .  ..o  ch.  1  :  35  :  Matt.  6  :  6  ; 
)9:,8....9  Luke24:;;7....t  Isa  43:  2....uPs.  93  :  3,4. . .  .v  Isa.  63  :  17....  w  Malt. 
Matt.  9  :  20  :  Acts  19  :  12. ...z  Numb.  15  :  38,  39. 


in  attendance  upon  the  emperor,  or  keeping 
guard  before  his  tent,  in  the  manner  shown  by 
the  example  annexed." — {Rich's  Dictionary.) 

30-56.  The  feeding  of  five  thousand. — 
"Walking  on  the  sea.  Of  these  incidents,  the 
first  is  narrated  by  all  four  of  the  Evangelists — 
Matt.  14  :  13-21 ;  Luke  9  :  10-17  ;  John  6  .  1-14  ; 
the  latter  is  omitted  by  Luke,  but  narrated  by 
the  other  three.  John's  narrative  is  fullest. 
Comp.  especially  John  6  :  5-8.  But  Matthew 
alone  narrates  Peter's  attempt  to  walk  on  the 
sea  (Matt.  14 :  2S-32).  Immediately  after  the  retura 
of  Christ  and  his  Apostles  to  Capernaum  followed 
the  sermon  in  the  synagogue,  which  John  alone 
reports.  On  the  chronological  order,  see  note 
on  Matthew  ;  on  the  incidents  themselves  and  the 
subsequent  sermon,  see  notes  on  John,  ch.  6. 

30,  31.  These  verses  are  peculiar  to  Mark. 
By  a  desert  place  is  meant  merely  an  uninhabited 
region  of  country,  not  necessarily  a  barren  dis- 
trict. Luke  (9  :  lo)  identifies  the  spot  as  "  a 
desert  plain  belonging  to  the  city  called  Beth- 
saida," a  city  on  the  northern  coast  of  the  sea, 
at  the  point  where  the  river  Jordan  enters  it. 
Observe  Christ's  recognition  of  the  need  of  sea- 
sons as  well  as  days  or  hours  of  rest. 

45.    To  go  before  unto  the  other  side 


(tic  to  niQav)  in  the  direction  of  Bethsaida 

{TtQog  [itiS-aaiduv).  According  to  Luke,  the  mir- 
acle of  the  feeding  took  place  in  the  vicinity  of 
Bethsaida  (Luke  9 :  lo),  and  according  to  John  (e :  i), 
on  the  opposite  shore  of  the  sea  from  Caper- 
naum. Hence  it  has  been  conjectured  that 
there  were  two  cities  called  Bethsaida,  one  the 
weU-known  place  of  that  name,  on  the  northern 
shore  of  the  sea,  to  which  Luke  refers,  the  other 
a  place  now  extinct,  which  is  supposed  to  have 
been  situated  somewhere  on  the  western  coast. 
This  theory  was  originated  by  Reland,  and  has 
nothing  whatever  to  sustain  it  but  a  laudable  de- 
sire to  reconcile  the  accounts  of  the  Evangelists, 
which,  however,  require  no  such  hypothetical 
second  city.  If  the  reader  will  look  at  the  map 
of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  which  accompanies  this 
work  (page  342\  he  will  see  the  site  of  the  true 
Bethsaida  at  the  point  where  the  River  Jordan 
enters  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  East  of  this,  on  the 
edge  of  the  sea,  is  a  grassy  plain,  shut  in  by  the 
mountains  to  the  east  and  south,  which  is  admi- 
rably adapted  to  such  a  miracle  as  that  of  the 
feeding  of  the  five  thousand,  and  answers  to  the 
description  of  ver.  39  and  John  6  :  10.  The  ship 
which  Jesus  took  in  the  morning,  with  the 
twelve,  at  Capernaum,  is  properly  described  as 


Ch.  VIL] 


MARK. 


365 


CHAPTER  VII. 


THEN  came  "  together  unto  him  the  Pharisees,  and 
certain  of  the  scribes,  which  came  from  Jerusalem. 

2  And  when  they  saw  some  of  his  disciples  eat  bread 
with  defiled,  that  is  to  say,  with  unwashen,  hands, 
they  found  fault. 

3  For  the  Pharisees,  and  all  the  Jews,  except  they 


wash  their  hands  oft,  eat  not,  holding  the  tradition  "  of 
the  elders. 

4  And  ^vhen  they  come  from  the  market,  except  they 
wash,'  they  eat  not.  And  many  other  things  there  be, 
which  they  have  received  to  hold,  as  the  washing  of 
cups,  and  jsots,  brazen  vessels,  and  of  tables. 

5  Then  the  Pharisees  and  scribes  asked  him,  Why 
walk  not  thy  disciples  according  to  the  tradition  of  the 
elders,  but  eat  bread  with  unwashen  hands  ? 


Matt.  IS  :  1,  ( 


Gal.  1  :  14 ;  Col.  2  :  8,  22,  23 c  Job  9  :  30,  31. 


going  over  the  Sea  of  Galilee  (John 6 :  i)  to  "a 
desert  place  belonging  to  the  city  called  Beth- 
saida"  (Luke9:io),  or  even,  in  general  terms,  as 
going  "to  Bethsaida,"  as  Alford's  reading  gives 
it.  On  the  various  readings  see  note  on  Luke 
9  :  10.  When  the  meal  was  ended,  and  the  mul- 
titude were  dismissed,  Christ  directs  his  disci- 
ples to  take  boat  and  "  go  away  to  the  other  {%.  e., 
the  western)  side  "  (fie  representing  the  final  end 
of  their  journey),  in  the  direction  of  Bethsaida 
{nqog  representing  not  the  end,  but  the  direc- 
tion), which  would  lie  in  their  course  ;  where, 
after  the  multitude  had  departed,  Christ  pur- 
posed to  rejoin  them.  And  it  is  while  the  disci- 
ples are  rowing  against  the  wind,  which  prevail- 
ingly sweeps  down  upon  the  sea,  from  the 
Lebanon  range  on  the  north  through  the  valley 
of  the  Jordan,  that  Christ  comes  on  the  waves  to 
meet  them. 

55,  50.  Comp.  Matt.  14  :  34-36,  note.  Observe 
that  the  people  "besought  him  that  they  might 
touch  "  his  garment,  an  incidental  evidence  that 
the  healing  was  afforded,  not  by  any  magic  in 
the  garment  itself,  but  by  the  will  of  Christ,  and 
was  so  recognized  by  the  people.  Comp.  notes 
on  Mark  5  :  25-34. 

Ch.  7  :  1-23.  OF  EATINtf  WITH  UNWASHEN  HANDS. 
— Chbist's  teaching  concerning  the  religion  of 
eitualism  :  its  worship  is  vain  (vers.  6,  7),  its  origin 
IS  HUMAN  (ver.  8),  its  effect  is  the  displacement  of 

THE  DFVINE  law  BY  HUMAN  CEREMONIES  (VCrS.  9-13).— 

Christ's  teaching  concerning  purity:  it  is  inter- 
nal, not  external  (vers.  14-16.) 

This  discourse  is  recorded  only  by  Mark  and 
Matthew  (15 : 1-20).  The  former's  report  is  fullest ; 
but  the  timid  remonstrance  of  the  disciples,  and 
Christ's  reply,  are  peculiar  to  Matthew  (ch.  15 :  12-14, 
snd  notes).  The  time  is  not  certain  ;  probably  the 
summer  of  a.  d.  29  {Andrews),  immediately  after 
the  sermon  at  Capernaum  (john,  oh.  s),  and  during 
the  mis.sionary  circuit  briefly  described  in  Mark 
6  :  55,  56  ;  Matt.  14  :  34-36.  If  so,  it  was  near 
the  close  of  Christ's  Galilean  ministry. 

1.  Coming  from  Jerusalem.  Probably 
sent  there,  formally  or  informally,  by  the  Sanhe- 
drim, to  investigate  the  character  and  mission 
of  Christ,  as  a  previous  delegation  had  been 
sent  to  attend  the  ministry  of  John  the  Baptist. 
See  John  1  :  19. 


3-5.  And  Avhen  they  saw  some  of  his 
disciples.  Not  necessarily  here  any  of  the 
twelve,  but  probably  that  is  the  meaning.— Eat 
with  defiled  hands.  The  word  here  ren- 
dered defiled,  is  rendered  common  in  Acts  10  : 
14,  28,  and  wtclean  in  Rom.  14  :  14.— That  is, 
with  unwashen  hands.  Not  with  dirty 
hands,  but  with  hands  which  had  not  been  sub- 
jected to  the  ceremonial  process  described  be- 
low.—They  found  fault.  "The  Pharisee 
takes  more  pleasure  in  blaming  another  than 
in  amending  himself."  —  (Quesnel.) — For  the 
Pharisees  and  all  the  Jews,  i.  e.,  the  Ju- 
deans,  the  inhabitants  of  Judea,  the  southern 
province  of  the  Holy  Land,  where  the  influence 
of  the  ecclesiastics  was  very  considerably  greater 
than  in  Galilee. —  Except  they  wash  their 
hands  oft.  There  is  some  uncertainty  as  to 
the  meaning  of  the  word  rendered  oft.  Some 
critics  give  the  rendering  of  our  English  version, 
others,  as  Alford,  render  it  "sedulously."  It 
is,  literally,  with  the  fid,  and  that  appears  to  me 
to  be  the  better  rendering.  It  is,  then,  a  refer- 
ence to  the  Rabbinical  rules,  which  are  said  to 
have  required  the  rubbing  of  the  open  palm  with 
the  closed  fist.— Eat  not,  holding  fast.  Not 
merely  holding  but  holding  flrmhj.  See  for 
analogous  use  of  the  same  word,  Col.  2  :  19; 
2  Thess.  2  :  15  ;  Heb.  4  :  14  ;  Rev.  2  :  18 ;  3  :  11. 
And  observe,  by  examining  these  references, 
what  the  Christian  should  hold  fast.— The  tra- 
dition of  the  elders.  Alford,  following  Meyer, 
renders  this  of  the  ancients,  and  Hebrews  11  : 1  is 
an  evidence  that  the  Greek  is  capable  of  this 
meaning.  But  the  original  {rtQfoi^vTiqog),  gen- 
erally signifies,  in  the  N.  T.,  a  certam  class  of 
oflScials,  partly  ecclesiastical,  partly  political. 
See  Matt.  16  :  21,  note.  That  it  is  used  in  this 
ecclesiastical  sense  here,  is  indicated  by  Light- 
foot's  quotations  from  the  Rabbinical  writings: 
"The  words  of  the  elders  are  weightier  than  the 
words  of  the  prophets. "  In  fact,  their  "words" 
were  traditions  derived  from  their  ancestors,  and 
exalted  above  Scripture,  as  at  a  later  day  the 
traditions  of  the  church  were  exalted  above 
Scripture  by  the  church  of  Rome. — And  com- 
ing from  the  market  except  they  plunge; 
literally  baptize.  The  Greek  word  here  is  not 
the  same  as  that  rendered  wasli  in  the  previous 
verse.    Apparently,  in  the  ritual  of  the  Pharisees, 


MARK. 


6  He  answered  and  said  unto  them,  Well  hath  Esaias 
prophesied ''  of  you  hypdfcrites,  as  it  is  written,  This 
people  honoureth  me  with  their  lips,  but  their  heart  is 
far  from  me. 

7  Howbeit,  in  vain  do  they  worship  me,  teaching /^r 
doctrines  the  commandments  of  men. 


[Oh.  VII. 


8  For  laying «  aside  the  commandment  of  God,  ye 
hold  the  tradition  of  men,  as  the  washing  of  pots  and 
cups  :  and  many  other  such  like  things  ye  do. 

9  And  he  said  unto  them.  Full  well  ye  reject  the 
commandment  of  God,  that  ye  may  keep  your  own 
tradition. 


washing  by  the  pouring  on  of  water  sufficed  for 
those  who  remained  at  home,  while  the  immer- 
siop  of  the  hands  in  water  was  required  for  those 
who  had  gone  abroad.  It  was  the  hands,  not 
the  whole  body,  nor  the  article  brought  from 
market,  that  was  required  to  be  washed. — And 
many  other  thins;s  there  be  which  they 
have  received  to  hold,  as  the  washing 
(literally,  baptizing)  of  cups  and  pots  (or  meas- 
ures) and  brazen  vessels,  wooden  ones  were 
to  be  broken  if  unclean  (Lev.  15 :  12),  and  couches  ; 
not  tables^  but  the  couches  on  which  the  guests 

recliaed  at  the  meal.     (See  Matt.  26  :  20,  note  and  Ulustration.) 

It  is  hardly  credible  that  these  lounges  were  im- 
mersed ;  we  have,  therefore,  here  an  evidence 
that  the  Greek  word  rendered  in  the  N.  T.  bap- 
tism or  baptize,  does  not  in  the.  N.  T.  usage 
always  signify  immersion.  The  ceremonial  clean- 
sing of  the  furniture  in  the  room  was  probably 
done  by  sprinkling  ;  while  that  of  the  person 
appears  to  have  been  done  by  immersion. — Wliy 
Avalk  not  thy  disciples  according  to  the 
traditions  of  the  elders  ? — The  common  ques- 
tion of  ecclesiasticism  in  all  ages,  which  makes 
the  traditions  of  the  church,  not  the  law  of  God, 
the  standard  of  life. 
The  law  of  Moses  required  ceremonial  wash- 


MODERN  HAND-WASHING. 

ings :  (1)  of  certain  sacred  persons,  as  the  priests 

at  their  consecration  (Exod.  40  :  12;  Lev.  8:6;  comp.  Nam. 


8 : 6-7, 21),  and  habitually  before  sacrificing  (Exod. 

30  :  18-21  J  40  :  30-S2 ;  Lev.  16  :  4,  2  j)  ;  (2)  of  all  the  peo- 
ple on  certain  special  occasions,  as  the  leper  on 
being  pronounced  clean  of  his  leprosy  (Lev.  i4 ;  8, 9), 
the  man  with  an  issue,  etc.  (Lev.  is :  6,  a,  etc.) ;  (3) 
as  a  testimony  to  innocence  (Deut.  21 : 1-9).  Analo- 
gous to  the  first  of  these  is  the  modern  practice 
by  the  priests  in  the  Romish  and  Greek  churches 
of  washing  the  hands  immediately  before  cele- 
brating mass ;  analogous'  to  the  second  is  the  use 
of  holy  water  by  all  the  worshippers.  The  Mo- 
hammedan still  washes  five  times  a  day  that  he 
may  approach  God  acceptably  in  prayer.  Our 
illustration,  which  is  taken  from  actual  life, 
shows  the  practice  as  it  is  scrupulously  observed 
to  the  present  day  in  Palestine.  It  is  evident 
that  the  Jewish  requirements  were  partly  sani- 
tary ;  this  is  clearly  the  case  with  certain  of  the 
requirements  in  Lev.  ch.  15 ;  but  they  were  partly 
ceremonial.  The  Pharisees  converted  the  Mosaic 
ablutions  into  an  elaborate  and  burdensome 
ritual.  They  never  entered  their  houses  without 
washing,  lest  they  should  have  unknowingly 
contracted  defilement  in  the  streets  ;  and  as  the 
hands  were  held  to  communicate  uncleanness 
to  the  food,  they  never  ate  without  a  previous 
ceremonial  washing  of  the  hands.  This  was 
required  to  be  done  in  a  prescribed  manner,  by 
plunging  them  three  times  up  to  the  wrists,  in 
running  water,  which  was  fresh,  and  had  done 
no  work.  Whether  water  was  ceremonially  fresh 
which  had  been  kept  so  by  the  intermixture  of 
vinegar  or  lemon-juice,  whether  it  had  done  no 
work  if  in  it  fish  had  been  bred  or  eggs  boiled, — 
these  were  serious  theological  problems.  Such 
a  ceremonialism  was  not  regarded  by  the  com- 
mon people,  who  were  content  simply  to  wash 
their  hands  for  the  purpose  of  actual  cleanli- 
ness, before  meals.  The  scribes  condemned  the 
disciples,  not  for  eating  literally  with  unwashen 
hands,  but  with  hands  which  had  not  been 
ceremonially  washed,  and  this  only  as  a  means  of 
condemning  Christ,  who,  as  a  religious  teacher, 
was  expected  to  require  the"  ritualism  of  his 
day  from  his  immediate  followers.  "  Their 
wonder  was  that  Jesus  had  not  inculcated  this 
observance  on  his  followers,  and  not,  as  some 
have  fancied,  that  he  had  enjoined  them  to 
neglect  what  had  been  their  previous  practice." 
—(Kitto.) 

Isaiah  29  :  13.     Observe  the  rest 


Ch.  VII.] 


MAKK. 


367 


10  For  Moses  said,  Honour'  thy  father  and  thy 
mother ;  and,  Whoso  curseth  e  father  or  mother,  let  him 
die  the  death. 

11  But  ye  say,  If  a  man  shall  say  to  his  father  or 
mother,  /f  z>  Corban,'>  that  is  to  say,  a  gift,  by  whatso- 
ever thou  mightest  be  profited  by  me  ;  7ie  shall  be  free. 

12  And  ye  suffer  him  no  more  to  do  ought  for  his 
fiither  or  his  mother  ; 

13  Making  the  word  of  God  of  none  effect  through 


your  tradition,  which  ye  have  delivered :   and  many 
such  like  things  do  ye. 

14  And  when  he  had  called  all  the  people  unto  him., 
he  said  unto  them,  Hearken  unto  me,  every  one  of  you^ 
and  understand : ' 

15  There  is  nothing  from  without  a  man  that,  enter- 
ing into  him,  can  defile  him  :  but  the  things  which  come 
out  of  him,  those  are  they  that  defile  the  man. 

16  If  any '  man  have  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear. 


.h  Matt.  16:6;  23:18. 


6;  Isa.  6:9;  Acts 


of  the  prophet's  description  of  the  formalists : 
•'  Their  fear  toward  me  is  taught  by  the  precept 
of  men." 

7-9.  In  vain  do  they  worship  me.  Comp. 
Isaiah  1  :  10-15. — Teaching  as  doctrines  the 
commandments  of  men.  Not /or,  i.  e.,  in  lieu 
of  doctrines,  but  teaching  doctrines  which  are  of 
human  origin. — For  laying  aside  the  com- 
mandment of  God ;  this  the  rigorous  ceremo- 
nialist  generally  does  ;  ye  hold  fast  the  tradi- 
tions of  men,  literally,  the  things  given  hy  men. 
That  is,  a  tradition  of  men  which  is  handed  down 
from  father  to  son,  is  traceable  only  to  a  human 
author,  yet  is  cited  by  the  ecclesiastic  as  an 
authority,  as  though  it  came  from  God. — Excel- 
lently well.  The  language  is  that  of  bitter 
sarcasm. — Ye  displace  the  commandment 
of  God,  that  ye  may  observe  the  traditions 
of  men.  'Litev&Wy,  keep  close  watch  orer ;  comp. 
Matt.  19  :  17,  note,  latter  clause.  On  the  whole 
passage,  comp.  Matt.  33  :  16-19 ;  and  Col.  2 :  18-23, 
and  observe  here,  (1)  the  nature  of  that  which 
Christ  reprobates,  the  employment  as  an  au- 
thority in  religion  of  systems  of  doctrine,  ethics 
or  ritual,  which  are  of  human  origin,  a  radical 
vice,  whether  the  system  be  a  Protestant  creed, 
a  Romish  ritual,  or  a  Jewish  ceremonial ;  (2)  the 
folly  of  all  religion  founded  on  such  human  au- 
thority ;  "  /« rain  do  they  worship  me,"  because 
it  substitutes  allegiance  to  man  for  allegiance  to 
God  ;  (3)  the  effect  of  it,  the  displacement  of 
the  divine  laws  which  concern  the  heart-life,  by 
human  rules,  which  require  only  external  con- 
duct. An  unconscious  desire  to  be  rid  of  God's 
spiritual  law  is  the  true  secret  of  all  additions  to 
the  simple  religion  of  the  Bible.  What  follows 
is  an  illustration  taken  from  Jewish  casuistry, 
of  the  nature  and  effect  of  this  substitution  of 
human  for  divine  authority. 

10-12.  For  Moses  said.  In  Matthew  (is :  4), 
it  is,  "For  God  commanded."  "A  remarkable 
testimony  from  our  Lord  to  the  divine  origin  of 
the  Mosaic  law  ;  not  merely  of  the  Decalogue  as 
such,  for  the  second  commandment  quoted  is  not 
in  the  Decalogue." —(^//orc?.)  —  Honor  thy 
father  and  mother.  See  Exod.  20  :  12 ;  Deut, 
5  :  16.— And  whoso  curseth  father  or  mother 
let  him  die  the  death,  i.  e.,  let  him  be  put  to 
death,  literally,  Let  him  end  in  death.     The  quo- 


tation is  from  Exod.  21  :  17  ;  Lev.  20  :  9.— But 
ye  say.  The  quotation  which  follows  is  from 
the  Rabbinical  rules.  There  are  two  difficulties 
in  its  interpretation :  (1)  Its  grammatical  con- 
struction ;  (2)  the  uncertainty  respecting  the  law 
to  which  it  refers.  As  to  its  grammatical  con- 
struction, our  translators  have  undoubtedly 
given  the  sense  correctly,  but  the  addition  of  the 
words  he  shall  be  free  is  not  grammatically  neces- 
sary, though  sanctioned  by  some  of  the  critics. 
The  true  meaning  of  the  passage  may  be  thus 
rendered,  If  a  man  shall  say  to  his  father  or 
mother^  That  hy  which  thou  mightest  be  jirofited  by 
me  is  corban  (that  is,  a  gift,  consecrated  to  God), 
ye  suffer  him  no  more  to  do  aught  for  his  father  or 
mother.  So  in  the  parallel  passage  in  Matt,  15  : 
5,  6,  the  verb  honor  not  his  father  or  his  mother 
is,  according  to  the  best  readings,  in  the  future, 
and  the  passage  reads,  "  Whosoever  shall  say  to 
his  father  or  his  mother,  That  by  which  thou  might- 
est have  been  profited  hy  me  is  a  gift,  he  shall  not 
honor  his  father  or  his  mother.^''  For  different 
grammatical  readings,  see  Schaff's  Note  on  Matt. 
15  :  5,  6,  in  Lange  on  Matthew.  As  to  the  Rabbini- 
cal law  to  which  it  refers,  the  facts  appear  to  have 
been  as  follows.  The  Mosaic  law  laid  down 
rules  for  vows  both  affirmative  and  negative. 
By  the  former,  persons,  animals,  and  property 
might  be  devoted  to  God  ;  by  the  latter,  persons 
interdicted  themselves,  or  were  mterdicted  by 
their  parents,  from  the  use  of  certain  things, 
either    temporarily    or  permanently   (Ley.  ch.  27 ; 

Num.   ch.  30  :    Judges  13:7;    Acts  18:18;    21   :  23,   24).        On 

these  rules  the  rabbis  enlarged,  and  laid  down 
that  a  man  might  not  only  interdict  himself 
from  using  for  himself,  but  also  from  giving  to 
another  anything.  The  thing  thus  interdicted 
was  considered  as  corban,  that  is,  as  consecrated 
to  God,  yet  the  person  making  the  vow  might 
use  it  for  himself ;  his  vow  only  bound  him  not 
to  give  it  to  the  other.  So  far  was  this  doctrine 
carried,  that  the  contemptuous  or  angry  use  of 
the  language  of  a  vow  was  held  to  exempt  the 
person  making  it  from  his  obligations  of  assist- 
ance, so  that  a  child,  on  being  applied  to  for  aid 
by  his  parents,  might  even  contemptuously  re- 
ply. Let  it  be  corban  whatever  of  mine  might 
profit  you,  and  this  simple  expression  freed  him 
from  the  filial  obligation  of  supporting  his  par- 


368 


MAEK. 


[Ch.  VII. 


17  And  when  ^  he  was  entered  into  the  house  from 
the  people,  his  disciples  asked  him  concerning  the  par- 
able. 

18  And  he  saith  unto  them,  Are  ye  so  without  under- 
standing also  ?  Do  ye  not  perceive,  that  whatsoever 
thing  from  without  entereth  mto  the  man,  ii  cannot  de- 
file him  ; 

19  Because  it  entereth  not  into  his  heart,  but'  into 
the  belly,  and  goeth  out  into  the  draught,  purging  all 
meats  ? 

20  And  he  said.  That  which  cometh  out  of  the  man, 
that  defileth  the  man. 

21  For  from  >"  within,  out  of  the  heart  of  men,  pro- 
ceed evil  thoughts,  adulteries,  fornications,  murders, 

22  Thefts,  covetousness,  wickedness,  deceit,  lascivi- 
ousness,  an  evil  eye.  blasphemy,  pride,  foolishness : 

23  All  these  evil  tnings  come  from  withm,  and  defile 
the  man. 

24  And  from"  thence  he  arose,  and  went  into  the 
borders  of  Tyre  and  Sidon,  and  entered  into  an  house, 
and  would  have  no  man  know  ii :  but  he  °  could  not 
be  hid. 


25  For  a  certain  woman,  whose  young  daughter  had 
an  unclean  spirit,  heard  of  him,  and  came  and  fell  at 
his  feet : 

26  The  woman  was  a  Greek,  a  Syrophenician  by  na- 
tion; and  she  besought  him  that  he  would  cast  forth 
the  devil  out  of  her  daughter. 

27  But  Jesus  said  unto  her,  Let  the  children  first  be 
filled:  forP  it  is  not  meet  to  take  the  children's  bread, 
and  to  cast  it  unto  the  dogs. 

28  And  she  answered  and  said  unto  him.  Yes,  Lord  : 
yet  the")  dogs  under  the  table  eat  of  the  children's 
crumbs. 

29  And  he  said  unto  her.  For'  this  saying  go  tLy 
way  ;  the  devil  is  gone  out  of  thy  daughter. 

30  And  when  she  was  come  to  her  house,  she  found 
the  devil  gone »  out,  and  her  daughter  laid  upon  the  bed. 

31  And  again,'  departing  from  the  coasts  of  Tyre  and 
Sidon,  he  came  unto  the  sea  of  Galilee,  through  the 
midst  of  the  coasts  of  Decapolis. 

32  And  they  bring  unto  him  one  that  was  deaf,  and 
had  an  impediment  in  his  speech ;  and  they  beseech 
him  to  put  nis  hand  upon  him. 


Gen.  6  :  5  ;  Ps.  U  : 


.q  Rom.  15  :  8,  9 ;  Ephes.  2  :  12-14. 


ents.  Such  casuistry  would  be  incredible  were 
not  its  parallel  to  be  found  in  the  Jesuitical  casu- 
istry of  the  seventeenth  century. 

13.  Making  the  word  of  God  of  none 
effect  through  your  traditions.  The  con- 
ference began  by  an  accusation  of  illegal  teach- 
ing, brought  by  the  scribes  against  Christ ;  it 
ends  with  an  accusation  of  illegal  teaching, 
brought  by  Christ  against  the  scribes. 

14,  15.  And  Avhen  he  had  called  all  the 
people.  The  previous  conference  was  with  the 
scribes  who  had  come  upfront  Jerusalem  for  the 
purpose  of  confounding  Christ  (ver.  i ;  Matt,  is :  i). 
The  teaching  that  follows  was  public. — There  is 
nothing  from  without  a  man  that  entering 
in  can  defile  him;  but,  etc.  This  verse  is  to 
be  interpreted  by  the  subject-matter  and  by  verses 
18  and  19.  Nothing  that  is  and  remains  external 
to  man,  and  enters  only  into  his  body,  not  into 
his  heart  to  become  a  part  of  his  character,  can 
defile.  The  Pharisees  feared  defilement  from 
their  food;  it  is  of  this  defilement  our  Lord 
speaks.  Comp.  Matt.  15  :  11.  "  Not  that  which 
goeth  inlo  the  mouth.''''  But  underlying  this  is 
the  deeper  truth,  that  nothing  which  is  external 
to  character  can  defile  the  soul,  so  long  as  it  re- 
mains external,  does  not  become  incorporated  in 
the  character.  Evidently  this  verse  is  only  a 
brief  epitome  of  a  considerable  discourse. 

1 G.  See  Matt.  11  :  15,  note. 

17-19.  His  disciples  asked  him.  By  dis- 
ciples is  here  meant,  probably,  the  twelve.  Ac- 
cording to  Matthew,  Peter  was  the  spokesman. — 
Without  understanding,  i.  e.,  without  spirit- 
ual appreciation  of  the  truth. — Because  itenter- 
eth  not  into  his  heart.  That  which  is  from 
without  and  does  enter  the  heart  can  defile  a  man. 
— Goeth  out  into  the  draught,  cleansing 
all  the  food.    Whatever  food  the  body  needs  it 


assimilates,  and  whatever  it  needs  is  not  unclean 
nor  defiling.  Whatever  it  does  not  need,  it,  by  a 
natural  process,  rejects  from  the  system.  Thus 
nature  provides  for  its  own  purification,  and  the 
laws  of  health  are  the  only  laws  of  cleanness  and 
uncleanness  which  the  Christian  need  recognize. 
In  this  declaration  is  the  germ  of  the  doctrine 
which  Paul  subsequently  expounded  more  fully 

(Rom.  14  :  2,  3,  14  J   1  Cor.  ch.  s). 

20-23.  Observe  in  these  verses,  (1)  that  the 
defilement  which  Christ  recognizes  is  one  of  the 
soul,  and  consists,  therefore,  of  something  in 
the  heart,  not  foreign  to  it ;  (2)  that  all  the  vices 
here  catalogued  and  described  as  evil  thoughts, 
the  evil  even  of  adultery,  murder  and  theft,  lie 
primarily  and  chiefly  in  the  thought,  only  second- 
arily in  the  outward  act  and  its  visible  effects ; 
(3)  that  Christ  refutes  the  idea,  sometimes  ex- 
pressed, that  if  there  is  evil  in  a  man  he  had 
better  let  it  out  in  expression  rather  than  keep  it 
m  ;  our  Lord  declares  that  the  coming  out  itself 
defiles.  The  "  evil  eye  "is  not  merely,  as  Lange, 
an  "envious  eye,"  but  an  eye  which  is  apt,  in 
any  form,  to  evil,  the  eye  here  standing  for  the 
desires  which  look  through  it  and  are  inflamed 
by  it.  Comp.  Prov.  28  :  22 ;  Matt.  6  :  22,  23 ; 
18  : 9  ;  20  :  15  ;  1  John  2  :  16. 

23.  To  this  verse  Matthew  makes  the  significant 
addition:  "But  to  eat  with  unwashen  hands," 
i.  e.,  with  hands  not  subjected  to  a  ceremonial 
washing,  "defileth  not  a  man." 

24-30.  The  Strophcenician  woman.  Pecu- 
liar to  Matthew  (is :  21-28)  and  Mark.  See  notes  on 
Matthew,  whose  account  is  fullest.  Observe  in 
verse  24  here  the  incidental  evidence  of  Christ's 
extended  fame  and  wide  popularity  among  the 
common  people. 

Oh.  7  :  31-37.  HEALING  OF  THE  DEAF  AND  DUMB.- 
Chbist's  mission:   to  give  power  to  beceite  and 


Ch.  VIL] 


MAKK. 


369 


33  And  he  took  him  aside  from  the  multitude,  and  put 
his  ringers  into  his  ears,  and  he"  spit,  and  touched  his 
tongue  ; 

34  And  looking'  up  to  heaven,  he"  sighed,  and  saith 
unto  him,  Ephphatha,  that  is,  Be  opened. 

35  And  straightway  "  his  ears  were  opened,  and  the 
string  of  his  tongue  was  loosed,  and  he  spake  plain. 


36  And  he  charged  them  that  they  should  tell  no 
man :  but  the  more  he  charged  them,  so  much  the 
more  a  great  deal  they  published  it  ; 

37  And  were  beyond  measure  astonished,  saying,^ 
He  hath  done  all  things  well:  he  maketh^  both  the 
deaf  to  hear,  and  the  dumb  to  speak. 


JVIatt.  8  :  3,  15. . .  .y  Ps.  139  :  14  :  Acts  14  :  11. 


POWER  TO  PROCLAIM  THE  TRUTH.— AN  ELLUSTRATION 
OF  HIS  METHOD  OF  AWAKENING  FAITH  IN  THOSE  BE- 
TOND  THE  REACH  OF  HIS  SPOKEN  WORD. 

Peculiar  to  Mark.  It  is  one  of  the  miracles 
described  in  general  terms  by  Matt.  15  :  30,  31. 
The  chronological  oi-der  is  the  same  in  both  Gos- 
pels ;  the  miracle  belongs  to  Christ's  period  of 
retirement,  subsequent  to  the  close  of  his  public 
ministry  in  Galilee,  and  before  his  going  up  to 
Jerusalem,  i.  e.,  between  John,  chaps.  6  and  7. 

31.  Tyre  and  Sidon.  See  Matt.  11  :  31, 
note. — He  came  through  the  midst  of  the 
territory  of  Decapolis.  Matt.  4  :  25,  note. 
Probably  Christ  made  a  detour  round  the  north- 
em  shore  of  the  Lake  of  Galilee  (see  map,  p.  340), 
coming  thus  into  the  region  of  the  sea,  but  stiU 
keeping  in  retirement  by  remaining  m  heathen 
territory.  That  the  word  here  rendered  coast  is 
equivalent  to  territory  see  Matt.  3  :  16 ;  4  :  13 ; 
8  :  34,  etc.— They  bring  unto  him,  i.  e.,  the 
people  bring;  one  that  was  deaf  and  had 
an  impediment  in  his  speech.  Literally,  a 
dumb  stammerer.  That  he  could  speak,  but  not 
plainly,  is  indicated  by  the  effect  of  his  cure, 
"he  could  speak  plain  "  (ver.  35). 

33,  34.  He  took  him  aside.  As  he  did 
subsequently  the  blind  man  (ch.  s :  23),  because  he 
was  seeking  retirement  with  his  disciples,  and 
wished  to  avoid  publicity.  The  indications  that 
his  public  ministry  in  Galilee  was  at  an  end,  and 
that  he  sought  retirement  with  his  apostles  for 
rest  and  private  instruction,  are  repeated  con- 
tinually in  this  portion  of  his  life.  See  ver.  24, 
ch.  8 :  27  and  Matt.  15  :  39-39,  note,  p.  195,  and 
ref.  there.  But  Trench's  remark  on  our  Lord's 
course  here  is  suggestive.  "  The  Lord  does  now 
oftentimes  lead  a  soul  apart,  sets  it  in  the  soli- 
tude of  a  sick-chamber,  or  in  loneliness  of  spirit, 
or  takes  away  from  it  earthly  companions  and 
friends,  when  he  would  speak  with  it  and  heal 
it."— And  put  his  lingers  into  his  ears,  and 
having  spit,  i.  e.,  probably,  touched  his  finger 
with  spittle,  he  touched  his  tongue,  i.  e.,  the 
dumb  man's  tongue.  I  can  only  understand  this 
by  supposing  it  was  a  chosen  means  of  communi- 
cating with  the  dumb  man,  and  by  sympathy 
through  the  touch  awakening  his  faith.  For  all 
other  media  of  communication  were  closed  ex- 
cept that  of  touch,  unless  we  suppose  the  man 
able  to  read  writing  and  Christ  provided  with 
Implements  of  writing,  neither  of  which  is  prob- 


able. It  was  an  appeal  to  the  man's  trust,  like 
that  made  in  other  cases  by  a  word,  and  re- 
quired of  the  man  at  least  a  tacit  obedience,  as  a 
requisite  to  the  cure.— And  sighed.  Possibly 
this  expresses  the  idea  of  an  inarticulate  prayer, 
as  Robinson  interprets  it  (Hob.  Lex.,  aytyj^w) ; 
more  probably  it  is  an  expression  of  Christ's 
deep-felt  sympathy  with  the  sufflering  of  sin- 
stricken  humanity,  as  in  the  parallel  case  at  the 
resurrection  of  Lazarus  (joim  u :  33-35). — And  said 
unto  him,  Ephphatha.  An  Aramaic  expres- 
sion.    See  note  on  Mark  5  :  41. 

35.  And  straightway.  Immediately. — 
His  hearing,  not  his  ears  ;  the  word  is  differ- 
ent from  that  rendered  ears  in  verse  33  (it  is 
ixxoi'i,  not  oiJc),  and  the  language  implies  a  deep- 
seated  difficulty.- Was  opened ;  and  the 
string  of  his  tongue,  the  hinderance,  whatever 
it  was,  which  before  prevented  his  speaking 
plamly.— Was  loosed.  Evidently  the  imper- 
fection in  utterance  was  not  merely  a  conse- 
quence of  loss  of  hearing,  but  there  was  a  physi- 
cal diflBculty  with  the  organs  of  speech. — And 
he  spake  plain.  Impliedly,  both  here  and  in 
verse  32,  he  could  speak  before,  but  not  so  as  to 
be  easily  understood. 

36.  Comp.  Matt.  8  :  4,  note.  Here  there  was 
special  reason  for  the  prohibition  in  that  Christ 
was  seeking  to  avoid  the  public  and  to  secure 
quiet  conference  with  his  apostles.  See  verse 
33,  note. 

37.  He  hath  done  all  things  well.  Comp. 
Gen.  1  :  31.  "  This  work  was  propei'ly  and  wor- 
thily compared  with  that  first  one  of  creation— it 
was  the  same  Beneficence  which  prompted  and 
the  same  Power  that  wrought  it." — (Alfoi-d.) — 
He  maketh  both  the  deaf  to  hear  and  the 
dumb  to  speak.  Spiritually  this  characterizes 
Christ's  ministry,  for  still  he  opens  the  ears  of 
those  deaf  to  spiritual  truth,  so  that  hearing  they 
hear  and  do  understand,  and  unstops  the  tongue 
of  silent  disciples,  and  teaches  them  to  speak  his 
praise.  Comp.  Isaiah  35  :  5 ;  Matt.  13  :  16.  See 
also  1  Cor.  3  :  10,  14-16. 

Ch.  8  :  1-10.  The  Feeding  of  the  Four 
Thousand.  This  miracle  is  recounted  only  here 
and  in  Matt.  15  :  33-38.  It  is  not  to  be  confounded 
with  the  feeding  of  the  five  thousand,  described 
by  all  four  Evangelists  (Matt,  u  :  13-21 ;  Mark  6 :  32^4  j 

Lake  9  :  10-lT :    John  6  :  I-I4).        "  EvCry    CirCUmstaUCC 

which  can  vary,  does  vary,  in  the  two  accounts. 


370 


MARK. 


[Ch.  VIII. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


having  nothing  to  eat,  Jesus  called  his  disciple 
him,  and  saith  unto  them, 

2  I  have  compassion  "  on  the  multitude,  because  they 
have  now  been  with  me  three  days,  and  have  nothing 
to  eat : 


3  And  if  I  send  them  away  fasting  to  their  own 
houses,  they  will  faint  by  the  way :  for  divers  of  them 
came  from  far. 

4  And  his  disciples  answered  him,  From  whence" 
can  a  man  satisfy  these  men  with  bread  here  in  the  wil- 
derness ? 

5  And  he  asked  them,  How  many  loaves  have  ye? 
And  they  said,  Seven. 


a  Matt.  15  :  32,  etc.  . . 


15  ;  Heb.  6  :  2. 


.  c  ch.  6  :  36,  37,  etc. 


The  situation  in  the  wilderness,  the  kind  of  food 
at  hand,  the  blessing  and  breaking  and  distribut- 
ing by  means  of  the  disciples,  these  are  common 
to  the  two  accounts,  and  were  likely  to  be  so ; 
but  here  the  matter  is  introduced  by  the  Lord 
himself,  with  an  expression  of  pity  for  the  mul- 
titude who  had  continued  with  him  three  days  ; 
here,  also,  the  provision  is  greater,  the  numbers 
are  less  than  on  the  former  occasion." — {Alford.) 
What  is  conclusive  on  this  question,  however,  is 
our  Lord's  reference  to  both  miracles  (Matt.  i6 : 9,  lo), 
which,  as  Alford  justly  says,  "must  have  been 
forged  if  the  two  are  identical;"  and  his  dis- 
crimination there  between  the  traveUng  baskets 
employed  on  the  one  occasion,  and  the  grain 
baskets  on  the  other, — a  discrimination  which 
tallies  exactly  with  the  language  of  the  two 
narratives.  In  all  four  accounts  of  the  first  mir- 
acle the  baskets  used  in  gathering  up  the  frag- 
ments are  designated  in  the  original  by  the  word 
cophinus  {xmpivog),  "traveling  basket,"  while  in 
both  the  Evangelists  the  baskets  used  on  the 
occasion  of  the  feeding  of  the  four  thousand  are 
designated  by  the  word  qwrta  (anvQls),  grain 
basket.  This  distinction  is  recognized  by  Christ 
in  his  subsequent  recall  of  the  two  miracles. 
See  Matt.  16  :  9,  10,  note,  where  illustrations  of 
the  two  kinds  of  baskets  are  given.  Unfortu- 
nately, there  is  nothing  in  our  English  version  to 
indicate  this  difference.  The  only  reason  for 
imagining  the  two  miracles  to  be  identical,  is  the 
seemingly  singular  fact  that  the  disciples,  after 
witnessing  the  feeding  of  the  five  thousand, 
should  be  perplexed  what  to  do  for  the  provision 
of  the  four  thousand.  But,  (1)  the  disciples  did 
not  on  this  occasion,  as  on  the  other,  propose  to 
send  the  people  away  (Matt,  u :  is),  though  now 
three  and  then  but  one  day  had  passed ;  they 
waited  for  Christ  to  do  as  he  would ;  (2)  their 
question  here  (ver.  4)  hardly  indicates  a  doubt ;  it 
is  elicited  by  Christ's  previous  question,  and  is 
such  as  they  might  readily  have  proposed,  if 
they  wished  merely  to  leave  all  to  Christ  without 
suggesting,  as  they  never  did  throughout  all  his 
ministry,  the  performance  of  a  miracle ;  (3) 
even  if  the  facts  showed  a  failure  to  believe  and 
trust  in  divine  power,  similar  instances  are 
common  in  Scripture  history,  and,  unhappily, 
not  rare  in  the  Christian  experience  of  the  disci- 
ples of  to-day.    Comp.  Exod.  16  :  13  with  Numb. 


11  :  21,  22,  and  Exod.  17  :  1-7,  foUowing  the 
passage  of  Israel  through  the  middle  of  the  Red 
Sea.  With  the  account  of  this  miracle  should 
be  carefully  compared  that  of  the  feeding  of  the 
five  thousand.  The  spiritual  significance  of  the 
two  is  the  same  ;  and  for  that  the  reader  is  re- 
ferred to  the  notes  on  John,  ch.  6,  especially 
verses  1-14. 

1 ,  2.  Ill  those  days.  The  time  is  apparently 
during  Christ's  period  of  retirement,  after  his 
withdrawal  fi-om  Galilee  as  indicated  by  Matt. 
15  :  21 ;  the  place,  the  high  table-land  east  of  the 
Sea  of  Galilee  (Matt,  is :  29  with  Mark  1 :  31),  in  the  terri- 
tory of  Decapolis,  which  was  occupied  largely  by 
a  Roman  population.  This  ministry  of  feeding 
does  not  then  belong  properly  to  Christ's  Galilean 
ministry.  The  former  feeding  was  on  the  nor- 
thern coast  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  among  the  Jews ; 
this  one  was  among  the  heathen.  —  Nothing: 
to  eat.  Not  to  be  taken  literally ;  for  this  would 
imply,  either  a  three-days'  fast,  or  a  singularly 
improvident  consumption  of  their  provisions. 
They  had  with  them  no  adequate  sujiply  for  their 
wants.  In  the  East,  meat  is  used  much  less 
than  with  us.  Milk,  fruits,  and  various  prepara- 
tions of  bread  are  staple  articles  of  diet.  Three 
days'  sojourn  in  the  -wilderness  would  not,  there- 
fore, require  with  them  so  great  preparation  as 
with  us.  And  the  wilderness  (ver.  4)  was  not  a 
true  desert,  but  a  country  district,  remote  from 
towns,  and  consequently  from  habitations,  since, 
on  account  of  wild  beasts  and  robbers,  the  people 
lived  almost  wholly  m  towns  and  villages. 

3-5.  From  afar.  Comp  Matt.  4  :  25,  note. 
— Bread — Loaves.  The  bread  of  the  East  is 
baked  in  thin  round  cakes  or  sheets,  like  our 
crackers  in  form.  They  were  often  baked  by 
spreading  the  dough,  when  prepared,  on  stones 
previously  heated,  or  throwing  it  on  to  the  heated 
embers  itself,  or  placing  it  between  layers  of 
dung,  which  burns  slowly,  and  is  therefore  es- 
pecially adapted  to  the  purpose.  Dr.  Robinson 
{Biblical  Jtesearches,  II,  496)  describes  such  a 
baking :  "  They  had  brought  along  some  flour,  or 
rather  meal,  of  wheat  and  barley  filled  with  chaff, 
of  which  they  now  kneaded  a  round,  flat  cake 
of  some  thickness.  This  they  threw  into  the 
ashes  and  coals  of  a  fire  they  had  kindled,  and 
after  due  time  brought  out  a  loaf  of  bread  as 
.black  on  the  outside  as  the  coals  themselves,  and 


Ch.  VIII] 


MAEK. 


371 


6  And  he  commanded  the  people  to  sit  down  on  the 
ground :  and  he  took  the  seven  loaves,  and  gave  thanks, 
and  brake,  and  gave  to  his  disciples  to  set  before  them  ; 
and  they  did  set  them  before  the  people. 

7  And  they  had  a  few  small  tislies :  and  he  blessed,* 
and  commanded  to  set  them  also  before  them. 


8  So  they  did  eat,  and  were "  filled :  and  they '  took 
up  of  the  broken  meat  that  was  left  seven  baskets. 

9  And  they  that  had  eaten  were  about  four  thousand : 
and  he  sent  them  away. 

10  And  straightway  e  he  entered  into  a  ship  with  his 
disciples,  and  came  into  the  parts  of  Dalmanutha. 


Ps.  107  :  6,  6 ;  145  :  16. ...  f  1  Kings  17  :  14-16  ;  2  Kings  4  :  2-7,  42-44. . . .  g  Matt.  15  :  39. 


not  much  whiter  within."  Comp.  note  on  John 
6  ;  9.  The  accompanying  illustration  represents 
some  loaves  as  they  were  discovered  in  a  baker's 
shop  at  Pompeii ;  they  are  about  eight  inches  in 
diameter,  and  in  shape  and  size  resemble  those 


LOAVES  OF  BREAD. 

then  In  use  among  the  Jews.  Besides  the  loaves 
the  disciples  had  "a  few  small  fishes"  (verse?). 
Fish,  both  fresh  and  salt,  appear  to  have  been  a 
common  article  of  food,  especially  about  the 
Sea  of  Galilee. 

6-9.  Gave  thanks  and 
brake.    Christ's  practice     ' 
of    giving    thanks   before 

meal    (comp.  6  :  41 ;    14  :  22  ;  Luke 

24  :  3o)  is  a  precedent  for 
the  modern  custom  of 
asking  a  blessing  at  meal 
time. — And  gave  to  his 
disciples  to  set  before 
them.  A  symbol  of  the 
truth  that  only  as  Christ's 
ministers  receive  the  truth 
from  Christ  can  they  dis- 
tribute the  truth  to  the 
people.  For  Christ,  by  his 
sermon  after  the  previous 
feeding  (John,  ch.  6),  makes  of 
the  miracle  an  enacted 
parable.  —  So  they  did 
eat  and  were  filled, 
i.  e.,  satisfied.  Observe 
the  simplicity  of  the  nar- 
rative ;  seven  loaves  and  a 
few  small  fishes  blessed  by 
Christ,  and  four  thousand 
people  adequately  fed  by 
them — of  these  two  facts 
the  narrators  are  sure,  for 
they  were  eye-witnesses; 
the  reader  is  left  to  draw 
his     own      conclusions. — 

— Seven  baskets.     See  Prel.  Note  above,  and 

note  on  Matt.  16  : 9, 10,  for  illustration  of  baskets. 

10.  Into  the  parts  of  Dalmanutha.    Matt. 


15  :  39  says  Magdala,  or,  accordmg  to  the  better 
reading,  Magadan,  The  exact  location  is  uncer- 
tain ;  it  appears  from  the  narrative  to  have  been 
on  the  western  coast  of  the  sea,  though  it  is  not 
necessarily  implied  that  Jesus  crossed  the  sea. 
Both  Matthew  (is :  39)  and  Mark  here  use  indefinite 
language,  one  saying  he  "  came  into  the  coasts  of 
Magdala,"  the  other  that  he  came  "  into  the  parts 
of  Dalmanutha. "  He  may  therefore  have  landed 
at  a  point  near  two  towns  which  were  adjacent ; 
and  this  is  the  ordinary  view.  The  map,  p.  342, 
shows  the  general  location.  Dr.  Howard  Crosby, 
however,  has  suggested  the  not  improbable  con- 
jecture that  the  two  may  be  identified.  A  private 
note  to  me  thus  states  this  conjecture  :  "  One  of 
the  Levitical  cities  of  Naphtali  was  Kartan  (josh. 
21 :  32),  apparently  in  the  southern  part  of  Naph- 


TOWEB  OF    TIBERIAS. 

tali.  Kartan  is  not  mentioned  in  Josh.  19  :  35-38, 
as  so  prominent  a  Levitical  city  would  naturally 
be.     The  other   Levitical   cities,    Kedesh   and 


372 


MAEK. 


[Ch.  VIII. 


11  And  the  Pharisees''  came  forth,  and  began  to 
question  with  him,  seeking  of  him  a  sign  trom  heaven, 
tempting  him. 

12  And  he  sighed  deeply  in  his  spirit,  and  saith.  Why- 
doth  this  generation  seek  after  a  sign  ?  verily  1  say  unto 
you,  There  shall  no  sign  be  given  unto  this  genera- 
tion. 

13  And  he  left  them,  and  entering  into  the  ship  again 
departed  to  the  other  side. 

14  Now  the  disciples  had  forgotten  to  take  bread, 
neither  had  they  in  the  ship  with  them  more  than  one 
loaf 

15  And  he  charged  them,  saying,  Take  heed,  be- 
ware '  of  the  leaven  >  of  the  Pharisees,  and  of  the  leaven 
of  Herod. 

16  And  they  reasoned  among  themselves,  saying,  It 
is  because  we  have  no  bread. 

17  And  when  Jesus  knew  ?V,  he  saith  unto  them, 
Why  reason  ye,  because  ye  have  no  bread  ?  perceive  ^ 
ye  not  yet,  neither  understand  ?  have  ye  your  heart ' 
yet  hardened  ? 


18  Having  eyes,""  see  ye  not  ?  and  having  ears,  hear 
ye  not  f  and  do  ye  not  remember  ? " 

19  When  I  brake  the  five  loaves"  among  five  thou- 
sand, how  many  baskets  full  of  fragments  took  ye  up? 
They  say  unto  him.  Twelve. 

20  And  when  the  seven  p  among  four  thousand,  how 
many  baskets  full  of  fragments  took  ye  up  ?  And  they 
said.  Seven. 

21  And  he  said  unto  them,  How  is  it  that  ye  do  not 
understand  ? 

22  And  he  cometh  to  Bethsaida :  and  they  bring  a 
blind  man  unto  him,  and  besought  him  to  touch  him.i 

23  And  he  took  the  blind  man  by  the  hand,  and  led 
him  out  of  the  town  ;  and  when  he  had  spit  ■■  on  his 
eyes,  and  put  his  hands  upon  him,  he  asked  him  if  he 
saw  ought. 

24  And  he  looked  up,  and  said,  I '  see  men  as  trees, 
walking. 

25  After  that  he  put  his  hands  again  upon  his  eyes, 
and  made  him  look  up :  and  he  was  restored,  and  saw ' 
every  man  clearly. 


h  Mutt.  12  :  38  ;  IG  :  1,  eti-.  ;  John  6  :  30.... i  Piov.  19  :  27 
1  ih.  3  :  5  ;    16  ;  14....m  Isn.  44  :  18.... n  2  Pet.   1   :  12... 
.q  Isa.  35  :  6,  6  ;    Matt.  11;  5... 


Luke  12:1. 
3  ch.  6  :  38, 
r  ch.  7  :  33. 


.i  Exod.  12:20;  Lev.  2  :  11  ;  1  Cnr.  6  :  6-8. . .  .k  ch.6:52.... 
1;  iMatt.  14  :  17-21  ;  Luke  9  :  12-17  ;  John  6  :  6-13.... p  ver. 
.s  Judges  9  :  36;    Isa.  29  :  IS  ;    1  Cor.  13  :  11,  12.... t  Prov. 


Hammath,  are.  Migdal-el  (josh.  19 :  38)  I  there- 
fore conjecture  to  be  Kartan.  If  so,  it  would  be 
naturally  called  Migdal-Manutha  {Hebrew,  Mig- 
dal-Menath),  'tower  of  the  portion,'  i  e.,  the 
Levitical  portion."  From  this  compound  name 
might  easily  come  the  two  names  Magdala  and 
Dalmanutha,  the  former  being  the  original  name, 
Migdal-el ;  the  latter,  an  abbreviation  of  the  ful- 
ler name  Migdal-Manutha.  It  is  true  that  the 
supposed  site  of  Magdala  is  a  little  south  of  the 
supposed  boundary  of  Naphtali ;  but  neither  can 
be  fixed  with  sufficient  certainty  to  make  this 
conclusive.  It  would  appear  not  Improbable 
that  sites  often  received  their  name,  as  in  the 
case  of  Magdala,  from  a  tower  in  connection  with 
them.  The  accompanying  cut  shows  the  ruins 
of  an  ancient  tower  at  Tiberias.  The  reader  is 
looking  north  ;  before  him  is  the  Sea  of  Galilee  ; 
Mt.  Hermon  is  in  the  distance  ;  to  the  left,  hid- 
den behind  the  town,  is  the  site  of  Magdala  or 
Dalmanutha,  which  means  tower. 

11-13.  Keqilest  of  a  Sign  from  Heaven. 
See  notes  on  Matt.  10  : 1-4.  The  statement  here, 
*'He  sighed  deeply  in  his  spirit,"  is  peculiar  to 
Mark,  and  is  a  touching  testimony  to  the  pity  of 
Christ,  which  embraced  even  such  captious  and 
cavilling  spirits  as  these  Pharisees.  His  depart- 
ure again  so  soon  to  the  eastern  shore  of  the  lake 
is  one  of  the  many  indications  that  he  considered 
his  public  ministry  ended,  and  was  seeking  re- 
tirement.   See  Matt.  15  :  29-39,  note. 

14-21.    Warning  against  the  Leaven  of 

THE  PHARfSEES  AND  OF  HeROD.      Matt.  16  :  5-13, 

notes.  There  are  some  graphic  touches  here  not 
in  Matthew,  as  the  statement  that  they  had  but 
one  loaf  (ver.  u),  the  additional  reproof  (ver.  is), 
and  the  reference  to  the  two  miracles  of  feeding, 
given  here  more  at  length  (ver.  19-21).  According 
to  Matthew,  Christ's  warning  was  against  the 
leaven  of   the   Pharisees   and   the   Sadducees. 


Matthew  adds  the  disciples'  understanding  of 
Christ's  admonition  (Matt.  16 :  12). 

Ch.  8  ;  22-26.     CURE  OF  A  BLIND  MAN.— Gbace  la 

SOMETIMES  GRADUAL. 

This  miracle  is  recorded  only  by  Mark.  It  is 
peculiar  in  that  it  represents,  more  distinctly 
than  any  other  miracle,  a  gradual  cure,  and  its 
successive  stages.  There  is  no  reason  to  doubt 
that  the  chronology  is  correctly  indicated  by 
Mark,  i.  e.,  that  it  occurred  after  the  close  of 
Christ's  public  Galilean  ministry,  and  during  his 
period  of  retirement. 

22.  And  they  came  to  Bethsaida.  This 
is  the  better  reading.  Bethsaida  was  a  town  on 
the  northern  shore  of  the  sea  of  Galilee,  at  the 
entrance  of  the  river  Jordan  into  the  lake.  See 
Mark  6  :  45,  note.— And  they  bring  a  blind 
man  unto  him.  The  people,  not  the  disciples, 
brought  him. 

23.  And  taking  the  hand  of  the  blind 
man,  he  led  him  out  of  the  town.  Rather, 
village  (yuifiii).  Bethsaida  {house  offish)  was  ori- 
ginally a  fishing  village.  The  tetrarch  Philip 
enlarged  it,  raised  it  to  the  dignity  of  a  town, 
and  gave  it  the  name  of  Julias.  This  part  of  the 
town  was  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Jordan,  the 
original  fishing  hamlet  was  on  the  western  bank. 
The  language  here  implies  that  Christ  was  in  the 
fisherman's  part  of  the  town,  the  unwalled  vil- 
lage. Observe  that  Christ  personally  leads  the 
blind  man,  a  mark  of  tenderness  and  condescen- 
sion, and  that  the  blind  man  entrusts  himself, 
apparently  unquestioningly,  to  the  leading  of  this 
stranger,  a  mark  of  his  confidence  in  Christ,  and 
a  touching  illustration  of  that  peculiar  attractive 
power  which  Christ  exercised  over  all  men  by 
his  personal  presence. — And  when  he  had  spit 
on  his  eyes.  Spittle  was  regarded  as  medicinal 
by  the  ancients.    Why  Christ  used  it  here  is  not 


Ch.  IX.] 


MAEK. 


373 


26  And  he  sent  him  away  to  his  house,  saying,  Nei- 
ther go  into  the  town,  nor  tell  it  to  any  in  the  town. 

27  And  Jesus"  went  out,  and  his  disciples,  into  the 
towns  of  Csesarea  Philippi :  and  by  the  way  he  asked 
his  disciples,  saying  unto  them,  Whom  do  men  say  that 
I  am? 

28  And  they  answered,  John ^  the  Baptist:  but  some 
say^  Elias-  and  others.  One  of  the  prophets. 

29  And  he  saith  unto  them.  But  whom  say  ye  that  I 
am  ?  And  Peter  answereth  and  saith  unto  him.  Thou  * 
art  the  Christ. 

30  And  he  charged  them  that  they  should  tell  no  man 
of  him. 

31  And  he  began  to  teach  them,  that  the  Son  of  man 
must  suffer  many  things,  and  be  rejected  of  the  elders, 
and  of  the  chief  priests,  and  scribes,  and  be  killed,  and 
after  three  days  rise  again. 

32  And  he  spake  tliat  saying  openly.  And  Peter 
took  him,  and  began  to  rebuke  him. 

33  But  when  he  had  turned  about  and  looked  on  his 
disciples,  he  rebuked  ='  Peter,  saying,  Get  thee  behind 
me,  Satan :  y  for  thou  savourest  not  the  things  that  be 
of  God,  but  the  things  that  be  of  men. 


34  And  when  he  had  called  the  people  unio  him  with 
his  disciples  also,  he  said  unto  them  Whosoever^  will 
come  after  me,  let  him  deny  himself,  and  take  up  his 
cross,  and  follow  me. 

^5  For  »  whosoever  will  save  his  life  shall  lose  it ;  but 
whosoever  shall  lose  his  life  for  my  sake  and  the  gos- 
pel's, the  same  shall  save  it. 

36  For  what  shall  it  profit  a  man  if  he  shall  gain  the 
whole  world,  and  lose  his  own  soul  ? 

37  Or  what  shall  a  man  give  in  exchange  for  his  soul  ? 

38  Whosoever"  therefore  shall  be  ashamed  of  me, 
and  of  my  words,  in  this  adulterous  and  sinful  genera- 
tion, of  him  also  shall  the  Son  of  man  be  ashamed,  when 
he  cometh  in  the  glory  of  his  Father,  with  the  holy 
angels. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

AND  he  said  unto  them.  Verily "=  I  say  unto  you, 
That  there  be  some  of  them  that  stand  here,  which 
shall  not  <■  taste  of  death,  till  they  have  seen  the  king- 
dom of  God  come  with  power. 
2  And  «  after  six  days  Jesus  taketh  with  him  Peter, 


n  Matt.  16  •  13,  etc.  ;  Luke  9  :  18,  etc. . 

....y  1  Cor.  6  :  5 z  Miitt.  10  :  38 

9  :  24  ;   17  :  33  ;   John  12  :  25  ;  2  Tin 
9  :  27....d  John  8  :  6-2  ;  Heb.  2:9.. 


Matt.  14  :  2.  ...vv  John  1  :  41-49;  6  : 
6  :  '.'4  ;  Luke  9  :  33  ;  14  :  27  ;  Tilus  2 
:  11 ;  4  :  6,  8  ;  Rev.  2  :  10  ;  7  :  14-17. 
Matt.  17  :  1,  etc.  ;   Luke  9  :  28,  etc. 


)  :  11  :  27  ;  Acts  8  :  37  I  1 
12.... a  Esther  4  :  14  ;  M 
.b  Luke  12  :  9  ;  2  Tim.  I 


John  B  :  1 x  Kev.  3  :  19. 

Ut.  10  :  39  ;    16  :  25  ;    Luke 
8 c  Matt.  16  :  28 ;  Luke 


clear.  Perhaps  as  the  readiest  means  of  strength- 
ening the  faith  of  the  blind  man  (see  Mark  7 :  33, 
34,  note) ;  perhaps  (this  I  am  inclined  to  think  the 
true  explanation)  to  make  as  little  impression 
with  the  miracle  as  possible,  because  he  was 
now  seeking  retu-ement,  and  wished  to  avoid  the 
throng  and  publicity  which  miracles  always 
brought  upon  him. 

21,  25.  And  he  looked  up.  In  order  to 
make  a  trial  of  his  eyes. — And  said,  I  see 
men  ;  for  (things)  like  trees  I  see,  walking. 
This  is  the  literal  rendering  of  the  Sinaitic,  Alex- 
andrine, and  Vatican  MSS.,  and  is  adopted  by 
Lachmann,  Tregelles,  Tischendorf,  and  Alford. 
The  meaning  appears  to  be  this :  I  see  men  ;  for, 
though  what  I  see  resemble  trees,  they  cannot 
be  so,  for  they  are  walking  about.  The  very 
vagueness  of  the  language  pictures  forcibly  the 
groping  of  one  through  an  uncertain  vision  tow- 
ard the  truth.  To  a  blind  man,  who  knew  trees 
only  by  feeling,  that  is,  only  knew  the  trunks, 
men  might  well  seem  like  trees,  except  for  their 
motion. — Then  a§i^ain  he  put  his  hands 
upon  his  eyes;  and  he  saw  discriminat- 
insly,  and  was  thoroughly  restored,  and 
saw  all  things  plainly.  There  is  some  un- 
certainty as  to  the  reading  here.  That  which  I 
have  given  is  adopted  by  Alford,  Tischendorf, 
and  Tregelles.  The  meaning  is  that  the  blind 
man  was  at  once  able  to  distinguish  objects,  and 
being  perfectly  restored,  thereafter  saw  all  things 
clearly. 

26.  The  double  prohibition  of  this  verse  has 
given  the  commentators  needless  perplexity. 
How,  they  have  asked,  could  he  tell  any  man  in 
the  town  if  he  did  not  go  into  it  ?  The  prohibi- 
tion is  simply  emphatic.  The  reason  is  Christ's 
desire  to  preserve  his  retirement.  His  public 
ministry  in  Galilee  is  ended. 


Those  who  believe,  as  I  do,  that  the  ministry 
of  Christ's  healing  is  a  symbol  of  his  redemption, 
will  easily  trace  the  spiritual  lessons  in  this  mir- 
acle. He  who  in  his  blindness  consents  to  be  led, 
in  the  dai%  by  Christ,  is  led  toward  the  light. 
His  sight  may  come  to  him  gradually ;  if  so  he  is 
not  to  be  discouraged  ;  nor  are  those  that  see 
clearly  to  be  impatient  at  the  delay.  The  end  of 
Christ's  ministry  of  grace  is  that  the  blind  not 
only  see,  but  see  with  discrimination,  and  clearly. 

27-30.  Peter's  Confession.  Matt.  16  : 
13-20  ;  Luke  9  :  18-21.  Caesarea  Philippi  was  in 
Northern  Palestine,  and  a  heathen  town.  It 
would  appear  as  though  Christ  were  finally 
driven  out  of  Galilee  in  his  endeavor  to  obtain  a 
season  of  repose  for  the  confidential  instruction 
of  his  apostles.  The  chronology  is  as  given  here. 
It  is  the  same  in  Matthew  and  Luke.  Luke  says 
this  colloquy  took  place  when  Christ  and  his  dis- 
ciples were  alone  and  he  was  praying.  Matthew 
adds  to  the  account  here  a  blessing  promised  by 
Christ  on  Peter  for  his  faith.  With  this  excep- 
tion their  accounts  do  not  differ  materially  from 
Mark's.  For  a  full  consideration  of  the  passage 
see  notes  on  Matthew. 

8  :  31  to  9  :  1.  First  announcement  op 
OUR  Lord's  passion  and  resurrection.  Matt. 
16  :  21-28;  Luke  9  :  23-27.  This  prophecy, 
as  indicated  by  all  three  Evangelists,  was  uttered 
immediately  after  the  confession  of  Peter  and 
prior  to  the  transfiguration.  Luke  omits  the  re- 
buke of  Peter.  Mark  alone  (ver.  34)  indicates  the 
presence  of  other  than  the  apostles ;  but  Luke 
(9:  23, "to all,")  intimates  it.  Ver.  38  is  also  pecu- 
liar to  Mark  in  this  connection ;  but  the  same 
utterance  is  repeated  by  Matthew  in  another  con- 
nection, and  in  a  slightly  different  form  (Matt.  10  : 
32, 33,  note).  The  language  there,  deny,  is  nearly 
equivalent  to  the  language  here,  be  ashamed  of; 


374 


MAKK. 


[Ch.  IX. 


and  James,  and  John,  and  leadeth  them  up  into  an  high 
mountain  apart  by  themselves:  and  he  was  transfig- 
ured before  them. 

3  And  his  raiment  became  shining,  exceeding  white ' 
as  snow  ;  so  as  no  fuller  on  earth  can  white  them. 

4  And  there  appeared  unto  them  Elias,  with  Moses ; 
and  they  were  talking  with  Jesus. 

5  And  Peter  answered  and  said  to  Jesus,  Master,  it 
is  good  for  us  to  be  here :  e  and  let  us  make  three  tab- 
ernacles :  one  for  thee,  and  one  for  Moses,  and  one  for 
Elias. 

6  For  he  wist"  not  what  to  say ;  for  they  were  sore 
afraid. 

7  And  there  was  a  cloud  that  overshadowed  them : 
and  a  voice  came  out  of  the  cloud,  saying,  This '  is  my 
beloved  Son  ;  hear  J  him. 

8  And  suddenly,  when  they  had  looked  round  about, 
they  saw  no  man  any  more,  save  Jesus  only  with 
themselves. 


9  And  as  they  came  down  from  the  mountain,  he 
charged  them  that  they  should  tell  no  man  what  things 
they  had  seen,  till  the  Son  of  man  were  risen  from  the 
dead. 

10  And  they  kept  that  saying  with  themselves,  ques- 
tioning one  with  another  what  the  rising  from  the  dead 
should  mean.i' 

11  And  they  asked  him,  sa5ring,  Why  say  the  scribes 
that  Elias '  must  first  come  ? 

12  And  he  answered  and  told  them,  Elias  verily 
cometh  first,  and  restoreth  all  things ;  and  how  it  is 
written  ">  of  the  Son  of  man,  that  he  must  suffer  many 
things,  and  be "  set  at  nought. 

13  But  I  say  unto  you,  That"  Elias  is  indeed  come, 
and  they  have  done  unto  him  whatsoever  they  listed, 
as  it  is  written  of  him. 

14  And  when  he  came  to  his  disciples,  he  saw  a  great 
multitude  about  them,  and  the  scribes  questioning  with 
them. 


f  Dan.  7:9;  Malt.  28  :  3. . .  .g  Ps.  63  :  2  ;  84  :  10. 
k  Actan  :  18.... 1  Mal.4:6....m  Pa.  2-.' :  1,  el 
o  Matt.  11:  14;  Luke  1  :  17. 


the  one  represents  the  external  manifestation, 
the  other  the  inward  feeling.  With  this  verse 
comp.  Hebrew  2  :  11 ;  11  :  IG.  On  the  whole 
passage  see  notes  on  Matthew. 

2-13.   The  TRANSFIGURATION.      EXPLANATION 

AS  TO  Elias.  Matt.  17  : 1-13  ;  Luke  9  :  28-36.  See 
notes  on  Matthew  and  Luke,  especially  former. 

10.  "Questioning  one  with  another 
what  the  rising  from  the  dead  should 
mean."  This  is  peculiar  to  Mark.  The  Jews 
believed  in  a  final  resurrection  (john  ii :  24 ;  Acts  23 ;  s), 
to  be  accompanied  by  a  general  judgment. 
How,  after  such  a  resurrection,  they  were  to  tell 
men  of  the  transfiguration,  they  could  not  com- 
prehend ;  nor  did  they  understand  that  Christ 
was  to  be  a  first-fruits  of  them  that  slept,  and 
rise,  straightway,  from  the  dead. 

11,  12.  Why  say  the  scribes  and  Phari- 
sees that  ESias  {Elijah)  must  first  come  ? 
As  was  prophesied  in  Mai.  4  :  €. — And  he 
answered  and  said  unto  them,  Elias  ver- 
ily cometh  first  and  restoreth  all  things. 
The  prophecy  respecting  Elijah  was  fulfilled  in 
the  spirit  by  the  coming  of  John  the  Baptist 
(Matt.  17 :  11-13). — And  why  is  it  written  of  the 
Son  of  man  that  he  must  sufler  many  things 
and  be  set  at  nought  ?  Christ  answers  the 
question  of  the  scribes  with  another.  If  they 
can  interpret  prophecy  and  make  it  bear  testi- 
mony against  the  Lord's  Messiahship,  let  them  in- 
terpret the  prophecies  which  foretell  his  passion 
and  death.  For  the  prophecies  referred  to,  see 
marg.  ref. 

Ch.  9  :  14-29.  HEALING  OF  THE  LTOATTC  BOY.— 
The  hopelessness  of  the  srs-STRicKEN   and  the 

8UKFEBING  WITHOUT  CHRIST :  ILLtrSTRATBD  BT  THE 
FATHER  AND  HIS  SON.  —  ThB  WEAKNESS  OP  THE 
CHURCH  WITHOUT  CHRIST  :  ILLUSTRATED  BT  THE  FAIL- 
URE   OF    THB      DISCIPLES. — THE     LONG-SUFFERING     OP 

Christ  (ver.  19).— The  condition  of  RECEmNG  his 
HELP :  faith  (ver.  23).— The  prater  of  the  doubting 

disciple  :    HELP  MT  UNBELIEF  (VCr.  24).— ThE   CONDI- 


TION  OP  SUCCESSFUL  Christian  work  (vers.  28,  29; 
Matt.  17  :  20,  21). 

This  miracle  is  reported  also  in  Matt.  17  :  14-21 
and  Luke  9  :  37^3.  The  three  Evangelists  agree 
in  placing  it  immediately  after  the  transfigura- 
tion, and  therefore  during  Christ's  period  of  re- 
tirement, subsequent  to  his  Galilean  and  prior  to 
his  principal  Judean  ministry.  Its  connection 
with  the  transfiguration  is  intimate  and  instruc- 
tive. Mark's  account  is  the  fullest  and  most 
graphic.  He  paints  more  vividly  than  the  others 
the  condition  and  sufferings  of  the  boy ;  he 
alone  gives  the  conference  between  Jesus  and 
the  father  (vers.  21-24),  and  his  picture  of  the  cure 
is  the  most  detailed.  Most  evangelical  commen- 
tators treat  this  as  a  case  of  real  demoniacal  pos- 
session. That  evil  spirits  do  really  sometimes 
gain  absolute  control  of  men  I  believe  and  have 

argued  elsewhere  (see  Note  on  Demoniacal  Possession,  p.  123)  ; 

but  that  this  is  such  a  case  is  not  so  clear.  The 
father  characterizes  his  son  as  taken  by  a  spirit 
(vers.  17,  18 ;  Luke  9 :  39) ;  Christ  addrcsscs  the  spirit 
(ver.  25) ;  Mark  and  Luke  speak  of  him  as  con- 
vulsed by  the  spirit  (ver.  20 ;  Luke  9 :  42) ;  but  in  Mat- 
thew he  is  described  as  a  lunatic  (Matt,  n  :  u) ;  his 
diflficulty  had  existed  from  childhood  (ver.  21),  and 
therefore,  presumptively,  before  his  own  wilful 
transgression  could  have  given  the  devil  control 
over  him  ;  the  symptoms  described  are  those  of 
epilepsy ;  it  is  known  that  various  diseases,  es- 
pecially those  accompanied  by  convulsions,  were 
attributed  by  the  Jews  to  evil  spirits  ;  the  word 
here  used  in  describing  this  sufferer's  condition 
is  (except  in  Luke  9  :  43)  spint  (rtrivfia),  not  devil 
{dtxtfiwr,  d,tiii6Mor),  and  while  the  latter  word  is 
used  in  the  Gospels  only  to  describe  a  distinct  evil 
spirit,  the  former  is  used  also  to  describe  the 

spirit    of     man    himself   (Matt.  26:  41 ;    Mark  8:  12;    Luke 

1 :  47).  Accepting,  as  I  do,  the  doctrine  of  demo- 
niacal possession,  I  regard  this  as  a  case  of  that 
description  ;  but  if  there  were  no  other  evidence  of 
real  demoniacal  possession,  this  might  be  inter- 


Ch.  IX.] 


MAEK. 


375 


15  And  straightway  all  the  people,  when  they  beheld 
him,  were  greatly  amazed;  and  running  to  hiniy  sa- 
luted him. 

16  And  he  asked  the  scribes.  What  question  ye  with 
them? 

17  And  one  of  the  multitude  answered  and  said,  Mas- 
ter, I  have  brought  unto  thee  my  son,  which  hath  a 
dumb  P  spirit : 


18  And  wheresoever  he  talieth  him,  he  teareth  him ; 
and  he  foameth,")  and  gnasheth  with  his  teeth,  and  pin- 
eth  away  ;  and  I  spake  to  thy  disciples,  that  they  should 
cast  him  out ;  and  they  could  not. 

19  He  answereth  him,  and  saith,  O  faithless '  genera- 
tion !  how  long  shall  I  be  with  you  ?  how  long  shall  I 
suffer  you  ?    Bring  him  unto  me. 

20  And  they  brought  him  unto  him:  and  when  he 


p  Matt.  12  :  22 ;  Luke  11  :  14. . . .  q  Jude  13. ...  r  Deut.  32  :  20 ;  Ps.  78  :  8  ;  Heb.  3  :  10. 


preted  as  simply  a  case  of  epilepsy,  accompany- 
ing or  producing  deafness  and  dumbness. 

14.  And  when  he  came  to  his  disciples. 

Three  of  them,  Peter,  James,  and  John,  were 
with  him  on  the  Mount  of  Transfiguration  (ver.  2), 
The  time  was  the  day  after  the  transfiguration 
(Luke  9 :  37) ;  the  place  the  foot  of  the  mount, 
■which  was  probably  not  Mount  Hermon,  for  the 
scribes  would  not  have  been  in  heathen  territory, 
nor  Mount  Tabor,  the  top  of  which  was  the  site 
of  a  fortified  town.  Observe  the  contrast  be- 
tween "the  open  heaven  and  the  sons  of  glory 
on  the  mount,  and  the  valley  of  tears  Avith  its 
terrible  forms  of  misery,  and  pain,  and  unbelief." 
— {Stier,  in  Alford.)  This  contrast  illustrates  the 
greater  change  of  scene  between  Christ  in  his 
glory  with  the  Father  and  Christ  in  the  humilia- 
tion of  his  earthly  life  (Phu.  2 : 5-s).  Compare,  for 
an  analogous  contrast,  Moses  on  the  mountain- 
top  and  the  people  in  their  idolatry  below  (Exod. 
31 :  13 ;  32 : 1-6).  Observe,  too,  that  if  Peter's  re- 
quest to  abide  in  the  mountain-top  (ver.  5)  had 
been  granted,  the  father's  woe  would  not  have 
been  relieved.  It  is  not  by  abiding  in  ecstasy 
with  a  transfigured  Christ,  but  by  following  in 
dally  duty  a  healing  Christ,  that  we  show  our 
attachment  to  him.— Questioning  with  them. 
The  spirit  of  the  scribes'  questions  can  easily  be 
gathered  from  their  language  to  Jesus  on  other 
occasions,  for  example,  Matt.  21  :  15,  16  ;  Mark 
2  :  6,  7 ;  3  :  22  ;  Luke  5  :  30  ;  11  :  53,  54.  Doubt- 
less they  were  taunting  the  disciples  with  their 
failure.  The  conference  which  follows  indicates 
a  skilful,  because  an  indirect  defence  of  the  disci- 
ples, whom  afterward,  but  in  private,  Christ  re- 
buked (vera.  28,  29  ;  Matt.  17  :  20). 

15,  16.  Were  greatly  amazed.  Possibly 
at  his  unexpected  appearance  upon  the  scene. 
But,  remembering  how  Moses'  countenance  glis- 
tened on  his  descent  from  the  mount  (Eiod.  34 :  29, 
30;  2  Cor.  3:7),  the  hypothesis  is  not  unreasonable 
that  a  similar  glory  irradiated  Christ's  face. 
The  former  brightness  awed  the  people  ;  this  at- 
tracted them.— Greeted  him.  An  indication 
of  Christ's  popularity. — And  he  asked  the 
scribes ;  "  taking  the  baflled  and  hard-pressed 
disciples  under  his  own  protection,  and  declar- 
ing that  whatever  question  there  was  more,  it 
must  be  with  himself." — {Trench.)  And  observe 
that  both  they  and  the  disciples  are  silent,  the  one 


from  fear  of  Christ,  the  other  from  self-humilia- 
tion.   It  is  the  father  who  replies. 

17,  18.  According  to  Luke  the  son  was  an 
only  child  (Luke  9 :  38) ;  according  to  Matthew  a  lu- 
natic (Matt.  17 :  is),  literally  moon-struck,  it  being  a 
notion  with  the  ancients,  and  even  in  later  times, 
that  the  influence  of  the  moon  produced  mental 
disorder  (Ps.  121  :  e).  The  symptoms  here  de- 
scribed are  those  of  epilepsy,  and  according  to  Dr. 
Robinson  (Lexicon  of  N.  T.)  the  Original  in  Matthew 
translated  lunatic  {ae^ijviuuniui)  in  Greek  usage 
indicates  to  be  epileptic  ;  but  for  this  statement  he 
cites  but  one  authority.  Comp.  with  Mark's  de- 
scription of  the  boy's  condition  Luke  9  :  39.  The 
boy  was  deaf  and  dumb  (ver.  25),  and  was  subject 
to  convulsions,  Matthew  (  n  ;  u)  says  he  suffered 
severely,  for  this  is  the  significance  of  the  phrase 
rendered  "  sore  vexed." — Teareth  him.  Rather 
throws  him  to  the  ground,  as  one  wrestler  throws 
another  {(ji'iyrvi.11). — Piueth  away.  Perhaps, 
becomes  dry  or  stiff,  a  phenomenon  often  ac- 
companying or  following  epileptic  convulsions  ; 
either  translation  is  admissible.  Luke  adds,"  he 
suddenly  crieth  out, "  i.  e.,  with  an  inarticulate  cry, 
and  "  it,"  z.  e.,  the  evU  spirit,"  hardly,"  i.  e.,  with 
difficulty,  "departeth  from  him."  In  other 
words,  the  convulsions  were  sudden,  severe,  and 
long-continued. — And  they  could  not.  "The 
faith  of  the  disciples  wavered  by  the  plain  diffi- 
culty of  the  thing  which  seemed  impossible  to 
overcome,  when  so  many  evils  were  digested  into 
one, — deafness,  dumbness,  phrensy,  and  posses- 
sion of  the  devil ;  and  all  these  from  the  cradle." 
—(Lightfoot.) 

19.  O  unbelieving  race,  how  long  shall 
I  be  Avith  you?  How  long  shall  I  suffer 
you  ?  Literally,  Hold  up  under  you.  The  lan- 
guage illustrates  the  sense  in  which  Christ  bears 
our  weaknesses,  our  woes,  and  our  sins — how  they 
burden  him.  Comp.  Matt.  8  :  17,  note.  The  lan- 
guage is  not,  as  Calvin  interprets  it,  that  of  indig- 
nant invective,  but  of  pity  and  soul- weariness  (comp. 
John  14 : 9).  It  is  truc  that  Matthew  and  Luke  add  to 
the  phrase  unbelieving  generation  the.  adjective />«•- 
verse,  but  this  does  not  necessarily  indicate  invec- 
tive or  an  indignant  spirit,  for  the  verb  is  in  the 
perfect  passive,  and  the  literal  translation  would 
he  perverted  race,  i.  e.,  race  turned  aside  from  the 
truth.  Christ's  indignation  went  out  against 
those  who  had  perverted  the  people,  their  reli- 


376 


MAEK. 


[Ch.  IX. 


saw  him,  straightway  the  spirit  tare  him ;  and  he  fell 
on  the  ground,  and  wallowed  foaming. 

21  And  he  asked  his  father.  How  long  is  it  ago  since 
this  came  unto  him  ?    And  he  said.  Of  a  child  :  • 

22  And  ofttimes  it  hath  cast  him  into  the  fire,  and 
into  the  waters,  to  destroy  him  :  but  if  thou  canst  do 
anything,  have  compassion  on  us,  and  help  us. 

23  Jesus  said  unto  him.  If  thou  canst  believe,  all 
things  are  possible  to  him  that  believeth. 

24  And  straightway  the  father  of  the  child  cried  out, 
and  said  with  tears,"  Lord,  I  believe ;  help'  thou  mine 
unbelief. 

25  When  Jesus  saw  that  the  people  came  running  to- 


gether, he  rebuked  the  foul  spirit,  saying  unto  him. 
Thou  dumb  and  deaf  spirit,  I  charge  thee,  come  out  of 
him,  and  enter  no  more  into  him. 

26  And  the  spirit  cried,  and  rent "  him  sore,  and  came 
out  of  him  :  and  he  was  as  one  dead  ;  insomuch  that 
many  said.  He  is  dead. 

27  But  Jesus  took  him  by  the'  hand,  and  lifted  him 
up ;  and  he  arose. 

28  And  when  he  was  come  into  the  house,  his  disci- 
ples asked  him  privately.  Why  could  not  we  cast  him 
out? 

29  And  he  said  unto  them.  This  kind  can  come  forth 
by  nothing  but  by  y  prayer  and  fasting.' 


gious  leaders ;  his  pity  embraced  those  who  were 
perverted  by  a  false  education.  And  his  lan- 
guage here  is  called  forth,  not  by  the  malig- 
nance of  the  scribes,  but  by  the  unbelief  of  his 
disciples.  It  is  not  directed  to  either  scribes, 
disciples,  or  people  alone,  but  to  the  Jewish 
race,  as  a  race,  and  even  still  to  his  church  and 
to  humanity.  On  the  Greek  word  (/£»£«),  here 
rendered  generation,  see  note  on  Matt.  24  :  34. — 
Bring  him  unto  me.  The  language  of  calm 
assurance.  The  disciples  could  not  cure  him ; 
bring  him  then  to  the  Master.  Often  this  is  the 
direction  of  Christ  to  the  sin-stricken  soul.  The 
minister  has  failed  to  give  comfort ;  the  failure 
is  itself  a  call  from  the  Lord  to  himself,  Comp. 
2  Kings  4  :  31-37,  where  the  prophet's  staflE  fails, 
but  the  prophet  does  not. 

20.  And  when  he,  the  boy;  saw  him, 
Christ ;  straightway  the  spirit  convulsed 
him.  "  The  kmgdom  of  Satan  in  small  and  great 
is  ever  stirred  into  a  fiercer  activity  by  the  com- 
ing near  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ.  Satan  has 
great  wrath  when  his  time  is  short." — {Trench.) 

21-24.  This  instructive  conference  with  the 
father  is  given  only  by  Mark.  The  question  and 
the  father's  answer  operates  as  a  plea  for  the  dis- 
ciples, by  showing  how  serious  and  deep-seated 
Is  the  disease.— Of  a  child.  Literally,  from 
childhood,  here  probably  equivalent  to  from  in- 
fancy. If  this  was  a  true  case  of  demoniacal 
possession,  it  is  the  only  one  in  the  N.  T.  in 
which  the  possession  was  congenital,  and  hence 
not  possibly  due  to  the  victim's  own  wrong-do- 
ing. Can  a  true  demoniacal  possession  be  inher- 
ited ?— If  thou  canst  do  anything.  A  very 
natural  doubt,  since  the  disciples  had  failed  to 
cure. — Help  us.  Gome  to  our  help.  The  Greek 
{fioii^iin)  literally  signifies  to  run  up  at  a  cry  for 
help.  See  Josh.  10  :  6 ;  Acts  16  :  9 ;  21  :  28.  Ob- 
serve how  the  father  and  the  child  are  one  in 
their  misery  :  help  us  is  his  prayer.  Comp.  the 
similar  language  of  the  Syro-Phoenician  woman 
(Matt.  15 :  22,  note). — Jesus  said  uuto  him  this 
(saying) :  if  thou  canst  believe,  all  things 
are  po.ssibte  to  him  that  believeth.  There 
is  some  uncertainty  as  to  the  proper  rendering  of 


the  original.  That  which  I  have  given,  adopted 
by  Alford,  seems  to  me  to  accord  best  with  the 
grammatical  construction  of  the  sentence.  It 
indicates  that  the  saying  was  one  repeated  by 
Christ  on  other  occasions,  as  we  know  its  sub- 
stance to  have  been.  Comp.  Matt.  9  :  29,  and 
Christ's  language  to  his  own  disciples  (Matt.  n:2o), 
subsequent  to  the  cure  here  recorded.  Christ's 
answer  implies,  (1)  that  the  diflBculty  of  healing 
was  not  and  never  is  in  any  weakness  of  the  Lord, 
but  in  the  want  of  faith  of  the  supplicant ;  and 
this  because,  (2)  the  healing  is  to  be  wrought,  if 
at  all,  not  in  answer  to  the  challenge  "if  thou 
canst  do  anything,"  but  in  answer  to  a  humble, 
devout  trust  in  him  who  can  do  all  things. 
"  Hence  may  be  learned  a  useful  doctrine,  which 
will  equally  apply  to  all  of  us,  that  it  is  not  the 
Lord  who  prevents  his  benefits  from  flowing  to 
us  in  large  abundance,  but  that  it  must  be  at- 
tributed to  the  narrowness  of  our  faith,  that  it 
comes  to  us  only  in  drops,  and  that  frequently 
we  do  not  even  feel  a  drop,  because  unbelief 
shuts  up  our  heart." — (Calvin.)  —  I  believe. 
Come  to  the  help  of  mine  unbelief.  "  The 
little  spark  of  faith  which  has  been  kindled  in 
his  soul  reveals  to  him  the  abysmal  deeps  of  un- 
belief which  are  there." — (Trench.)  This  is 
always  the  true  prayer  of  the  doubting  Christian. 
It  is  noteworthy  that  in  this  case,  w7iere  the  child 
is  incapacitated  from,  the  exercise  of  faith,  he  is 
healed  upon  the  faith  of  the  father,  or  rather 
upon  the  father's  aspiration  after  faith. 

25-27.  This  description  of  the  cure  is  much 
fuller  and  more  graphic  than  in  either  Matthew  or 
Luke.  The  miracle  is  wrought  before  the  people 
have  crowded  round  the  patient,  that,  as  far  as 
possible,  publicity  may  be  avoided  ;  it  is  perma- 
nent, being  accompanied  by  the  command, 
"  Enter  no  more  into  him  ;  "  it  is  in  seeming,  at 
first,  no  cure,  for  the  boy  is  more  terribly  con- 
vulsed than  before,  and  at  first  taken  to  be 
dead ;  but  the  work  begun  by  the  word  is  fin- 
ished by  the  touch  of  Christ,  "  Jesus  took  him 
by  the  hand."  The  commentators  note  in  the 
frightfulness  of  the  last  convulsion  a  symbol  of 
Satan's  outgoing  in  the  moral  world,  always  with 


Ch.  IX.] 


MAEK. 


377 


30  And  they  departed  thence,  and  passed  through 
Galilee  ;  and  he  would  not  that  any  man  should  know  it. 

31  For  he  taught  his  disciples,  and  said  unto  them. 
The  Son  of  man  is  delivered  into  the  hands  of  men,  and 
they  shall  kill  him  ;  and  after  that  he  is  killed,  he  shall 
rise  the  third  day. 


32  But  they  understood  not  that  saying,  and  were 
afraid  to  ask»  him. 

33  And  •>  he  came  to  Capernaum :  and  being  in  the 
house,  he  asked  them.  What  was  it  tliat  ye  disputed 
among  yourselves  by  the  way  ? 


Matt.  18  :  1,  etc.  ;  Luke  9  :  46,  i 


seemingly  destructive  violence.  In  the  quaint 
words  of  Fuller,  be  is  "  like  an  outgoing  tenant 
that  cares  not  what  mischief  he  does."  Comp. 
Mark  1  :  26,  note. 

28,  29.  Matthew's  report  of  the  private  con- 
ference between  Christ  and  his  disciples  is  fuller 
than  Mark's.  To  their  question,  "  Why  could 
we  not  cast  him  out  ? "  Christ  replies  :  "  Because 
of  your  unbelief,"  and  adds  the  promise  to  faith, 
subsequently  repeated  at  the  time  of  the  wither- 
ing away  of  the  fig-tree  (Matt,  it  :  20).  See  note 
on  Mark  11  :  23-36.  —  Prayer  and  fasting. 
Prayer,  because  it  is  only  in  and  through  the  di- 
vine power  that  the  power  of  the  devil  can  ever 
be  conquered  (Ephes.  6 :  10, 11) ;  fasting,  because  (1) 
this  is  the  outward  symbol  of  self-denial  which  is 
a  condition  of  following  Christ,  and  therefore  of 
successful  Christian  achievement ;  (3)  because 
the  most  intense  spiritual  labor,  as  the  most  in- 
tense intellectual  labor,  is  naturally  accompanied 
by  a  cessation,  for  a  time,  of  the  bodily  wants. 
Comp.  John  4  :  31-34.  On  the  general  subject  of 
Christian  fasting,  see  Matt.  9  :  15,  note. 

In  this  miracle,  as  m  nearly  if  not  absolutely 
all  Christ's  miracles  of  healing,  the  student  may 
easily  trace  a  parable  of  redemption.  The  soul 
is  under  the  bondage  of  Satan  ( John  8 :  34 ;  2  Pet.  2:19); 
it  is  deaf,  ignorant  of  the  glories  of  the  divine 
kingdom ;  dumb,  unable  to  speak  God's  praise 
(1  Cor.  2 :  14) ;  no  human  helper  is  able  to  ransom, 
no  minister,  no  priest  (Psaim49:7s  Acts4: 12);  the 
disease  is  in  the  soul,  as  in  the  race,  from  its  in- 
fancy (Rom.  5 :  14;  Ephes.  2:3);  a  deliverance  is  possi- 
ble through  faith  to  every  one  that  bolieveth 
(Rom,  3 :  22) ;  cvcn  the  unbelieving  ftiay  have  help 
in  their  unbelief  (Ephes.  2:8);  the  first  approach  of 
Christ  to  the  soul  often  seems  to  aggravate  the 
evU  (Eiod.  ch.  5) ;  the  command  of  Christ  leaves 
the  soul  dead,  as  to  the  world  ;  but  the  love  of 
Christ  raises  it  from  the  dead  to  newness  of  life 
in  him  (Rom.  6 :  11 ;  Gal.  2 :  2o).  Observc,  also,  that 
faith  is  the  essential  strength  of  the  Christian 
(ijohn6:4);  its  lack  subjects  us  to  Christ's  just 
rebuke  (ver.  19) ;  it  gives  power  not  only  with  God, 
but  also,  if  rightly  exercised,  power  over  men 
(Gen. 32:8);  it  is  attainable  only  by  prayer,  i.e., 
communion  with  God,  and  fasting,  i.  e.,  abstinence 
from  whatever  impedes,  permanently,  or  for  the 
occasion,  the  highest  spiritual  life. 

Ch.  9  ;  30-32.  PROPHECY  OP  OUR  LORD'S  DEATH  AND 
RESURRECTION.— History  is  the  true  interpreter 
OF  PBOPHECT.    See  Luke  9  :  43-45,  notes. 


Matt.  17  :  23,  23 ;  Luke  9  :  43-45.  See  notes  on 
Luke,  who  gives  some  particulars  not  given  here. 
Compare  also  previous  prophecy  of  his  Passion. 
Matt.  16  :  21,  notes  ;  Mark  8  :  31,  notes. 

30.  Aud  he  would  not  that  any  man 
should  know.  One  of  the  numerous  indica- 
tions that  this  period  was  one  of  retirement,  not 
of  public  ministry.  See  Matt.  15  :  39-39,  note. 
The  reason  of  this  retirement  is  mdicated  in  the 
following  verse. 

31.  For  he  was  teaching  his  disciples, 
i.  e.,  the  twelve.  Not  as  in  our  English  version, 
he  taught,  but  at  this  time  he  teas  teaching  them,  i.  e., 
concerning  his  passion  and  resurrection.  He 
went  through  Galilee  secretly,  because  this 
period  of  retirement  was  devoted  to  the  confiden- 
tial instruction  of  his  Apostles. — Is  delivered. 
The  present  tense  with  the  force  of  the  future, 
but  expressing  more  impressively  the  nearness 
and  the  certainty  of  the  predicted  event.  Comp. 
Matt.  26  :  2. 

33.  Understood  not  that  saying. — That 
even  the  twelve  apostles  had  no  understanding  of 
the  Passion,  and  no  correct  apprehension  of  the 
spirituality  and  universality  of  Christ's  mission 
until  after  Christ's  resurrection,  is  evident  from 
many  references.  See  Matt.  16  :  23 ;  Mark  16  :  14  ; 
Luke  18  :  34 ;  34  :  35-37,  44.  That  it  was  not 
intended  that  they  should  clearly  apprehend  our 
Lord's  death  or  his  resurrection,  is  mdicated  by 
Luke  9  :  45.  See  note  there.— Were  afraid  to 
ask  him.  Perhaps  simply  from  the  awe  with 
which  they  regarded  him  (Mark  10 :  32 ;  John  16 :  is,  19) ; 
rather,  I  should  think,  because  they  dimly  per- 
ceived the  terrible  sorrow  which  was  in  store  for 
them,  and  shrank  from  knowing  it  more  fully. 

Ch.  9  :  33-50.  DISCOURSE  CONCERNING  THE  KING- 
DOM OF  HEAVEN.— True  greatness  :  to  forget  self  ; 
TO  SERVE  others  (33-37).— Never  thwart  work  done 

FOR  CHKIST,  because  IT  IS  DONE  IRREGULARLT  (.38-40). 

—The  condemnation  OF  the  tempter  (42-48).— Self- 
sacrifice  NECESSARY  IN  THE  CHRISTIAN  LIFE  (49,  50). 

Of  these  mstructions,  Matthew  (ch.  is)  gives  a 
fuller,  and  Luke  (9 :  46-50)  a  briefer  account.  They 
may  possibly  be  not  a  single  discourse,  but  a  sum- 
mary of  instruction  afforded  by  Christ  during  the 
period  of  retirement  with  the  twelve,  after  the 
close  of  his  Galilean  ministry,  but  this  is  not 
probable.  On  the  whole  discourse,  see  notes  on 
Matt.  18  ;  verses  1  to  9  are  parallel  to  verses  here. 
I  treat  here  only  such  expressions  as  are  not 
found  in  Matthew. 


3?l 


MAEK. 


[Ch.  IX. 


34  But  they  held  their  peace :  for  by  the  way  they 
had  disputed  among  themselves  who  should  be  the 
greatest. 

35  And  he  sat  down,  and  called  the  twelve,  and  saith 
unto  them,  If'=  any  man  desire  to  be  first,  the  same 
shall  be  last  of  all,  and  servant  of  all. 

36  And  he  took  a  child,  and  set  him  in  the  midst  of 
them :  and  when  he  had  taken  him  in  his  arms,  he  said 
unto  them, 

37  Whosoever*  shall  receive  one  of  such  children 
in  my  name,  receiveth  me :  and  whosoever  shall  re- 
ceive me,  receiveth  not  me,  but  him  that  sent  me. 

38  And  John  answered  him,  saying.  Master,  we  saw" 
one  casting  out  devils  in  thy  name,  and  he  followeth 
not  us:  and  we  forbad  him,  because  he  followeth 
not  us. 

39  But  Jesus  .said,  Forbid  him  not:  for  there' is  no 
man  which  shall  do  a  miracle  in  my  name,  that  can 
lightly  speak  evil  of  me. 

40  For  8  he  that  is  not  against  us,  is  on  our  part. 

41  Fori"  whosoever  shall  give  you  a  cup  of  water  to 
drink  in  my  name,  because  you  belong  to  Christ,  ver- 
ily I  say  unto  you,  he  shall  not  lose  his  reward. 

42  And  wlio'soever  shall  offend'  one  of  these  little 
ones  that  believe  in  me,  it  is  better  for  him  that  a  mill- 


stone were  hanged  about  his  neck,  and  he  were  cast 
into  the  sea. 

43  AndJ  if  thy  hand  offend  thee,  cut  it  off:  it  is  bet- 
ter for  thee  to  enter  into  lite  maimed,  than,  having  t\vo 
hands,  to  go  into  hell,  into  the  fire  that  never  shall  be 
quenched ; 

44  Where  "^  their  worm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire  is  not 
quenched. 

45  And  if  thy  foot  offend  thee,  cut  it  off:  it  is  better 
for  thee  to  enter  halt  into  life,  tlian,  having  two  feet, 
to  be  cast  into  hell,  into  the  fire  that  never  shall  be 
quenched ; 

46  Where  their  worm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire  is  not 
quenched. 

47  And  if  thine  eye  offend  thee,  pluck  it  out :  it  is 
better  for  thee  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God  with 
one  eye,  than,  having  two  eyes,  to  be  cast  into  hell  fire  : 

48  Where  their  worm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire'  is  not 
quenched. 

49  For  every  one  shall  be  salted  with  fire,  and  every 
sacrifice ""  shall  be  salted  with  salt. 

50  Salt  is  good:  but  if  the  salt"  have  lost  his  salt- 
ness,  wherewith  will  ye  season  it?  Have"  salt  in 
yourselves,  and  have  p  peace  one  with  another. 


I,  27....d  Luke  9  :  48 e  Numb.  11  ;  26-28 f  1  Cor.  12  :  3 r  Matt.  12  : 

.jDeut.  13:6;    .VIntt.  5  :  29. . .  .k  Isa.  66  :  24  ;    Rev.  14  :  11. . .  .1  ver.  44,  46 
i;  Luke  14:34....o  Col.  4:  6.... p  Pa.  34  :  14  j  2  Cor.  13  :  11  j  Heb.  12:  14. 


2:13;    Ezck. 


33.  In  the  house.  Possibly  of  Peter  who 
resided  at  Capernaum  (Mark  i :  29). — What  Avas  it 
that  ye  disputed  ?  For  seeming  discrepancies 
in  the  accounts  of  the  three  Evangelists  and  their 
reconciKation,  see  notes  on  Matt.  18  : 1. 

35.  The  same  shall  be  last.  Equivalent 
to  "last  among  you  all"  in  Luke,  and  inter- 
preted by,  "  Whosoever  shall  humble  himself  as 
this  little  child  "  in  Matthew. — And  servant  of 
all.  Peculiar  to  Mark.  But  the  same  proverb 
is  often  repeated.  See,  on  its  meaning.  Matt. 
33  :  11, 13,  note.  It  adds  an  element  wanting  in 
Matthew's  and  Luke's  reports.  The  two  condi- 
tions of  greatness  in  Christ's  kingdom  are,  (1) 
voluntary  humility,  a  willingness  to  take  the 
lowest  and  least  place  ;  and  (3)  an  enthusiasm  of 
love,  showing  itself  in  practical  serving  of  others. 
Observe,  "servant  of  ally  The  love  which 
serves  only  a  class,  a  church,  a  sect,  or  especial 
and  congenial  friends,  cannot  claim  anything 
under  this  declaration  of  our  Lord's.  Compare 
Matt.  5  :  46-48  ;  Luke  10  :  39-37 ;  Kom.  1  :  14. 
This  meaning  is  best  interpreted  by  his  own 
example.    See  Phil.  3  :  5-11. 

37.  Receiveth  not  me,  i.  e.,  not  merely  me. 
— But  him  that  sent  me.  God  the  Father 
(John  n :  is).  Compare  John  5  :  23,  and  Matt. 
10  :  40,  note. 

38-40.  This  interruption  by  John,  and  our 
Lord's  reply,  are  not  reported  by  Matthew.  The 
disciples  had  shortly  before  returned  to  Christ 
from  their  first  missionary  tour,  in  which  they 
were  empowered  to  cast  out  devils  (Matt.  10 :  s). 
The  man  here  referred  to  they  probably  met  dur- 
ing this  tour.  He  must  have  been  a  disciple  of 
Christ,  who  was  enabled  by  his  faith,  yet  without 
a  commission,  to  cure  the  possessed.    It  is  not 


necessary  to  trace  a  logical  connection  between 
John's  question  and  Christ's  preceding  instruc- 
tion. The  Lord  has  rebuked  the  pride  of  the 
disciples ;  and  exclusiveness  is  always  the  result 
of  pride.  John  feels,  rather  than  sees,  that  his  act 
was  inconsistent  with  the  spirit  of  Christ's  teach- 
ing, and  reports  it  for  further  instruction.  The 
force  of  Christ's  reply  is  somewhat  impaired  by 
our  English  version.— Forbid  him  not :  for 
there  is  no  one  (not  merely  no  mati)  who 
shall  do  a  mighty  Avork^not  merely  a  miracle, 
not  o»;,i(fujv  but  (SiJruKic)  and  shall  be  able 
hastily  to  speak  evil  of  me.  The  work  he 
has  done  in  Christ's  name,  will  itself  prevent  him 
from  forthwith  using  an  influence  against  Christ. 
The  principle  inculcated  forbids  discouraging 
any  work,  by  whomsoevei-  undertaken,  minister  or 
layman,  man  or  woman,  which  is  really  accom- 
plishing    spiritual     results     (comp.    Numb.    11  :  26-29; 

1  Cor.  12:3;  Phil.  1 :  16-18).  "  Let  them  hccd  this  who 
confine  spiritual  gifts  to  a  canonical  succession" 
(Bengel) ;  or,  let  me  add,  to  a  clerical  oflBce,  for- 
bidding either  laymen  or  lay-women  to  cast  out 
devils  in  Christ's  name.  But,  though  doing 
mighty  works  in  Chrisfs  name  is  never  to  be 
forbidden,  he  who  does  them  may  not  be  a  true 

child  of  God  (Matt.  7  :  22,  23). 

40.  He  that  is  not  against  us  is  for  us. 

The  converse  of  this  proposition  is  true  ;  "  he 
that  is  not  with  me  is  against  me"  (Matt.  12: 30, 
note).  So  far  from  being  inconsistent,  the  two 
sayings  represent  opposite  poles  of  the  same 
truth.  Every  one  is  either  for  Christ  or  against 
him ;  neutrality  is  impossible.  Therefore  (1),  let 
him  that  is  not  consciously  working  for  Christ, 
beware  lest  he  be  found  working  against  him ; 
(3)  let  no  one  thwart  or  hinder  any  work  that  is 


Ch.  IX.] 


MARK. 


379 


not  clearly  opposed  to  Christ,  for  it  may  prove  to 
be  work  for  him  (comp.  acu  5 :  38, 39). 

41.  See  Matt.  10  :  42,  note.  The  connection 
here  is  this  :  Even  since  the  smalled  service  done 
in  and  for  Christ  shall  not  be  unrewarded,  so 
great  an  one  as  casting  out  of  devils,  should  not 
be  prohibited. 

42-48.  The  phraseology  here  is  very  nearly 
the  same  as  in  the  parallel  passage  in  Matt.  18  : 
6-8.  See  notes  there,  and  on  Matt.  5  :  23.  But 
the  solemn  addition  of  verses  4rt,  46,  48,  "  Where 
their  worm  dieth  not  and  the  fire  is  not 
quenched,"  is  peculiar  to  Mark.  Thqre  is  some 
doubt  about  the  genuineness  of  verses  44  and  46, 
but  not  about  verse  48.  There  is  some  doubt, 
also,  as  to  the  genuineness  of  the  phrase  in  verse 
45,  "  into  the  fire  that  never  shall  be  quenched." 
Alford  doubts,  and  Tischendorf  omits  it.  The 
phrase  "  where  their  worm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire 
is  not  quenched  "  (verses  44, 46  and  48),  is  quoted  from 
Isaiah  66  :  2i  It  there  unquestionably  indicates, 
not  the  torture,  but  the  utter  destruction  of 
transgressors.  They,  i.  e.  their  corpses,  should 
be  consumed  with  a  fire  like  that  of  Gehenna, 
which  consumed  the  ofEal  of  Jerusalem  (Matt,  s :  22, 
note),  and  eaten  with  worms,  as  the  unburied  on 
the  battle-field ;  and  this  destruction  should  be 
open,  public,  continuous,  a  warning  to  others  ; 
for  Isaiah  adds,  "they  shall  bean  abhorring  to 
all  flesh."  The  symbol  here,  therefore,  of  the 
worm  and  the  fire,  is  not  of  ever-during  torment, 
but  of  a  complete  destruction  from  which  there 
would  and  could  be  no  deliverance,  and  after 
which  no  restoration.  Whether  the  destruction 
of  the  wicked  here  and  elsewhere  foretold  (Matt. 
13:30;  2Thess.  1 :9)  is  to  bc  literally  or  spiritually 
Interpreted,  is  another  question,  to  be  determined, 
if  at  all,  by  reference  to  other  passages  of  Scrip- 
ture. 

49,  50.  These  verses  are  confessedly  difficult 
of  interpretation.  They  are  peculiar  to  Mark. 
In  respect  to  the  proper  rendering  of  verse  49,  I 
remark  (1)  the  substitution  of  in  for  with  will 
render  the  meaning  somewhat  clearer,  and  it  is 
grammatically  justifiable.  (The  Greek  student 
will  observe  that  the  dative  alone  is  sometimes 
in  the  N.  T.  usage  equivalent  to  the  dative  coupled 
with  iv.  Compare  in  Greek  Testament,  1  Pet. 
4  : 1,  first  clause  with  last  clause,  and  Tit.  1  :  13 
vrith  Tit.  3  :  2.)  (2.)  The  clause,  "And  every 
sacrifice  shall  be  salted  with  salt,"  is  not  in  the 
Vatican  or  Sinaitic  manuscript.  It  is  omitted  by 
Tischendorf,  but  retained  by  Alford.  I  incline 
to  regard  it  as  spurious.  It  is,  however,  true 
that  in  the  O.  T.  ritualism  the  meat-offerings 
(Lev.  2 :  13),  and  later  the  burnt-offerings  (Ezek.  43 :  24), 
were  required  to  be  salted.  To  this  law  the 
clause  in  question  refers,  whether  it  was  uttered 
by  our  Lord,  or  added  by  a  copyist.  The  con- 
Junction  and  is  equivalent  to  even  as,  and  shall  be 


salted  is  equivalent  to  is  required  to  be  salted.  The 
future  is  used  because  the  law  is  quoted,  not 
because  futurity  is  referred  to.  Verse  49,  then, 
will  read  thus  :  For  every  one  (under  the  N.  T. 
dispensation)  shall  be  salted  in  fire,  even  as 
every  sacrifice  (under  the  O.  T.  dispensation) 
is  required  to  be  saSted  with  salt.  The 
proper  rendering  of  verse  50  presents  no  difficul- 
ties. In  interpreting  these  verses,  consider  (1) 
the  Scripture  meaning  of  the  symbolism  here 
employed.  Fire  is  sometimes  a  symbol  of  de- 
struction (isaiah  33  ;  14 ;  Obad.  18 ;  Rev.  20  :  9  ;  21  :  8  ;  verse  44 

above),   sometimes  a  symbol  of    purification   by 

trial  (Jer.  23  :  29,  and  references  below),  SOmetimCS  a  Sym- 
bol of  God's  presence,  but  always  of  his  presence 
to  purify,  either  the  individual  sinner  by  con- 
suming his  sins,  or  the  world  by  consuming  the 
irredeemable  sinners  (Deut.  4 :  24 ;  Heb.  12 :  29 ;  Mai.  3 : 2, 
3;  comp.  Matt.  13 :  40-12. 49, 60).  Salt  is  cmploycd  by 
Christ  in  a  parallel  passage  (Matt.  5 :  13,  note),  as  a 
symbol  of  Christians,  who,  because  of  their  spirit 
of  willing  self-sacrifice,  exert  a  purifying  and  pre- 
serving power  upon  a  corrupt  world — a  power  to 
flavor  it  with  divine  grace.  (2.)  Notice  the  con- 
nection. The  conjunction  for  (ver.  49)  connects 
these  aphorisms  with  the  previous  exhortation 
to  voluntaiy  self-sacrifice  (ver.  43-48),  and  the 
whole  is  connected  closely  with,  and  springs  out 
of  the  previous  controversy  among  the  twelve 
as  to  which  should  be  the  greatest  (ver.  33,  34). 
These  facts  interpret  the  meaning  of  the  passage 
which  may  be  paraphrased  thus  :  Cut  off  the  right 
hand  or  the  right  foot,  or  pluck  out  the  right  eye, 
i.  e.,  sacrifice  what  is  dearest  to  you,  rather  than 
suffer  it  to  lead  you  or  others  into  sin  ;  for  every  one 
of  my  disciples  must  be  salted  in  the  fire  of  trial, 
i.  e.,  prepared  to  become  a  living  sacrifice  (Rom. 
12 : 1)  by  fiery  trial,  even  as  under  the  O.  T.  dis- 
pensation, every  sacrifice  is  required  to  be  salted 
with  salt.  Ye  are,  as  I  have  before  told  you,  the 
salt  of  the  earth.  But  if  the  salt  hath  lost,  its  salt- 
ness,  i.  e.,  the  Christian  the  spirit  of  voluntary 
self-sacrifice,  by  which  alone  his  purifying  influ- 
ence is  exerted,  whence  shall  it  derive  its  moral 
power.  Rave  salt  in  yourselves,  have,  that  is,  this 
spirit  of  self-sacrifice,  and  you  will  have  peace  one 
with  another,  there  will  be  an  end  to  unseemly 
strife  as  to  which  shall  be  the  greatest.  The 
passage  as  thus  interpreted  accords  with  the 
declaration  of  John  the  Baptist  concerning  the 
mission  of  Christ :  He  shall  baptize  you  with  the 

Holy  Ghost  and  with  fire  (Matt.  3  :  11,  note;   comp.  Matt 

20 :  22)  with  Christ's  own  declaration  concerning  his 
mission.  "  I  am  come  to  send  fire  on  the  earth  " 
(Luke  12: 49),  and  with  the  subsequent  employ- 
ment of  the  same  symbol  by  the  Apostles  (1  Cor. 

3  :  13 ;  1  Pet.  1  :  7  ;  4  :  12,  13).      It  aCCOrdS,  alSO,  With  the 

unsymboUc  teachmg  of  Christ,  in  other  passages, 
respecting  the  necessity  of  self-sacrifice  in  his 

followers    (Luke  9  :  23 ;   14  :  26,  27 ;   John  12  :  26,  etc.),     and 


380 


MAEK. 


[Ch.  X. 


CHAPTER  X. 


ANDi  he  arose  from  thence,  and  cometh  into  the 
coasts  of  Judaea,  by  the  farther  side  of  Jordan : 
and  tlie  people  resort  unto  him  again  ;  and,  as  he  was 
wont,  he  taught  them  again.  ,     ,  l- 

2  And  tlie  Pharisees  came  to  him,  and  asked  him,  Is 
it  lawful  for  a  man  to  put  away  /lijwife?  tempting 
him. 

3  And  he  answered  and  said  unto  them,  What  did 
Moses  command  you  ?  

4  And  they  said,  Moses'  suffered  to  wnte  a  bill  of 
divorcement,  and  to  put  her  away. 

5  And  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  them,  For  the 
hardness  of  your  heart  he  wrote  you  tliis  precept : 

6  But  from  the  beginning  of  the  creation  God  made' 
them  male  and  female. 

7  For '  this  cause  shall  a  man  leave  his  father  and 
mother,  and  cleave  to  his  wife : 

8  And  they  twain  shall  be  one »  flesh :  so  then  they 
are  no  more  twain,  but  one  flesh. 

9  What  therefore  God  hath  joined  together,  let  not 
man  put  asunder. 

10  And  in  the  house  his  disciples  asked  him  again  of 
the  same  matter. 

11  And  he  saith  unto  them,"  Whosoever  shall  put 
away  his  wife,  and  marry  another,  committeth  adul- 
tery against  her. 

12  And  if  a  woman  shall  put  away  her  husband,  and 
be  married  to  another,  she  committeth  adultery. 

13  And"  they  brought  voung  children  to  him,  that 
he  should  touch  them  :  and  his  disciples  rebuked  those 
that  brought  thein. 

14  But  when  Jesus  saw  zV,  he  was  much»  displeased, 
and  said  unto  tliem,  Suffer  tlie  little  children  to  come 
unto  me,  and  forbid  them  not;  for  of  such  y  is  the  king- 
dom of  God. 

15  Verily  I  say  unto  you.  Whosoever  shall  not  re- 
ceive the  kingdom  of  God  as  a  little  child,  he  shall  not 
enter  therein. 

16  And  he  took  them  up  in  his  arms,  put  his  hands 
upon  thera,  and  blessed  them. 

17  And^  when  he  was  gone  forth  into  the  way,  there 


came  one  running,  and  kneeled  to  him,  and  asked  him, 
Good  Master,  what  shall  I  do  that  I  may  inherit  eter- 
nal life  ? 

18  And  Jesus  said  unto  him.  Why  callest  thou  me 
good  ?     There  is  none  good  but  one,"  that  is,  God. 

19  Thou  knowest  the  •>  commandments,  Do  not  com- 
mit adultery,  Do  not  kill.  Do  not  steal,  Do  not  bear 
false  witness.  Defraud  not,  Honour  thy  lather  and 
mother. 

20  And  he  answered  and  said  unto  him.  Master,  all* 
these  have  I  observed  from  my  youth. 

21  Then  Jesus  beliolding  him,  loved  him,  and  said 
unto  him.  One"  thing  thou  lackest:  go  thy  way,  sell 
whatsoever  thou  hast,  and  give  to  the  poor,  and  thou 
shalt  have  treasure  ^  in  heaven  :  and  come,  take  up  the 
cross,  and  follow  me. 

22  And  he  was  sad  at  that  saying,  and  went  away, 
grieved  ;  for  he  had  great  possessions. 

23  And  Jesus  looked  round  about,  and  saith  unto  his 
disciples.  How  hardly  shall  they  that  have  riches  enter 
into  the  kingdom  of  God  ! 

24  And  the  disciples  were  astonished  at  his  words. 
But  Jesus  answerctli  again,  and  saith  unto  them.  Chil- 
dren, how  hard  is  ic  for  them  that  trust '  in  riches  to 
enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God  ! 

25  It  is  easier  for  a  camel  to  go  through  the  eye  of  a 
needle,  than  for  a  rich  man  to  enter  into  the  kingdom 
of  God. 

26  And  they  were  astonished  out  of  measure,  saying 
among  themselves.  Who  then  can  be  saved  ? 

27  And  Jesus  looking  upon  them  saith,  With  men  ii 
is  impossible,  but  not  with  God:  fore  vvith  God  all 
things  are  possible. 

z8  Then  Peter  began  to  say  unto  him,  Lo,  we  have 
left  all,  and  have  followed  thee. 

29  And  Jesus  answered  and  said,  Verily  I  say  unto 
you.  There  is  no  man  that  hath  left  house,  or  brethren, 
or  sisters,  or  father,  or  mother,  or  wife,  or  children,  or 
lands,  for  my  sake,  and  the  gospel's, 

30  But  he  shall  receive  an  hundredfold  now  in  this 
time,  houses,  and  brethren,  and  sisters,  and  mothers, 
and  children,  and  lands,  with  persecutions  ;  and  in  the 
world  to  come  eternal  life. 


..r  Deul.  24:  1;  Matt.  6  :  31. .  ..s  Gen.  I  :  27  ;  6  :  2 ;    Mai.  2  :  16...  t  Gen.  2:24....u  1  Cor.  6  :  16;  Ephes. 

Luke  16  :  18;  Rom.  7:3;    1  Cor.  7  :  10,  11 w  Matt.  19  :  13  ;    Luke  18  :  16 x  Ephes.  4  :  56....y  Matt. 

■2:  Rev.  14  :  5 z  Matt.  19  :  16,  etc. ;  Luke  18  :  18,  etc a  Ps.  86  :  5  ;  119  :  68 b  Eiod.  20;  Rom.  13  :  9. 

58:2:  Ezek.  33  :  31,  32  ;  Aial.  3  :  8  ;  Rom  1:9;    Phil.  3  :  6. . .  .d  James  2  :  10.... e  Matt.  6  :  19,20;   Luke  12:  33;  16  :  9.... f  Job 
31  :  24;  Ps.  62  :  7  ;  62  :  10;  Hab.  2  ;  9  ;  1  Tim.  6  :  17  ;  Rev.  3  :  17. ...g  Gen.  18  :  14  ;  Job  42  :  2  ;  Jer.  32  :  17  ;  Luke  1  :  37. 


Matt.  19  :  1,  etc. ;  John  10  :  '. 

6  :  31 V  Mali.  6  :  32  ;  19  : 

18  :  10;  1  Cor.  14  :    ' 


with  the  actual  experience  of  the  Christian 
church,  in  which  it  is  almost  universally  obser- 
vable that  those  who  have  sufEered  in  Christ's 
fiery  trial,  possess  an  indescribable  flavor  and 
power  of  character  and  experience,  which  makes 
them  in  a  peculiar  sense,  the  salt  of  the  commu- 
nity or  the  church. 

Ch.  10:1.  The  mission  in  Peeea.  See 
note  on  parallel  passage  in  Matt.  19  : 1,  3. 

2-12.  Christ's  law  of  marriage  and  di- 
vorce. See  notes  on  Matt.  19: 3-13.  Of  these 
instructions  Luke  gives  only  a  hint  (Lute  i6:  is). 
Verse  r3  here  is  peculiar  to  Mark.  "  It  is  ex- 
pressed as  though  the  woman  were  the  active 
party,  and  put  away  her  husband,  which  was 
allowed  by  Greek  and  Roman  law  (i  Cor.  7 :  13),  but 

not    by    Jewish    (Deut.  24  :  1  ;    Josephns'  Antiquities  XV  :  7, 

,„)." — (Alford.)  It  confirms  what  I  have  said  on 
Matt.  19  :  9,  that  the  principles  respecting  di- 
vorce here  inculcated  apply  equally  to  either  sex. 
The  other  variations  in  language  between  the  ac- 
counts of  Matthew  and  Mark  are  unimportant. 
For  the  most  important  see  note  on  Matt.  19  : 4-6. 


13-16.  Christ  blesses  little  children. 
Matt.  19  :  13-15  ;  Luke  18  :  15-17.  See  notes  on 
Matthew.  Mark  adds  some  graphic  touches  not 
given  by  Matthew,  viz.,  that  "Ae  was  much  dis- 
pleased, "  and  that  "/te  took  them  up  in  his 
arms."  Verse  15  is  given  by  Mark  and  Luke, 
but  not  by  Matthew.  On  the  respects  in  which 
we  must  beconae  like  little  children  in  order 
to  enter  Christ's  kingdom,  see  notes  on  Matt. 
18  :  3,  4. 

17-22.  The  rich  toung  ruler.  Matt.  19  : 
16-33 ;  Luke  18  :  18-33.  In  studying  this  inci- 
dent compare  these  accounts  with  care.  On 
the  whole  incident  consult  notes  on  Matthew. 
The  pictorial  and  graphic  nature  of  Mark's 
writing  is  illustrated  in  his  account  here.  It  is 
he  alone  who  tells  us  that  the  young  man  came 
running  (a  token  of  his  earnestness*,  and  kneeled 
to  Jesus  (a  token  of  his  reverence)  in  the  way, 
i.  e.,  on  the  public  road  (a  token  of  humility). 
He  alone  tells  us  (ver.  21)  that  "  Jesus  beholding 
him  loved  him  "  ;  he  graphically  portrays  the 
change  in  tbe  young  man  at  our  Lord's  answer: 


Ch.  X.] 


MAEK. 


381 


31  But"*  many  that  are  first  shall  be  last;  and  the 
last  first. 

32  And '  they  were  in  the  way  going  up  to  Jerusa- 
lem ;  and  Jesus  went  before  them :  and  they  were 
amazed  ;  and  as  they  followed,  they  were  afraid.  And 
he  took  again  the  twelve,  and  began  to  tell  them  what 
things  should  happen  unto  him, 

33  Saying-,  Behold,  we  J  go  up  to  Jerusalem  ;  and  the 
Son  of  man  shall  be  delivered  unto  the  chief  priests, 
and  unto  the  scribes,  and  they  shall  condemn  him  to 
death,  and  shall  deliver  him  to  the  Gentiles  ; 


34  And*  they  shall  mock  him,  and  shall  scourge 
him,  and  shall  spit  upon  him,  and  shall  kill  him  ;  and 
the  third  day  he  shall  rise  again. 

35  And  James  and  John,  the  sons  of  Zebedee,  come 
unto  him,  saying,  iVlaster,  we  would  that  thou  should- 
est  do  tor  us  whatsoever  we  shall  desire. 

36  And  he  said  unto  them.  What  would  ye  that  I 
should  do  for  you  ? 

37  They  said  unto  him,  Grant  unto  us  that  we  may 
sit,  one  on  thy  riglit  hand,  and  the  other  on  thy  lelt 
hand,  in  thy  glory. 


Matt.  SO  :  16  :  Luke  13  :  30. 


Matt.  30  :  17,  etc. ;  Luke  18  :  31,  etc j  Acts  20:  22. .  .  .k  Ps.  22  :  6,  7,  13. 


"He  saddened  at  the  saying  and  went  away 
grieved  "  (ver.  22). 

33-31.  Discourse  concerning  riches. 
Matt.  10  :  23-30  ;  Luke  18  :  24-30.  See  notes  on 
Matthew.  Mark's  report  contains  some  import- 
ant particulars  not  given  by  the  others.  To  him 
we  are  indebted  for  what  is  the  key-note  to  the 
entire  discourse,  and,  indeed,  to  the  whole 
Scripture  teaching  on  the  subject  of  wealth. 
"  How  hard  is  it  for  them  that  trust  in  riches  to 
enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God  "  (ver.  24) ;  to  him 
also  for  the  explicitness  of  the  language  in  which 
Christ's  promise  of  earthly  prosperity  is  clothed, 
the  words  "now  in  this  time,  houses,  and 
brethren,  and  sisters,  and  mothers,  and  chil- 
dren, and  lands,  with  persecutions,"  being  pecu- 
liar to  Mark.  On  the  promise  see  note  on 
Matthew,  p.  230.  After  this  discourse,  and  form- 
ing an  integral  part  of  it,  follows  the  parable  of 
the  laborers  in  the  vineyard,  reported  alone  by 
Matthew,  ch.  20  : 1-16. 

Ch.  10  :  33-34.  PROPHECY  OF  CHRIST'S  PASSION  AND 
IiESURUKCriON.  —  Chbist's  constauot  the  Chbis- 
TiAN'a  EXAMPLE  (Heb.  12  :  2). 

Matt.  20  :  17-19  ;  Luke  18  :  31-34.  The  place 
of  this  prophecy  is  the  road  leading  to  Jerusalem 
(Lukei9:i);  the  time  is  intermediate  the  close  of 
the  ministry  in  Perea  (Matt.  19 :  1, 2,  note)  and  the 
Passion  week,  and,  in  the  judgment  of  the  best 
harmonists,   after  the  resurrection  of  Lazarus 

(John,  ch.  11). 

32.  This  graphic  description  is  found  only  in 
Mark.— In  the  way.  The  public  highway. — 
Amazed  *  *  *  afraid.  In  a  ministry  of 
three  months  in  Jerusalem  the  Jews  sought  to 
assassinate  Jesus,  twice  mobbed  him,  and  once 
issued  an  order  for  his  arrest  (john7 :  19, 32;  8  :S9; 
10 :  31, 39).  Their  enmity  was  increased  by  the  res- 
urrection of  Lazarus  (john  2 :  46-5o).  The  disciples 
were  amazed  that  Jesus  should  return  to  Jerusa- 
lem in  the  face  of  this  hostility.  They  were 
afraid  to  follow,  yet  would  not  turn  back  (jobn 
11 : 8  with  6:67, 6s).  It  is  in  auswer  to  their  unex- 
pressed amazement  and  fear  that  Christ,  who 
would  have  all  his  followers  count  the  cost  (Luke 
u  :  27, 28),  foretells  his  approaching  death.  There 
may  have  been  something  in  his  determined  gait 
and  mien,  expressed  here  in  the  words,  "Jesus 


went  before  them,"  which  enhanced  their  awe. 
Wordsworth  notes  this  as  one  of  the  indications 
in  the  N.  T.  of  the  peculiar  effect  produced  on 
others  by  Christ's  external  appearance  and  de- 
portment ;  I  should  add,  by  the  unconscious 
manifestation  of  his  moral  and  spiritual  power. 
See  for  other  illustrations  of  this.  Matt.  21 :  13  ; 
Mark  9  :  15  ;  Luke  4  :  i:0,  30  ;  John  7  :  44-46  ; 
18  :  6.  The  spirit  of  Christ's  going  up  to  Jeru- 
salem as  described  here  by  Mark  illustrates  and 
is  illustrated  by  Heb.  13  :  2.  He  "  endured  the 
cross,  despising  the  shame." — Began  to  tell. 
More  fully  and  clearly  than  ever  before.  This 
was  the  third  prophecy  of  his  sufterings  (M.-.tt. 
16 :  21 J  17 :  22),  but  uow  for  the  first  time  he  dis- 
tinctly declares  that  he  is  to  be  crucified  (Matt. 

20  :  19). 

33,  34.  Luke  adds,  "All  things  that  are  writ- 
ten by  the  prophets  concerning  the  Son  of  man 
shall  be  accomplished,"  a  clear  recognition  of 
the  truth  that  the  Passion  of  the  Messiah  was  a 
distinct  subject  of  O.  T.  prophecy  (Luke  is :  .11,  note). 
—  Betrayed,  by  Judas  Iscariot,  unto  the 
chief  priests  and  scribes,  i.  e.,  the  Sanhe- 
drim (seeMatt.  2:4,  note).— And  they  Shall  Con- 
demn him  to  death,  etc.  For  the  literal 
fulfilment  of  these  prophecies  see  Matt.  20  :  14-16, 
47,  66  ;  27  :  2,  28-81,  a5  ;  28  :  19.  Luke  adds  that 
the  disciples  did  not  understand  Christ's  prophe- 
cy (Luke  18 :  33,  note).  This,  too,  IS  evident  from  the 
incident  that  follows. 

Ch.  10  :  35-45.  AMBITIOUS  BEQUEST  OF  THE  SONS  OF 
ZEBEDEE.— Illustrations  of  unanbwered  prater  : 

A  UNITED  PRAYER  OF  FAITH  DENIED.— The  FALSE  AND 

THE  TRUE  ASPIRATION  FOR  GLORT  (ver.  37  wlth  John 
17  :  5 ;  Rom.  2:7;  2  Tim.  4  :  7,  8).— The  answer  op 
Christ  to  the  Christian's  prater  for  glory  (vers. 
38,  39;  Rom.  5:  .3-5;  8  :  18).— Christ  the  administra- 
tor OP  the  Father's  will  (ver.  40).— The  heathen 
and  the  Christian  ideas  of  greatness  contrasted 
(vers.  42-44).— The  mission  of  the  Messiah  (ver.  45). 
Comp.  Matt.  20  :  20-28.  There  is  no  material 
difference  in  the  two  accounts,  except  that  Mat- 
thew represents  the  request  as  preferred  by 
the  mother,  Salome.  But  in  Matthew  Christ's 
reply  is  made  to  the  sons.  Probably  the  sons 
brought  their  mother  with  them,  as  the  modem 
office-seeker  seeks  through  the  intervention  of 
another ;  perhaps,  too,  they  remembered  the  re- 


383 


MAKE. 


[Ch.  X. 


38  But  Jesus  said  unto  them,  Ye'  know  not  what  ye 
ask.  Can  ye  drink  of  tlie  cup  that  I  drink  of?  and  oe 
baptized  with  the  baptism  ">  that  lam  baptized  with  ? 

39  And  they  said  unto  him,  We  can.  And  Jesus 
sad  unto  them,  Ye"  shall  indeed  drink  of  the  cup" 
that  I  drink  of:  and  with  the  baptism  that  I  am  bap- 
tized withal,  shall  ye  be  baptized: 


40  But  to  sit  on  my  right  hand  and  on  my  left  hand, 
is  not  mine  to  give  ;  but  it  shall  be  given  to  them  for 
whom  it  is  prepared. p 

41  And  wlien  the  ten  heard  zV,  they  began  to  be  much 
displeased  with  James  and  John. 

42  But  Jesus  called  them  to  him,  and  saith  unto ; 
them.  Ye"!  know  that  they  which  are  accounted  to  rule 


1  Matt.  10  :  26  i  John  17  :  14 o  ch.  14 ;  36 p  Matt.  26  :  34  ;  Heb.  11:16 q  Luke  22  :  26. 


bukes  previously  administered  to  the  twelve  for 
their  ambition  (Mark  9 :  33-37). 

36-37.  James  and  John.  On  the  charac- 
ter and  lives  of  these  apostles,  see  note  on  Mat- 
thew, ch.  10,  pp.  147-150.  They  thought  the 
kingdom  of  God  would  appear  immediately 
(Luke  19 :  ii),  and  probably  expected  the  immediate 
realization  of  Christ's  promise  of  kingly  honor 
(Matt.  19 :  23).  The  fact  that  John  united  in  this 
request  does  not  tally  with  his  traditional  char- 
acter, as  one,  hy  nature,  humble  and  spiritually 
minded.  See  Mark  3  :  17,  note.  Compare  this 
prayer  with  Christ's  promises  (Matt,  is :  19),  and 
observe  that  the  denial  here  of  a  petition,  in 
which  two  were  agreed  and  which  was  apparent- 
ly founded  upon  a  faith  in  Christ  as  a  Messiah, 
whose  reign  was  not  distant,  constitutes  a  divine 
limitation  of  that  promise.  Comp.  James  4  :  3. — 
One  on  thy  right  hand  and  the  other  on 
thy  left.  The  places  of  special  honor.  In  Jo- 
sephus  (Ant.  6: 11,9),  Jonathan  is  represented  as 
sitting  at  Saul's  right  hand  and  Abner  at  his  left. 
In  the  Eabbinical  books  God  is  represented 
with  the  Messiah  on  his  right  and  Abraham 
on  his  left.  Comp.  1  Kings  3  :  19 ;  22  :  19 ; 
Heb.  1  :  13.  Observe  the  promises  of  the  Lord 
are  places  of  trusty  power,  and  activity  (Matt.  19 : 
28 ;  26  -.  21,  23) ;  the  request  here  is  simply  for 
places  of  honor. — In  thy  glory.  Compare 
Christ's  prayer,  whose  language  is  similar,  but 
whose  spirit  how  different.  John  17  : 5,  24.  Ob- 
serve that  he  asks  to  participate  in  the  glory  of 
the  Father  after  he  has  finished  his  work,  the 
disciples  before  they  have  done  theirs.  Comp. 
Rom.  2  :  10 ;  2  Tim.  4  :  7,  8. 

38.  Ye  knoAV  not  Avhat  ye  ask.  An  il- 
lustration this  of  ignorant  prayer.  Within  a 
month  they  saw  the  places'on  his  right  hand  and 
his  left  occupied  by  the  two  thieves  in  the  cru- 
cifixion ;  and  they  could  not  have  failed  to  real- 
ize then  the  solemn  significance  of  Christ's  dec- 
laration and  of  the  question  which  followed. — 
Are  ye  ahle  to  drink  of  the  cup  *  *  * 
and  be  baptized  Avith  the  baptism  ?  *  * 
The  cup  and  the  baptism  are  Scriptural  emblems 
of  sorrow  ;  it  is  not  fanciful  to  regard  the  first 
as  a  symbol  of  inner  and  spiritual  bitterness,  the 
second  as  a  symbol  of  outer  persecution  and 
trial  (isa.  61 :  22 ;  Matt.  26 :  42 ;  3 :  II,  note).  There  ap- 
pears to  be  here  a  latent  reference  to  the  sacra- 
ments.   In  that  case  the  cup  of  the  Lord's  Sup- 


per must  be  regarded  by  the  communicant  as  a 
pledge  to  share  in  the  sorrows  of  him  who  was  in 
travail  for  the  sins  of  the  world,  and  baptism  as 
an  admission  to  the  kingdom  whose  perfected 
glory  is  the  harvest  of  a  sowing  of  trials  and 

tears  (Rom   6  :  6-8  ;  2  Tim.  2  :  I2). 

39.  We  can.  The  language  of  assurance ; 
but  assurance  may  be  of  faith  or  of  ignorance  ; 
here  it  is  of  ignorance.  They  could  say  this  be- 
cause they  knew  not  what  it  meant.  When  the 
Master  drank  the  cup  they  shared  not  his  sor- 
row, but  slept ;  when  he  entered  into  the  bap- 
tism of  his  Passion  they  forsook  him  and  fled 
(Mark  14  :  33-37,  60). — Ye  shall.  "One  of  these 
brethren  was  the  first  of  the  apostles  to  drink 
the  cup  of  suffering  and  be  baptized  with  the 
baptism  of  blood  (Acts  12 : 1, 2) ;  the  other  had  the 
longest  experience  among  them  of  a  life  of  trou- 
ble and  persecution." — {Alford.)  See  Matt.  10, 
pp.  147-150. 

40.  But  to  sit  on  my  right  hand  and  on 
my  left  hand  is  not  mine  to  give,  but  (is 
for  those)  for  whom  it  is  prepared.  Mat- 
thew adds.  By  my  Father.  This  declaration  is 
not  to  be  interpreted  away  by  translating  it  {ukXu 
o'ii)  except  (to  those)  '■'■for  whom  it  has  been  pre- 
pared,^'' as  Owen  and  Alford,  which  is  doubtful 
Greek  (see  Winer,  §  53  :  10,  and  Rob.  Lex.,  art. 
lilku) ;  nor  by  rendering  it,  "/s  not  mine  to  give 
on  the  grou7id  of  private  friendship''^  {Owen), 
'■'■in  an  arbitrary  way"  (James Mbrison),  or,  "It 
is  not  mine  to  promise  now  "  {Matthew  Henry),  all 
of  which  are  more  than  doubtful  interpreta- 
tions. The  spirit  of  the  original  is  correctly 
rendered  by  our  English  version.  The  works 
which  Christ  does  are  done  by  the  power  of  the 
Father  dwelling  in  him  (john  6 :  se ;  9 : 4  j  10 :  26) ;  the 
words  which  he  speaks  are  his  Father's  words 
(John  14 :  lo) ;  his  life  is  to  do  his  Father's  will 
(Luke  2 :  49 ;  John  4 :  34) ;  the  glory  he  had  before  the 
foundation  of  the  M'orld  he  had  with  the  Father 
(John  17 : 6) ;  the  powcr  of  the  present  and  the 
glory  of  the  future  he  derives  from  the  Father 

(Col.  1  :  19  ;  Phil.  2:9;  Heb.  1  :  2,  4).      So,  the  plaCC  Which 

he  goes  to  prepare  for  his  disciples  (john  u :  2),  and 
the  crown  which  he  will  give  his  followers  (2  Tim. 
4 : 8),  are  given  as  they  have  been  tviUtcl  by  the  Fa- 
ther. In  brief,  in  the  final  adjudication  of 
rewards  and  punishments,  as  in  aU  else,  Christ 
executes  the  Father's  will. 

41.  They  began  to  be  much  displeased. 


Oh.  X.] 


MAEK. 


383 


over  the  Gentiles  exercise  lordship  over  them;  and 
their  great  ones  exercise  authority  upon  them. 

43  But  so  shall  it  not  be  among  you:  buf  whoso- 
ever will  be  great  among  you,  shall  be  your  minis- 
ter: 

44  And  whosoever  of  you  will  be  the  chiefest,  shall 
be  servant  of  all. 

45  For  even  the  Son  of  man  came  not  to  be  ministered 
unto,  but'  to  minister,  and  to' give  his  life  a  ransom 
for  many. 

46  And "  they  came  to  Jericho :  and  as  he  went  out 
of  Jericho  with  his  disciples  and  a  great  number  of  peo- 

Ele.  blind  Bartimseus,  tae  sou  of  Timseus,  sat  by  the 
ighway  side,  begging. 

47  And  when  he  heard  that  it  was  Jesus  of  Nazareth, 


he  began  to  cry  out,  and  say,  Jesus,  thou  Son  of  Da- 
vid, have  mercy  on  me. 

48  And  many  charged  him  that  he  should  hold  his 
peace  :  but  he  cried  the  more "  a  great  deal.  Thou  Son 
of  David,  have  mercy  "  on  me. 

49  And  Jesus  stood  still,  and  commanded  him  to  be 
called.  And  they  call  the  blind  man,  saying  unto  him. 
Be  of  good  comfort,  rise:  he"  calleth  thee. 

50  And  he,  casting  y  away  his  garment,  rose,  and 
came  to  Jesus. 

51  And  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  him.  What  wilt 
thou  that  I  should  do  unto  thee  ?  The  blind  man  said 
unto  him.  Lord,  that  I  might  receive  my  sight. 

52  And  Jesus  said  unto  him.  Go  thy  way  ;  thy^  faith 
hath  made  thee  whole.  And  immediately  he  received 
his  sight,  and  followed  Jesus  in  the  way. 


cb.  9  :  35 ;  .Matt.  20  :  96,  28 
5:6;  Tit.  2  :  14. ...u  Matt 
6  :  34  ;  Matt.  9  :  22. 


The  same  spirit  of  self-seeking  which  incited  the 
request  of  James  and  Jolm  incited  the  displeas- 
ure and  indignation  (Matt.  20 :  24)  of  the  ten.  Christ 
rebukes  both. 

42-44.  But  Jesus  called  them.  Their 
controversy  had  been  carried  on  aside,  and  apart 
from  Jesus. — They  which  are  accouuted  to 
rule  over  the  Gentiles.  "  Not  equal  to,  Those 
who  rule,  which  God  alone  does." — {Alfo?-d.) 
Moreover,  the  apparent  are  rarely  the  7-eal  rulers. 
— Lord  it  over  them.  The  original  verb,  in 
both  cases,  is  compounded  with  a  preposition 
(xutd),  which  gives  a  peculiar  tone  to  the  lan- 
guage, as  of  lordship  and  authority  exercised 
over  and  against  the  ruled.  And  this  is  the  essen- 
tial spirit  of  all  despotism,  whether  civil  or  eccle- 
siastical. See  note  below. — But  whosoever 
will  be  great  among  you.  Primarily,  in 
the  Christian  church ;  secondarily,  in  Christian 
communities. — Shall  be  your  servant.  The 
word  {SLay.ovoc)  properly  signifies  one  who  waits 
on  guests  at  a  table  ;  hence  it  is  taken  typically 
in  the  N.  T.  to  signify  a  preacher  and  pastor 
(2  Cor.  11 :  23).  Here  it  is  not  used  in  the  ecclesi- 
astical, but  in  the  more  general  sense.  Great- 
ness is  to  be  achieved  in  serving,  not  in  com- 
pelling the  service  of  others.— And  whosoever 
of  you  will  become  first,  shall  be  the 
bondman  of  all.  The  original  {dovXo?)  never 
signifies  hired  servant,  but  always  slave.  The 
idea  conveyed  by  the  metaphor  is  not,  however, 
submission  to  the  authority  of  others  (see  on  the  con- 

trary  Matt.  23  :  7-12,  notes ;  John  8  :  32 ;  1  Cor.  7  :  23 ;  Gal.  32  :  s), 

but  stibservioicij  to  their  real  interests  and  needs. 
It  is  interpreted  by  the  verse  succeeding. 

45.  For  even  the  Son  of  man.  The  Mes- 
siah. See  Matt.  10  :  23,  note.— Came  not  to  be 
ministered  unto,  but  to  minister.  This  is 
still  trae,  and  he  best  serves  Christ,  not  who 
offers  him  the  best  service,  but  who  hunger- 
ingly  seeks  and  humbly  receives  from  him  the 
most.  For  illustrative  interpretation  of  this  say- 
ing, see  Luke  10  :  38-42. — And  to  give  his  life 
a  ransom  for  many.    It  is  hardly  possible  to 


misunderstand  the  meaning  of  this  metaphor, 
which  clearly  implies  a  true  sacrificial  offering 
by  Christ,  in  order  to  redeem  from  sin  the  souls 
of  those  that  trust  in  him.  Comp.  Isaiah  35  :  10 ; 
51  :  10 ;  Jer.  31  :  11 ;  Hosea  13  :  14 ;  1  Cor.  6  :  20 ; 
Gal.  1:4;  Titus  2  :  14  ;  1  Pet.  1  :  18,  19.  The 
ransom  is  offered  for  all,  1  Tim.  2:6;  it  is  effica- 
cious for  the  many  who  accept  it,  the  great  mul- 
titude, which  no  man  cotild  number,  of  Rev. 
7  :  9,  10. 

The  principles  here  inculcated  (vers.  42  to  45)  do 
not  forbid  classes  in  society,  nor  the  exercise  of 
legitimate  authority,  by  appointed  officials  in 
church  or  state.  But  they  do  require  that  all 
apparent  rulers  shall  be  the  real  servants  of  the 
people,  and  shall  use  their  place  and  authority 
as  a  means  of  serving  others,  not  of  self-aggran- 
dizement. Quesnel's  notes  on  the  parallel  pas- 
sage, Matt.  20  :  25-28,  should  be  read  by  those 
who  have  the  opportunity.  His  deductions  con- 
cerning the  duty  of  the  clergy,  are  the  more 
noteworthy,  because  he  is  a  Roman  Catholic. 
The  clergy  are  not  to  lord  it  over  the  laity,  not 
to  assume  the  air  and  deportment  of  secular 
princes  ;  they  are  to  look  upon  their  office  as  only 
a  service  or  ministry,  to  be,  in  service  though 
not  in  submission,  the  bondmen  of  the  people, 
and  to  be  always  ready  to  spend  and  be  spent  for 

their  flocks  (John  10:  11  ,- 2  Cor.  12  :  15  ;  1  John  3:16). 

46>52.  Healing  op  blind  Bartimjeus. 
Matt.  20  :  29-34 ;  Luke  18  :  35-44.  See  notes  on 
Luke,  where  the  accounts  are  compared  and  the 
variations  noted. 

Ch.  11  :  1-11.  The  triumphant  entry 
INTO  Jerusalem.  Of  this  entry  we  have  four 
accounts.  Comp.  Matt.  21  :  1-11 ;  Luke  19  : 
29-44 ;  John  12  :  12-19.  See  notes  on  Luke  for 
all  that  is  common  to  the  four  accounts  and  for 
a  consideration  of  the  probable  chronology. 
Two  or  three  details  are  peculiar  to  Mark. — 
StraightAvay  he  will  send  him  hither. 
There  is  some  uncertainty  as  to  the  correct  read- 
ing of  this  phrase.  According  to  Origen,  Lach- 
mann,  Tischendorf,    and  Tregelles,    it   should 


384 


MARK. 


[Ch.  XL 


CHAPTER  XI. 


AND "  when  they  came  nigh  to  Jerusalem,  unto 
Bethphage,  and  Bethany,  at  the  Mount  of  Olives, 
he  sendeth  forth  two  of  his  disciples, 

2  And  saith  unto  them.  Go  your  way  into  the  village 
over  against  you  :  and  as  soon  as  ye  be  entered  into  it, 
ye  shall  tind  a  colt  tied,  whereon  never  man  sat ;  loose 
nim,  and  bring  him. 

3  And  if  any  man  say  unto  you,  Why  do  ye  this? 
say  ye  that  the  Lord  hath  need  >"  of  him  ;  and  straight- 
way he  will  send  him  hither. 

4  And  they  went  their  way,  and  found  the  colt  tied 
by  the  door  without,  in  a  place  where  two  ways  met ; 
and  they  loose  him. 

5  And  certain  of  them  that  stood  there  said  unto 
them.  What  do  ye,  loosing  the  colt  ? 

6  And  they  said  unto  them  even  as  Jesus  had  com- 
manded :  and  they  let  them  go. 

7  And  they  brought  the  colt  to  Jesus,  and  cast  their 
garments  on  him  :  and  =  he  sat  upon  him. 

8  And  many  spread  their  garments  in  the  way  ;  and 


others  cut  down  branches  off  the  trees,  and  strawed 
tkem  in  the  way. 

9  And  they  that  went  before,  and  they  that  followed, 
cned,  saying,  Hosanna  ;  Blessed  "  is  he  that  cometh  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord : 

10  Blessed  be  the  kingdom  «  of  our  father  David,  that 
cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord :  Hosanna  in  the  high- 
est.' 

11  And  Jesus  entered  into  Jerusalem,  and  into  the 
temple  :  and  s  when  he  had  looked  round  about  upon 
all  things,  and  now  the  eventide  was  come,  he  went  out 
into  Bethany  with  the  twelve. 

12  And  '>  on  the  morrow,  when  they  were  come  from 
Bethany,  he  was  hungry : 

13  And  seeing  a  fig  tree  afar  off,  having  leaves,  he 
came,  if  haply  he  might  find  anything  thereon :  and 
when  he  came  to  it,  he  found  nothing '  but  leaves  ;  for 
the  time  of  figs  was  not  yet. 

14  And  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  it.  No  man  eat 
fruit  of  thee  hereafter  for  ever.  And  his  disciples 
heard  it. 


9:7;  Jer.  33  :  15... 


read,  Straightway  he,  i.  e.,  the  Lord,  will  send  him 
back  again.  That  is,  it  is  a  promise  to  the  owner 
of  a  speedy  return  of  the  ass.  Alford  retains 
our  English  version,  which  interprets  the  words 
as  a  prophecy  to  the  disciples  that  the  owner 
wUl  send  the  animal  at  once  on  receiving  the 
message,  "The  Lord  hath  need  of  him." — 
Where  two  ways  meet.  Rather,  "m  the 
roundabout  ivaij ;''''  either,  as  Wordsworth,  "in 
the  back  way  which  led  round  the  house ;  "  or, 
as  James  Morison,  "a  topographical  note  that 
could  only  be  given  by  an  eye-witness ;  the  like- 
lihood is  that  the  village  would  be  straggled 
along  a  road  that  deviated  from  the  highway, 
but  came  round  to  it  again." — Cut  down 
branches  off  the  trees.  This  corresponds 
with  the  parallel  passages  in  Matthew  and  John. 
But  the  best  reading  here  is,  "  And  others  twigs, 
having  cut  them  out  of  the  fields.''''  The  original 
(ari|/i(ic)  indicates  small  twigs,  such  as  ai-e  fit 
for  a  bed  or  mattress,  and  might  include  rushes 
or  leaves." — And  strawed  them  in  the  way. 
This  phrase  is  wanting  in  the  best  manuscripts. 
It  is  borrowed  probably  from  Matthew,  and  cor- 
rectly describes  the  facts.  Verse  11  is  peculiar 
to  Mark.  Matthew  and  Luke  write  as  though 
Jesus  drove  the  cattle  and  dealers  out  of  the 
Temple  that  same  day,  though  they  do  not  ex- 
plicitly say  so.  Greswell's  supposition  is  a  rea- 
sonable one,  that  the  traders  and  their  effects 
had  been  removed  for  the  day,  but  that  Christ 
saw  the  indications  of  their  presence,  and,  re- 
turning the  next  day,  drove  them  out  as  de- 
scribed by  the  three  Evangelists.  It  would 
appear  from  this  verse  and  Matt.  21  :  17  and 
Luke  21  :  37,  that  during  the  Passion  week  he 
remained  in  Jerusalem  only  by  day,  spending 
the  night  either  at  Bethany,  just  over  the  Mount 
of  Olives,  or  on  the  mount  itself.  In  that  cli- 
mate and  at  that  season  sleeping  In  the  open  air 


was  no  hardship.  Probably  two  motives  con- 
spired to  this  course  :  safety  from  the  machina- 
tions of  the  priest  and  a  desire  for  quiet  for 
devotion,  and  perhaps  for  private  conferences 
with  his  disciples,  which  he  could  not  secure  in 
the  now  over-crowded  city. 

Oh.  11  ;  12-26.  CURSINU  OF  THE  BARREN  FIG-TREE. 
-CASTING  OUT  THE  TIUDEUS  Fi;())I  THE  TEMPLE.- 
The  prater  op  faith.— The  punishment  op  fruit- 
less PROFESSION  IS  DEATH.— The  CONSECRATION  AND 
DESECRATION  OP  God's  TeMPLE  :  IT  IS  CONSECRATED 
TO  THE  USE  OP  ALL  NATIONS  ;  IT  IS  DESECRATED  WHEN 
PERVERTED  TO  A  MEANS  OP  PECUNIARY  PROFIT.— ThK 
PROMISE  TO  THE  PRATER  OF  FAITH  AND  ITS  CONDITIONS. 

Parallel  with  this  account  is  Matt.  21  :  12-33 
and  Luke  19  :  45-48.  Luke  does  not  mention 
the  cursing  of  the  fig-tree. 

12-14.  Few  passages  in  the  N.  T.  have  given 
rise  to  more  discussion  or  presented  more  diflS- 
culties  than  this  incident.  The  difficulties,  and 
what  I  believe  to  be  the  true  solution,  may  be, 
perhaps,  best  represented  by  embodying  them 
in  the  form  of  question  and  answer.  I.  How 
can  we  reconcile  Christ's  ignorance  of  the  fruitless 
condition  of  this  tree  Avith  his  divine  character? 
(1.)  It  is  not  stated  that  he  was  ignorant  of  its 
fruitless  character,  or  that  he  expected  to  find 
fruit  upon  it ;  only  that  he  went  to  it  as  if  seek- 
ing for  fruit.  (2.)  He  may,  however,  have  been 
ignorant;  and  this  is  implied,  though  not  as- 
serted, in  this  narrative.  For  it  was  a  part  of  his 
voluntary  humiliation  to  subject  himself  to  all 
the  ordinary  conditions  of  humanity,  and  he  did 
not  use  his  divine  knowledge  except  for  the  sake 
of  others  and  in  the  execution  of  his  divine  mis- 
sion. See  ch.  13  :  32,  note.  II.  How  could  he, 
as  a  reasonable  man,  have  expected  fruit  if  "  the 
time  of  figs  was  not  yet?"  This  difficulty  has 
led  to  various  explanations ;  first,  to  proposed 
emendations  of  the  text,  as,  "  Where  he  was  it 


Ch.  XL] 


MARK. 


385 


15  And'  they  come  to  Jerasalem:  and  Jesus  went 
into  the  temple,  and  began  to  cast  out  them  that  sold 
and  bought  in  the  temple,  and  overthrew  the  tables  of 
the  moneychangers,"  and  the  seats  of  them  that  sold 
doves ; 

16  And  would  not  suffer  that  any  man  should  carry 
any  vessel  through  the  temple. 

17  And  he  taught,  saying  unto  them,  Is  it  not  writ- 


ten,' My  house  shall  be  called  of  all  nations  the  house 
of  prayer  ?  but  ye  have  made  it  a  den  ™  of  thieves. 

18  And  the  scribes  and  chief  priests  heard  zf,  and 
sought  how  they  might  destroy  him  :  for  they  feared 
him,  because  all  the  people  was  astonished  "  at  his  doc- 
trine. 

19  And  when  even  was  come,  he  went  out  of  the 
city. 


j  Matt.  21  :  12,  etc. ;    Luke  19  :  45,  ( 


1  ch.  1  :  22 ;    Matt.  7  : 


was  the  season  of  figs,"  or,  "Was  it  not  the 
time  of  figs?  "  but  neither  of  these  are  admissi- 
ble ;  and,  second,  to  different  renderings  of  the 
present  text,  as,  "It  was  not  a  good  season  for 
figs  that  year,"  or,  "It  was  not  the  harvest  sea- 
son for  figs,"  that  is,  the  time  for  gathering 
them  ;  hence  our  Lord  might  reasonably  expect 
to  find  figs  there  ;  but  neither  of  these  accords 
with  the  facts  or  with  the  text.  The  reader  will 
find  a  compact  statement  of  these  and  the  other 
explanations  in  Trench's  Notes  on  the  Miracles. 
The  facts  are  that  figs  are  produced  in  Palestine 
at  two  or  even  three  seasons  of  the  year,  viz.,  the 
end  of  June,  or  sometimes  a  little  earUer,  the 
middle  of  August,  and  the  late  fall ;  the  latter 
figs  remaining  on  the  tree  through  the  winter. 
But  the  early  fig  usually  appears  before  the  leaf; 
hence  in  this  case  (it  was  the  beginning  of  April) 
the  leaf  was  precocious,  and  justified  a  hope  if 
not  an  expectation  of  finding  precocious  fruit, 
and  the  language  here,  "If  haply  he  might  find 
anything, ' '  indicates  that  it  was  only  a  bare  pos- 
sibility which  he  or  his  disciples  had  in  mind, 
Mr.  Thomson  {Land  and  Book,  I,  538)  says  that 
he  has  plucked  the  early  figs  as  early  as  May  on 
the  Lebanon,  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  north 
of  Jerusalem ;  a  w^arm  and  sunny  spot  on  the 
slope  of  the  Mount  of  Olives  might  have  pro- 
duced leaves  as  early  as  April  on  a  specially 
early  fig-tree.  III.  Why  should  Christ  have  in- 
flicted judgment  on  the  tree,  or  been  angry 
with  it  for  failing  to  furnish  him  with  fruit? 
Of  anger  there  is  not  the  slightest  trace  in  the 
narrative.  This  has  been  invented  and  imputed 
to  Christ  by  a  cavilling  criticism.  Judgment,  in 
the  true  sense,  there  was  none.  For  the  tree, 
\vithout  moral  responsibility,  was  neither  guilty 
of  sin  nor  capable  of  receiving  punishment.  But 
it  was  a  natural  parable  of  the  condition  of  the 
Jewish  nation,  and  the  withering  away  which 
ensued  (ver.  20)  was  an  enacted  parable  of  the 
punishment  which  divine  providence  would 
bring  upon  that  nation,  which  was  morally  re- 
sponsible for  its  condition,  and  morally  capable 
of  bemg  judged  and  punished.  The  act  here  is 
thus  parallel  to  and  interpreted  by  the  parable 
in  Luke  13  :  6-9 ;  comp.  Matt.  3:8;  7  :  16 ; 
21  :  43.  "The  tree,  by  its  precocious  leaves, 
made  a  pretence  of  f ruitfulness,  and  thus  exactly 
symboUzed  the  Jewish  nation,   whose  sin  was 


not  so  much  that  it  was  without  fruit,  as  that 
it  boasted  of  so  much."  "  It  (the  tree)  was  pun- 
ished, not  for  being  without  fruit,  but  for  pro- 
claiming by  the  voice  of  those  leaves  that  it  had 
fruit ;  not  for  being  barren,  but  for  being  false." 
— {Trench.)  The  present  and  personal  applica- 
tion of  this  incident  is  to  all  those  who  make  a 
fair  show  of  religion,  but  bring  not  forth  the 
fruits  thereof,  as  Paul  describes  them  in  Gal. 
5  :  22,  23. 

15-19.  Christ  had,  at  the  commencement  of 
his  ministry,  cast  the  traders  out  of  the  Temple. 
That  event,  described  by  John  (2 :  is-n)  is  not  to 
be  confounded  with  the  one  described  here  and 
by  the  other  Synoptists.  See  Matt.  21  :  12,  13, 
note.  For  description  of  the  Temple,  and  notes 
on  the  signification  of  the  cleansing,  see  on  John. 
The  part  of  the  Temple  occupied  by  the  traders 
was  the  Court  of  the  Gentiles  ;  they  were  thus 
practically  excluded  from  aU  participation  in 
its  benefits,  since  they  were  not  allowed  in  the 
inner  courts.  The  priests  winked  at  this  dese- 
cration, and  probably  participated  m  the  profits, 
"^e  icould  not  suffer  any  vessel  to  he  carried 
through  the  Temple,^''  indicates,  not  a  prohibition 
to  carry  through  these  outer  courts  the  sacred 
utensils  of  the  Temple  proper,  but  a  prohibition 
of  the  use  of  the  outer  court  for  the  purpose  of 
a  thoroughfare.  The  word  here  rendered  vessel 
is  translated  in  Matt.  12  :  29  and  Mark  3  :  27 
goods,  and  in  Luke  17  :  31  stuff.  The  references 
in  Christ's  address  which  follow  are  to  Isaiab 
56  ;  7  and  Jer.  7  :  11.  The  peculiar  language 
here,  '■'■  My  house  shall  le  called  a  house  of  prayer 
for  all  nations,'^''  reported  only  by  Luke  and 
mistranslated  in  our  English  version,  indicates 
that  this  act  was  a  rebuke,  not  only  of  the  sacri- 
lege put  upon  the  Temple  by  converting  it  into 
a  market-place,  but  also  of  the  Jewish  bigotry 
which,  by  thus  using  the  only  part  of  the  Tem- 
ple which  was  accessible  to  the  Gentiles,  ex- 
cluded them  from  its  benefits.  The  Tem- 
ple was  not  merely  for  Jewish  worshippers, 
but  for  all  nations.  The  language,  "  Te  have 
made  it  a  den  of  thieves,''^  indicates  that  it 
was  a  corrapt  and  fraudulent  trafftc  which  a 
corrupt  and  fraudulent  priesthood  had  permitted 
to  encroach  on  the  worship  of  God.  There  is 
scarcely  anywhere  in  the  N.  T.  a  more  striking 
illustration  of  the  marvellous  moral  power  of 


386 


MAEK. 


[Ch.  XI. 


20  And  in  the  morning,  as  they  passed  by,  they  saw 
the  fig  tre*;  dried  up  from  the  roots. 

21  And  Peter,  calling  to  remembrance,  saith  unto 
him.  Master,  behold,  the  fig  tree  which  thou  cursedstis 
withered  away ! 

22  And  Jesus,  answering,  saith  unto  him.  Have  faith 
in  God. 

23  For  verily,  I  say  unto  you.  That  whosoever  "  shall 
say  unto  this  mountain,  Be  thou  removed,  and  be  thou 
cast  into  the  sea  ;  and  sliall  not  doubt  in  his  heart,  but 
shall  believe  that  those  things  which  he  saith  shall 
come  to  pass  ;  he  shall  have  whatsoever  he  saith. 

2^  Therefore  1  .say  unto  you,  Whatf  things  soever  ye 
desire  when  ye  pray,  beheve  that  ye  receive  tkem,  and 
ye  shall  have  tke/n. 

25  And  when  ye  stand  praying,  forgive,i  if  ye  have 
aught  against  any ;  that  your  Father  also  which  is  in 
heaven  may  forgive  you  your  trespasses. 

26  But  ■■  if  ye  do  not  forgive,  neither  will  your  Fa- 
ther which  is  in  heaven  forgive  your  trespasses. 

27  And  they  come  again  to  Jerusalem:  and'  as  he 


was  walking  in  the  temple,  there  come  to  him  the 
chief  priests,  and  the  scribes,  and  the  elders, 

28  And  say  unto  him,  By'  what  authority  doest  thou 
these  things  ?  and  who  gave  thee  this  authority  to  do 
these  things  ? 

29  And  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  them,  I  will 
also  ask  of  you  one  question,  and  answer  me,  and  I  will 
tell  you  by  what  authority  I  do  these  things. 

30  The  baptism  of  John,  was  ii  from  heaven,  or  of 
men?     Answer  me. 

31  And  they  reasoned  with  themselves,  saving.  If 
we  shall  say.  From  heaven ;  he  will  say.  Why  then 
did  ye  not  believe  him  ? 

32  But  if  we  shall  say.  Of  men  :  they  feared  the  peo- 
ple :  for  "  all  men  counted  John,  that  he  was  a  prophet 
mdeed. 

33  And  they  answered  and  said  unto  Jesus,  We' 
cannot  tell.  And  Jesus  answering,  saith  unto  them, 
Neither  do  I  ^  tell  you  by  what  authority  I  do  these 
things. 


.  Matt.  ]7  :  20  :  Luke  17  :  6. . .  .p  Malt.  7  :  '  ;  Luke  11  ; 
r  Matt.  18  :  35.... s  Matt.  SI  :  23,  etc.  ;  Luke  20  :  1, 
Jer.  8:1  ;  Hos.  4:6....w  Luke  10:  21,22. 


Christ  than  this  act  of  his  in  cleansing  the  Tem- 
ple, single-handed,  of  a  corruption  so  entrenched. 
Tet  we  must  not  forget  that  in  it  he  was  doubt- 
less supported  by  the  sympathies  of  the  Gentiles 
and  the  more  pious  Jews,  as  well  as  by  the  con- 
sciences of  the  very  men  who  were  driven  out ; 
and  that  while  the  priests  winked  at  the  traffic, 
they  would  hesitate  openly  to  sanction  it. 

20,  21.  Observe  that  the  effect  to  the  fruit- 
tree  exceeds  the  sentence ;  that  simply  con- 
demns it  to  f  ruitlessness.  But  both  in  nature  and 
in  grace  fruitlessness  always  issues  in  death. 
It  is  only  by  and  through  fruit-bearing  that  life 
-is  ever  perpetuated. 

22-26.  Have  faith  in  God.  Comp.  John 
14  : 1 ;  Heb.  11  :  6.  Here  evidently  faith  in  a 
God  who  is  master  over  nature.  It  is  an  exhor- 
tation which  in  this  age  of  naturalism  the  church 
needs  ever  to  recall. — To  this  mount.  That 
is,  the  Mount  of  Olives,  on  which  they  were 
standing ;  the  language  points  out  a  particular 
mountain. — And  shall  not  doubt  in  his 
heart.  Literally,  Shall  not  he  at  variance  vnth 
himself  in  his  heart.  The  original  {Siaxqlvoj)  is 
rendered  staggered  in  Kom.  4  :  20,  and  wavering  in 
James  1  :  6. — But  shall  have  faith  that 
those  things  which  he  saith  shall  come 
to  pass.  Not  merely  a  general  faith  in  God 
or  even  in  prayer,  but  a  faith  in  God  as  then 
present  and  hearing,  and  in  that  particular 
prayer  as  then  heard  and  to  be  answered. — He 
shall  have  whatsoever  he  saith.  The  words 
Whatsoever  he  saith  are  omitted  by  Tischendorf 
and  doubted  by  Alford.  But  the  omission  does 
not  materially  modify  the  meaning  of  the  prom- 
ise.—For  this  reason  I  say  unto  you.  Be- 
cause the  promise  of  blessing  is  only  to  the 
prayer  of  faith  (james  i :  6,  t  ;  5 :  15),  therefore  we 
need  to  strengthen  our  faith  in  the  time  of 
-prayer.— And  when  ye  stand.     "  To  stand  is 


the  attitude  of  praying  with  confidence ;  to  be 
prostrate,  of  praying  with  deprecation." — {Ben- 
gel.) — Forgive  if  ye  have  aught  against 
any.  Comp.  Matt.  5  :  23,  24.  The  connection 
appears  to  me  to  be  this :  Christ's  faith  had 
wrought  itself  out  in  a  symbolical  condemnation 
of  an  unfruitful  nation.  The  disciples  were  to 
imbibe  his  faith,  but  not  to  imitate  its  exercise. 
Their  prayers  were  to  be,  not  for  the  punish- 
ment, but  for  the  pardon  of  ofEenders.  Comp. 
Johu9  :  54r-56,  Only  Mark  contains  verses  25 
and  26  in  this  connection,  and  there  is  some 
doubt  as  to  the  authenticity  of  verse  26.  Alford 
retains  it ;  Tischendorf  and  Tregelles  omit  it. 

There  is  a  difficulty  in  these  verses  (22-26), 
which  probably  every  reader  feels,  and  which 
the  commentaries  do  not  help  much  to  solve. 
No  one  takes  the  promise  here  literally,  "He 
shall  have  whatsoever  he  saith,"  and,  "Believe 
that  ye  receive  them  and  ye  shall  have  them. " 
It  is  true  that  Christ  sometimes  taught  by  hyper- 
boles, but  he  never  employed  mere  exaggeration 
to  produce  an  effect.  I  confess,  therefore,  that 
the  largeness  of  the  promise  perplexes  me ;  I 
can  only  note  three  facts  in  partial  interpretation 
of  it.  (1.)  The  promise  is  only  to  him  who  has 
faith  that  those  things  tvhich  he  saith  shall  come  to 
pass.  But  this  faith  must  rest  on  some  founda- 
tion. It  cannot  be  a  mere  baseless  expectation. 
The  promise,  therefore,  carries  some  limitations 
in  its  terms ;  it  is  made  only  to  such  prayers  as 
are  based  on  and  accord  with  the  revealed  will 
of  God ;  (2)  it  teaches  emphatically  that  the  ben- 
efit of  prayer  is  not  wholly  a  spiritual  benefit  to 
the  one  praying,  but  that  it  also  is  efficacious  to 
change  or  modify,  by  the  divine  intervention, 
the  course  of  natural  phenomena ;  (3)  it  in- 
volved a  promise  of  miracles  in  answer  to  prayer 
in  the  apostolic  age,  when  miracles  were  needed 
to  carry  on  God's  work  ;  but  it  involves  no  such 


Cu.  XII.]. 


MAEK. 


387 


CHAPTER    XII. 

AND  he  began  to  speak  unto  them  by  parables.  A  » 
certain  man  planted  a  vineyard,  ana  set  an  hedge 
about  ity  and  digged  a  place  /or  the  winefat,  and  built 
a  tower,  and  let  it  out  to  husbandmen,  and  went  into  a 
far  country. 

2  And  at  the  season  he  sent  to  the  husbandmen  a  ser- 
vant, that  he  might  receive  from  the  husbandmen  of 
the  y  fruit  of  the  vineyard. 

3  And  they  caught  him^  and  beat  him,  and  sent  him 
away  empty. 

4  And  again  he  sent  unto  them  another  servant :  and 
at  him  they  cast  stones,^  and  wounded  lii}H  in  the  head, 
and  sent  him  away  shamefully  handled. 

5  And  again  he  sent  another  ;  and  him  they  killed, 
and  »  many  others  ;  beating  some,  and  killing  "  some. 

6  Having  yet  therefore  one  son,  his  well-beloved, 
he  "=  sent  him  also  last  unto  them,  saying,  They  will 
reverence  my  son. 

7  But  those  husban-imen  said  among  themselves. 
This  is  the  heir ;  come,  let  us  kill  him,  and  the  inheri- 
tance shall  be  ours. 

8  And  they  took  him,  and  killed  hint,  and  cast  him 
out ''  of  the  vineyard. 

9  What  shall  therefore  the  lord  of  the  vineyard  do  ? 
He  will  come  and  <=  destroy  the  husbandmen,  and  will  f 
give  the  vineyard  unto  others. 

10  And  have  ye  not  read  this  scripture  ;  The  s  stone 
which  the  builders  rejected  is  become  the  head  of  ihe 
corner: 

11  This  was  the  Lord's  doing,  and  it  is  marvellous  in 
our  eyes  ? 

12  And  ••  they  sought  to  lay  hold  on  him,  but  feared 
ths  people :  for  they  knew  that  he  had  spoken  the  para- 
ble against  them:  and  they  left  him,  and  went  their 
way. 

13  And'  they  send  unto  him  certain  of  the  Pharisees 
and  of  the  Herodians,  to  catch  him  in  his  words. 

14  And  when  they  were  come,  they  say  unto  him. 
Master,  we  know  that  thou  art  true,  and  carest  for  no 
man :  for  thou  regardest  not  the  person  of  men,  but 
teachest  the  way  of  God  in  truth  :  Is  it  lawful  to  give 
tribute  to  Cxsar,  or  not? 


15  Shall  we  give,  or  shall  we  not  give  ?  But  he, 
knowing  their  hypocrisy,  said  unto  them.  Why  tempt 
ye  me  ?     Bring  me  a  penny,  that  I  may  see  it.  1 

16  And  they  brought  it.  And  he  saith  unto  them,  \ 
Whose  is  this  image  and  superscription  ?  And  they  • 
said  unto  him,  Caesar's.  ' 

17  And  Jesus,  answering,  said  unto  them.  Render  to 
Caesar  J  the  things  that  are  Caesar's,  and  to  God"  the 
things  that  are  God's.     And  they  marvelled  at  him. 

18  Then'  come  unto  him  the  Sadducees,  which  say™ 
there  is  no  resurrection  ;  and  they  ask  him,  saying, 

19  Master,  Moses  wrote"  unto  us,  If  a  man's  brother 
die,  and  leave  /?«  wife  behind  him,  and  leave  no  chil- 
dren, that  his  brother  "  should  take  his  wife,  and  raise 
up  seed  unto  his  brother. 

20  Now  there  were  seven  brethren  :  and  the  first 
took  a  wife,  and  dying,  left  no  seed. 

21  And  the  second  took  her,  and  died :  neither  left  he 
any  seed  :  and  the  third  likewise. 

22  And  the  seven  had  her,  and  left  no  seed :  last  of 
all  the  woman  died  also. 

23  In  the  resurrection  therefore,  when  they  shall  rise, 
whose  wife  shall  she  be  of  them  ?  for  the  seven  had 
her  to  wife. 

24  And  Jesus  answering  said  unto  them.  Do  ye  not 
therefore  err,  because  ye  know  not  the  scriptures,  nei- 
ther the  power  of  God  ? 

25  For  when  they  shall  rise  from  the  dead,  they  nei- 
ther marry  nor  are  given  in  marriage  ;  but  p  are  as  the 
angels  which  are  in  heaven. 

26  And  as  touching  the  dead,  that  they  rise  ;  have  ye 
not  read  in  the  book  of  Moses,  how  in  the  bush  God 
spake  unto  him,  saying,i  I  atn  the  God  of  Abraham, 
and  the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of  Jacob  ? 

27  He  is  not  the  God  of  the  dead,  but  the  God  of  the 
living :  ye '  therefore  do  greatly  err. 

28  And »  one  of  the  scribes  came,  and  having  heard 
them  reasoning  together,  and  perceiving  that  ne  had 
answered  them  well,  asked  him.  Which  is  the  first  com- 
mandment of  all  ? 

29  And  Jesus  answered  him.  The  first  of  all  the  com- 
mandments zj,'  Hear,  O  Israel ;  The  Lord  our  God  is 
one  Lord : 


Matt.  21  :  33:  Luke  20  :  9,  etc y  Cant.  8  :  11  ;  Micah  7  :  I  ;  Luke  12:48;  John  15:  l-8....zHeb.  11  :  37.... a  Neh.  9  :  30 ;  Jer.  7  :  S5,  etc. 

b  Matl.  23  :  :« c  deb.  1:1,2 d  Heb.  13  :  12 e  Prov.  1  :  24-31  ;  Isa.  5:6-7:  Dan.  9  :  26 f  Jer.  17  :  3 g  Ps.  118  :  22. . .  li  ch. 

11  :  18;    John  7  :  30.... i  Matt.  22  :  15;    Luke  20  :  20,  etc.... j  Matt.  17  :  25-57;  Rom.  13:7;  1  Pet.  2:17....k  Eccl.  6:4,6;    Mai.  1:6.... 

1  .Mat:.  2-'  :  23  ;    Luke  20  :  27,  etc m  Acta  23  :  8 n  Deut.  25  :  5 o  Ruth  1  :  11,  13 pi  Cor.  16  :  42-63 q  Exod.  3:6 r  ver. 

24.... a  Matl.  22  :  36.... t  Deut.  6  :  4,  5 ;  Luke  10  :  27.  .  r  i 


promise  now,  since  there  is  no  ground  on  which 
we  can  base  a  just  expectation  that  God  will 
work  miracles  in  answer  to  prayer,  and  cannot, 
therefore,  in  accordance  with  the  laws  of  the 
human  mind,  believe  that  if  we  ask  for  them  we 
shall  have  them. 

37-33.  Christ's  authority  questioned. 
Compare  Matt.  21 :  23-27,  and  Luke  20  : 1-8.  The 
accounts  are  almost  verbally  identical.  See  notes 
on  Matthew. 

Ch.  12:1-12.  Parable  op  the  wicked 
HUSBANDMEN.  Narrated,  also,  in  Matt.  21  : 
33-46,  and  Luke  20  :  9-19.  There  is  no  material 
variance  in  the  reports,  except  that  Mark  gives 
some  details  here  in  verses  4  and  5,  not  given  by 
the  others,  and  their  condemnation  here  ex- 
pressed by  Christ  (rer.  9)  in  Matthew,  he  is  repre- 
sented as  compelling  his  auditors  to  express 
themselves.  Both  may  well  be  true.  For  notes, 
see  Matthew. 

13-1 '7.  Concerning  tribute  to  C^sar. 
Compare  Matt.  32  :  15-22,  and  Luke  20  :  20-26. 
Luke  gives  the  object  of  the  inquiry  of  the  Phar- 


isees, "  That  they  might  take  hold  of  his  words, 
that  so  they  might  deliver  him  into  the  power 
and  authority  of  the  government,"  and  their 
failure,  "They  could  not  take  hold  of  his  words." 
Mark  puts  the  question  more  directly  than  the 
others  :  ••Shall  we  give,  or  shall  we  not  give?" 
Otherwise  the  accounts  are  substantially  iden- 
tical.    See  notes  on  Matthew. 

18-27.  The  Sadducees  silenced.  Compare 
Matt.  22  :  23-33,  and  Luke  20  :  27-40,  and  notes 
in  both  places. 

28-34.  The  great  commandment.  Peculiar 
to  Matt.  22  :  34-40,  and  Mark  here.  See  notes 
on  Matthew.  There  is  a  seeming  but  not  real 
discrepancy  in  their  reports.  According  to  Mat- 
thew the  scribe  asks  the  question  of  our  Lord, 
"  tempting  him."  Mark's  language  indicates  no 
such  hostile  purpose,  and  the  scribe's  response, 
and  Christ's  commendation  of  him  (vers.  33, 34), 
have  been  thought  inconsistent  with  Matthew's 
interpretation  of  his  motives.  He  may  have  been 
an  honest  inquirer  whom  Matthew  classed  with 
the  other  inquirers  "  without  entering  into  careful 


388 


MAKK. 


[Ch.  XII. 


30  And  thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy 
heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind,  and 
with  all  thy  strength.    This  is  the  first  commandment. 

31  And  the  second  is  like,  namely  this,  Thou  "  shalt 
love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself.  There  is  none  other  com- 
mandment greater  than  these. 

32  And  the  scribe  said  unto  him.  Well,  Master,  thou 
hast  said  the  truth  :  for  there  is  one  God  ;  and  '  there 
is  none  other  but  he  : 

33  And  to  love  him  with  all  the  heart,  and  with  all 
the  understanding,  and  with  all  the  soul,  and  with  all 
the  strength,  and  to  love  his  neighbor  as  himself,  is 
more"  than  all  whole  burnt  oiferings  and  sacrifices. 

34  And  when  Jesus  saw  that  he  answered  discreetly, 
he  said  unto  him,  Thou  art  not  far  from  the  kingdom 
of  God.  And  no  man  after  that  durst  ask  him  '  any 
question.  . 

35  And  Jesus  answered  and  said,  while  he  Uught  m 


the  temple.  How  say  the  scribes  that  Christ  is  the  son 
of  David  ?  1 

36  For  David  himself  said  by'  the  Holy  Ghost,  The" 
Lord  said  to  my  Lord,  Sit  thou  on  my  right  hand,  till  I 
make  thine  enemies  thy  footstool. 

37  David  therefore  himself  calleth  him  Lord  ;  and 
whence  is  he  then  his  son  ?  And  the  common  people 
heard  him  gladly. 

38  And  he  said  unto  them""  in  his  doctrine.  Beware" 
of  the  scribes,  which  love  to  go  in  long  clothing,  and 
love  salutations  in  the  market-places, 

39  And  '^  the  chief  seats  in  the  synagogues,  and  the 
uppermost  rooms  at  feasts  ; 

40  Which  devour  widows'  houses,"^  and  for  a  pretence 
make  long  prayers :  these  shall  receive  greater  damna- 
tion. 

41  And  f  Jesus  sat  over  against  the  treasury,  and  be- 
held how  the  people  cast  money  into  the  treasury  :  and 
many  that  were  nch  cast  in  much. 


n  Lev.  19  :  18;  Matt.  22  :  39  ;    Rom.  13  :  9 t  Deut.  4  :  39  ;    I«a.  45  :  5,  6, 14  ;  46  :  9. . 

X  Matt.    n::46....v  Matt.  22  :  41  ;    Luke    20  :  41,   etc.... J    2   Sa'n.  23   :    2  ;    2  Tim. 
23:1;    Luke   20  :  46,  etc.  ...d  Luke   11 :  43  ...e  2  Tim.  3  :  6.... f  Luke  21  :  1,  etc. 


and  accurate  discrimination"  (J.{/brd);  but  this 
is  not  a  necessary  hypotliesis.  He  may  have  been 
a  caviller,  not  a  disciple,  and  yet  not  so  encased 
in  prejudice  but  that  he  could  appreciate  the 
force  of  Christ's  simple  but  eloquent  response, 
and  acknowledge  its  truth  and  beauty.  On  ver. 
34,  Alford's  comment  is  worthy  of  study  by  those 
who  are  inclined  to  regard  obedience,  not  faith,  as 
the  root  and  foundation  of  a  religious  life. 
"This  man  had  hold  of  that  principle  in  which 
Law  and  Gospel  are  one.  He  stood,  as  it  were, 
at  the  door  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  He  only 
wanted  (but  the  want  was  indeed  a  serious  one) 
repentance  and  faith  to  be  within  it.  The  Lord 
shows  us  here  that  even  outside  his  flock  those 
who  can  answer  discreetly,  who  have  knowledge 
of  the  spirit  of  the  great  command  of  Law  and 
Gospel,  are  nearer  to  being  of  his  flock  than  the 
formalists ;  but  then  as  Bengel  adds,  *  If  thou 
art  not  far  off,  enter ;  otherwise  it  were  better 
that  thou  wert  far  oH. '"  Comp.  Matt.  19  :  16-23. 
35-37.  The  Pharisees  baffled.  See  notes 
on  parallel  passage  in  Matt.  22  :  41-4(5.  Observe 
in  verse  36,  here,  Christ's  testimony  to  the  inspi- 
ration of  the  O.  T.  Scripture,  and  in  verse  37, 
Mark's  account  of  the  effect  of  Christ's  teaching 
on  the  common  people,  they  "  heard  him  gladly; " 
while  according  to  Matthew  (22 :  46)  the  Pharisees 
and  Scribes  were  confounded  by  it.  Perhaps  the 
common  people  were  not  sorry  to  see  their  auto- 
cratic teachers  put  to  confusion. 

38-40.  Denunciation  of  the  Scribes. 
Mark's  language  here,  "  And  he  said  unto  them 
in  his  teaching,"  indicates  that  these  verses  are 
only  a  quotation  from  a  longer  discourse.  Such 
is  the  fact.  The  discourse  occupies  the  whole 
of  Matt.,  ch.  23.  The  verses  here  and  in  Luke 
30  :  4.5-47  are  parallel  to  Matt.  23  :  .5,  6,  14.  See 
notes  there.  The  language  here  "love  to  go  in 
long  clothing"  answers  to  "enlarge  the  borders 
of  their  garments,"  in  Matthew.  The  "long 
clothing" CGr,  aro/r,  stole)  wa.3  a  long,  flowing  robe 


reaching  to  the  feet,  and  worn  by  king  and 
priests,  and  by  the  scribes,  probably  as  a  symbol 
of  sanctity,  and  as  a  means  of  attracting  attm- 
tion  and  securing  the  reverence  of  the  common 
people.  The  holy  garments  of  Aaron,  Exod.  28  : 
2,  and  the  white  "  robes  "  of  Rev.  7  :  13,  are  both 
in  the  Greek  "  stoles,"  the  same  word  here  ren- 
dered "long  clothing."  Observe  that  here  are 
condemned,  (1)  the  spirit  that  is  more  scrupulous 
concerning  the  outward  ceremonials  than  the  in- 
ward spirit  of  religion  (ver.  ss) ;  (2)  that  which 
covets  the  praise  of  men  more  than  honor  from 

God  (ver.  38  ;  comp.  Matt.  6  :  1-5,  16-18)  ;  (3)  SOCial  pride 
and  vain-glory  (ver.  39;  comp.  Luke  14  :  t-u) ',  (4)  the 
concealment  of  practical  selfishness  by  a  pre- 
tence of  piety  (ver.  40 ;  comp.  Isaiah  1  :  lO-ls). 

Ch.  12  :  41-44.    THE  WIDOW'S  MITES.— A  EEBtTKE  to 

THE  PBOUD  rich;  AN  INSPIRATION  TO  THE  HUMBLE 
POOR. 

This  incident  is  recorded  only  by  Mark  and 
Luke  (21 :  i-i).  The  report  is  fuller  here.  The 
time  and  occasion  are  uncertain  ;  there  is,  how- 
ever, no  especial  reason  to  doubt  that  it  occurred 
at  this  time  and  in  conjunction  with  the  discourse 
against  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees. 

41-42.  And  Jesus  was  sitting  over 
against  the  treasury.  What  this  treasury  was, 
is  uncertain.  According  to  the  Mishna  there  were 
in  the  Temple  thirteen  treasure  chests  for  the  re- 
ception of  gifts  of  money,  to  be  devoted  to  so 
many  special  purposes,  designated  by  the  in- 
scriptions upon  them.  These  chests  were  called 
"trumpets,"  probably  from  the  shape  of  the  open- 
ings into  which  the  contributions  were  dropped. 
To  such  a  chest  there  is  a  reference  in  2  Kings  12  : 
9,  10  ;  comp.  22  . 4,  5.  Posssibly  the  reference  is 
to  these  chests.  It  is,  however,  clear  from  John 
8  :  20  that  there  was  a  room  in  the  Temple  called 
the  treasury.  To  such  a  room  Josephus  refers 
in  Antiq.  19  : 6, 1.  That  there  were  side-rooms  of 
the  Temple  used  for  receiving  and  keeping  the 


Ch.  XIIL] 


MARK. 


they  which  have  cast 


42  And  there  came  a  certain  poor  widow  and  she 
threw  in  two  mites,  which  make  a  farthing. 

43  And   he  called  unto  liijii  his  disciples,  and  saith 
unto   them,  Verily   I   say  unto  you,  Thatf  this  poor 
widow  hath  cast  more  in,  than  all  t'  ■  ■  •  • 
into  the  treasury : 

44  For  all  they  did  cast  in  of  their  abundance  :  ^  but 
she  of  her  want  did  cast  in  all  tliat  she  had,  even  all ' 
her  living. 

CHAPTER    XIII. 

A  NDJ  as  he  went  out  of  the  temple,  one  of  his  disci- 
1\.  pies  saith  unto  him.  Master,  see  what  manner  of 
stones  and  wliat  buildings  are  here  ! 

1  And  Jesus,  answcnng,  said  unto  him,  Seest  thou 
these  great  buildings  ?  there  ^  shall  not  be  left  one  stone 
upon  another,  that  shall  not  be  thrown  down. 

3  And  as  he  sat  upon  the  Mount  of  Olives,  over 
against  the  temple,  Peter  and  James  and  John  and  An- 
drew asked  him  privately, 

4  Tell  us,  when  shall  these  things  be  ?  and  what 
shall  be  the  sign  when  all  these  things  shall  be  ful- 
filled? 


5  And  Jesus,  answering  them,  began  to  say,  Take ' 
heed  less  any  man  deceive  you  : 

6  For  many  shall  come  ™  in  my  name,  saying,  I  am 
Christ :  and  shall  deceive  many. 

7  And  when  ye  shall  hear  of  wars  and  rumours  of 
wars,  be  "  ye  not  troubled  :  for  such  things  must  needS 
be  ;  but  the  end  shall  not  be  yet. 

8  For  nation  shall  rise  against  nation,  and  kingdom 
against  kingdom  ;  and  there  shall  be  earthquakes  in 
divers  places,  and  there  shall  be  famines  and  troubles : 
these  are  the  beginnings  of  sorrows. 

9  But  take  heed  to  yourselves :  for  they  shall  °  de- 
liver you  up  to  councils  ;  and  in  the  synagogues  ye 
shall  be  beaten  ;  and  ye  shall  be  brought  before  rulers 
and  kings  for  my  sake,  for  a  testimony  against  them. 

10  And  p  the  gospel  must  first  be  published  among 
all  nations. 

11  But  when  they  shall  lead  you^  and  deliver  you  up, 
take  no  thought  beforehand  what  ye  shall  speak,  nei- 
ther do  ye  premeditate  ;  but  whatsoever  shall  be  given 
you  in  that  hour,  that  speak  ye :  for  it  is  not  ye  that 
speak,  but ''  the  Holy  Ghost. 


g  2  Cor.  8  :  2,  19....h  1  Chr. 
29  :  8 ;  Eph.  5  :  6 ;  2  Thess. 
o  MiiU   10  :  17,  etc. ;  Rev.  ! 


Matt.  28  :  19;  Rev.  14:  6.... q  Acts  2:  4;  4  ;  8,  31  ;  6  :  10. 


TREASURY  BOXES. 

tithes,  both  in  money  and  kind,  is  evident  from 
Neh.  10  :  38,  39 ;  1  Chron.  28  :  11,  13.  I  judge 
the  reference  here  to  be  to  this  treasury  chamber, 
in  which,  perhaps,  Christ  was  teaching  at  the 
time,  and  in  which  possibly  the  treasure  chests 
referred  to  in  the  Mi.shna,  may  have  been  Icept. 
Our  illustration  shows  the  treasury  boxes  used 
in  the  East  in  the  synagogues.— Was  watching 
ho\vth3  people  ca.st  money  into  the  treas- 
ury. The  original  indicates  that  he  was  pur- 
posely observing  the  people,  studying  their  action 
and  characters  ;  a  hint  to  the  preacher  how  to  get 
both  subjects  for  discourse,  and  knowledge  how 
to  treat  those  subjects.  Christ  still  keeps  like 
■watch  in  his  church.  See  Rev.  1  :  13.— Two 
mites.  The  mite  was  the  least  Jewish  coin, 
about  equivalent  to  two  mills  of  our  money. 
Observe,  she  \\.iAtwo;  she  might  have  retained 


43.  Calling  his  disciples.  To  direct  their 
attention  to  this  woman  and  to  emphasize  the 
lesson  which  he  wished  to  inculcate.  —  This 
poor  woman  hath  cast  more  in.  Because 
God  reckons  not  according  to  the  gift,  but  ac- 
cording to  the  giver ;  not  according  to  the  value 
of  that  which  is  bestowed,  but  according  to  the 
self-sacrifice  in  the  bestowal.  Compare  3  Cor. 
8  :  13. 

Ch.  13.  Christ's  discourse  on  the  Last 
Days.  This  discourse  is  reported  also  in  Matt, 
ch.  34,  and  Luke  31  :  5-38.  For  the  analysis  of 
this  discourse,  its  general  lessons,  and  all  that  is 
common  in  the  three  accounts,  see  notes  on  Mat- 
thew. Here  I  call  the  attention  of  the  student 
only  to  phraseologies  peculiar  to  Mark. 

1 ,  2.  The  language  here  is  more  dramatic 
than  in  Matthew,  and  more  expressive  of  the 
admiration  of  the  disciples  for  the  Temple  struc- 
ture. Matthew  brings  before  us  most  vividly 
the  structure  itself  :  "  His  disciples  came  for  to 
show  him  aU  the  buildings  of  the  Temple ; ' ' 
Mark,  the  substantial  materials  employed  in  the 
structure:  "What  manner  of  stones  and  what 
manner  of  buildings  ;  "  Luke,  the  ornaments  and 
ofEerings :  "How  it  was  adorned  with  goodly 
stones  and  gifts." 

3.  Peter  etc.  asked  him  privately.  This 
may  either  mean  apart  from  the  multitude,  but 
in  the  presence  of  the  rest  of  the  disciples 
{James  Morison),  or  apart  from  the  other  disci- 
ples, and  in  a  purely  private  conference  (Lame). 
The  language  rather  implies  the  latter  ;  the  full- 
ness of  Matthew's  report  indicates,  however, 
that  he  was  present. 

5-8.  The  language  here  is  almost  verbally 
identical  with  Matt.  24  :  3-S.  Luke's  language 
(21 : 8-11)  differs  only  in  one  or  two  respects. 

9-11.  These  verses  are  not  in  Matthew.    But 


MAEK. 


[Ch.  XIII 


12  Now  the  brother'  shall  betray  the  brother  to 
death,  and  the  father  the  son  :  and  children  shall  rise 
up  against  tkeir  parents,  and  shall  cause  them  to  be 
put  to  death. 

13  And  ye  shall  be  hated  »  of  all  men  for  my  name's 
sake :  but  he  '  that  shall  endure  unto  the  end,  the  same 
shall  be  saved. 

14  But  when  ye  shall  see  the  abomination  of  desola- 
tion, spoken  of"  by  Daniel  the  prophet,  standing  where 
it  ought  not,  (let  him  that  readeth  understand),  then  let 
them  that  be  in  Judaea  Hee  to  the  mountains: 

15  And  let  him  that  is  on  the  housetop  not  go  down 
into  the  house,  neither  enter  therein^  to  take  any  thing 
out  of  his  house. 

16  And  let  him  that  is  in  the  field  not  turn  back  again 
for  to  take  up  his  garment. 

17  But  woe  to  them  that  are  with  child,  and  to  them 
that  give  suck  in  those  days  ! 

18  And  pray  ye  that  your  flight  be  not  in  the  winter. 

19  For  "  in  those  days  shall  be  aftliction,  such  as  was 
not  from  the  beginning  of  the  creation  wliich  God  cre- 
ated unto  this  time,  neither  shall  be. 

20  And  except  that  the  Lord  had  shortened  those 
days,  no  flesh  should  be  saved :  but  for  the  elect's 
sake,  whom  he  hath  chosen,  he  hath  shortened  the  days. 

21  And  then  if  any  man  shall  say  to  you,  Lo,'*herez> 
Christ;  or,  Lo,  he  is  there  :  believe  him  not: 

22  For  false  Christs  and  false  prophets  shall  rise,  and 


shall  shew  signs  and  wonders,  to  seduce,  if //  were  pos- 
sible, even  the  elect. 

23  But "  take  ye  heed  ;  behold,  I  have  foretold  you 
all  things. 

24  But  in  those  days,  after  that  tribulation,''  the  sun 
shall  be  darkened,  and  the  moon  shall  not  give  Let 
light, 

25  And  ^  the  stars  of  heaven  shall  fall,  and  the  powers 
that  are  in  heaven  shall  be  shaken. 

26  And"  then  shall  they  see  the  Son  of  man  coming 
in  the  clouds,  with  great  power  and  glory. 

27  And  then  shall  he  send  his  angels,  and  shall 
gather  together  his  elect  from  the  four  winds,  from  the 
uttermost  part  of  the  earth,  to  the  uttermost  part  of 
heaven. 

28  Now  learn  a  parable  of  the  fig  tree ;  When  her 
branch  is  yet  tender,  and  putteth  forth  leaves,  ye  know 
that  summer  is  near. 

29  So  ye  in  like  manner,  when  ye  shall  see  these 
things  come  to  pass,  know  that  it  is  nigh,  even  at  the 
doors. 

30  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  that  this  generation  shall 
not  pass,  till  all  these  thmgs  be  done. 

31  Heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away:  but""  my 
words  shall  not  pass  away. 

32  But  of  that  day  and  that  hour  knoweth  no  man, 
no,  not  the  angels  which  are  in  heaven,  neither  the 
Son,  but  the  Father. 


r  Micah  7  :  6. . .  .s  Luke  6  ;  !!2 ;  John  17  :  14. . .  .t  Dan.  12  : 
X  2Pet.  3:17....v  Dan.  12  :  1  ;  Zeph.  1  :  15-17.  ...7.  1=^ 
14  :  62 ;  Dan.  7  :  9-14  ;  Matt.  16  :  i7  ;  24  :  30  ;  Acts  1  ;  U 


;    Rev.  2:  10 n  Dan.  9 

3  :  10;    24  :  20,  23  ;  Je;-.  4  : 
I  TUess.  4:16;  2  Tbess.  1  : 


:  27 V  Dan.  12:1;  Joel  2:2 w  Lnl;i 

2S  ;    2  Pet.  3  :  10,  12 ;  Rev.  6  :  12-14  j  20  : 
7:  10;  Rev.  1  :  7.  ...b  I<ji.  40  :  8. 


analogous  warnings  and  Instructions  are  embodied 
in  Christ's  first  commission  to  the  twelve.  See 
Matt.  10  :  18-30,  notes.— Take  heed  to  your- 
selves. Not  as  a  means  of  escaping  from  perse- 
cution, but  as  a  means  of  preparing  for  it,  as 
Christ  bade  Peter  take  heed  against  temptation 
(Matt.  26 :  4i).— They  shall  deliver  you  up  to 
councils.  Jewish  courts.  There  were,  besides 
the  one  national  councU  or  Sanhedrim  (p.  258,  note), 
smaller  councils  organized  in  all  the  principal 
towns. — But  Avhen  they  shall  lead  you  and 
deliver  you  up,  be  not  anxious  before- 
hand. The  original  verb  here  (dsoiKvutu),  is  the 
same  as  that  translated  in  Matt.  6  :  25 ;  10  :  19, 
"take  no  thought."  It  does  not  forbid  fore- 
thought, but  an  anxious  and  troubled  spirit. 
—Neither  premeditate.  A  mistranslation ; 
rather.  Do  not  prepare  your  speech  beforehand, 
(see  on  Luke  21  •  u). — Yc  Avho  spcak  are  noth- 
ing, but  the  Holy  Spirit.  "  The  Greek  is  not 
susceptible  of  the  translation  in  our  English 
version.  The  contrast  is  between  '  ye  speaking ' 
and  '  the  Holy  Spirit.'  The  Holy  Spirit  is  every- 
thing. Everything  depends  on  Him,  not  on  you. " 
— (Crosbij.)  Observe  that  this  direction  affords 
no  countenance  whatever  to  preaching  the  truth 
without  previous  preparation.  Tt  is  simply  a 
warning  against  allowing  the  mind  to  be  divided 
in  time  of  danger,  between  the  desire  of  personal 
safety  and  the  desire  to  be  faithful  to  the  tnith. 
Christ  exemplifies  his  own  directions  in  his  course 
before  Pilate  and  Caiaphas  (Matt.  26 :  64  j  John  is :  37). 
His  direction  is  here  enforced  by  promises  which 
Luke  alone  records  (Luke  21 :  15,  is) ;  and  it  is  less  a 
caution  for  their  personal  protection,  than  an 
admonition  to  prevent  them  from  proving  false 


to  the  truth,  through  self-reliance  and  lack  of 
trust  in  God. 

12,  13.  This  warning  is  parallel  to  that  of 
Matt.  24  :  9,  but  is  more  specific.  It  interprets 
Christ's  repeated  declaration  that  those  who  love 
father  or  mother  more  than  him,  are  not  worthy 
of  him.  It  has  been  abundantly  verified  in  the 
history  of  religious  persecution  ;  and  this  history 
illustrates  the  power  for  evil  of  a  depraved  con- 
science ;  it  overcomes  even  natural  affection. 

14-23.  The  language  here  is  almost  verbally 
the  same  with  that  of  Matthew  (24 :  15-25),  Luke 
is  less  full,  but  gives  some  directions  and  some 
details  of  the  sufferings,  during  the  prophesied 
period,  not  found  in  either  Matthew  or  Mark. 

24-31.  The  language  of  these  verses  is  nearly 
parallel  to  that  of  Matt.  24 :  39-35.— In  these 
days  signifies  not  the  days  of  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem,  but  the  days  of  peril  and  persecution, 
the  tribulation  and  travaU  (ver.  s)  which  must  in- 
tervene between  the  death  and  the  future  final 
coming  of  Christ.  Of  this  travail  the  destruction 
of  Jerusalem  is  only  a  part.  See  PreL  Note  to 
Matthew,  ch.  24,  and  note  on  verse  29  there. 

32.  How  to  reconcile  this  declaration  with  the 
ordinary  theological  doctrines  concerning  the 
divinity  of  Jesus  Christ,  has  greatly  perplexed 
orthodox  commentators.  The  foHowing  are  the 
chief  interpretations  offered:  (1.)  That  it  is  an 
addition  by  later  heretical  hands  (Adnn  Clarke). 
But  there  is  no  reason  to  doubt  its  genuineness  ; 
it  is  in  all  the  manuscripts,  and  in  the  three  oldest 
manuscripts  in  the  parallel  passage  in  Matt. 
24  :  36.  It  is  more  probable  that  the  copyists 
expunged  it  there.  (2.)  That  the  word  kyw  here 
is  equivalent  to  does  not  make  known  {MacKnight, 


Ch.  XIV.] 


MAEK. 


391 


^3  Take  "=  ye  heed,  watch  and  pray  :  for  ye  know  not 
when  the  time  is. 

34  For  the  Son  of  man  is  as  a  man  taking  a  far 
journey,  who  left  his  house,  and  gave  authority  to  his 
servants,  and  to  every  man  his  work,  and  commanded 
the  porter  to  watch. 

35  Watch  ye  therefore  ;  for  ye  know  not  when  the 
master  of  the  house  cometh,  at  even,  or  at  midnight,  or 
at  the  cock-crowing,  or  in  the  morning  ; 

36  Lest  coming  suddenly,  he  find  you  sleeping.'' 

37  And  what  I  say  unto  you,  I  say  unto  all,  Watch.« 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

AFTER  two  days  \\2iSthe  feast  of  the  passover,  and 
of  unleavened  bread  :  and  the  chief  priests  and 
the  scribes  sought  how  they  might  take  him  by  craft, 
and  put  him  to  death. 

2  But  they  said.  Not  on  the  feast  day,  lest  there  be 
an  uproar  of  the  people. 

3  And'  being  in  Bethany,  in  the  house  of  Simon  the 


leper,  as  he  sat  at  meat,  there  came  a  woman  having 
an  alabaster  box  of  ointment  of  spikenard,  very  pre- 
cious ;  and  she  brake  the  box,  and  poured  it  on  his 
head. 

4  And  there  were  some  that  had  indignation  within 
themselves,  and  said.  Why  was  this  waste  of  the  oint- 
ment made  ? 

5  For  it  might  have  been  sold  for  more  than  three 
hundred  pence,  and  have  been  given  to  the  poor. 
And  they  murmured  against  her. 

6  And  Jesus  said.  Let  her  alone  :  why  trouble  ye 
her  ?  she  hath  wrought  a  good  work  on  me. 

7  Fore  ye  have  the  poor  with  you  always,  and 
wnensoever  ye  will  ye  may  do  them  good :  but  me  ye 
have  not  alwavs. 

8  She  hath  done  what  she  could  :  she  is  come  afore- 
hand  to  anoint  my  body  to  the  burying. 

9  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Wheresoever  this  gospel 
shall  be  preached  throughout  the  whole  world,  t/iis 
also  that  she  hath  done  shall  be  spoken  of  for  a  me- 
morial of  her. 


Matt.  26  :  5 e  vers.  33,  i 


Wordsworth,  and  others),  and  1  Cor.  2  :  2  is  cited 
as  an  evidence  that  the  original  is  capable  of 
such  a  translation.  But  the  original  (oiiSu)  never 
signifies  to  make  known,  and  1  Cor.  2  :  3  does 
not  sustain  such  a  translation,  which  wrests  tlie 
language  of  Scripture  to  adapt  it  to  theology. 
(3.)  That  Christ  knew  the  day,  but  that  "the 
knowledge  was  not  lodged  with  him  for  the  pur- 
pose of  being  communicated  to  man  "  {Kenriclc, 
Chrysostom).  But  this  again  is  not  what  Christ 
says,  and  true  reverence  for  his  teaching  will 
accept  his  statements  in  humility,  not  interpret 
them  away  in  order  to  reconcile  them  with  a  sup- 
posed reverence  for  liis  person;  moreover,  the 
idea  that  knowledge  was  "  lodged  with  him"  is 
no  more  congruous  with  the  idea  of  his  divinity 
than  his  own  declaration  of  ignorance,  (i.)  That 
he  knew  as  God,  but  not  as  man.  This  is  the 
most  common  interpretation,  and  is  presented  in 
different  forms  by  Bengel,  Barnes,  Owen,  James 
Morison,  and  others.  We  have,  however,  no 
authority  in  the  Gospels  for  drawing  a  metaphys- 
ical line  in  Christ's  nature,  and  saying  that 
certain  things  he  did  as  man,  and  certain  things 
as  God.  He  is  always  represented  as  one,  and  as 
doing  all  things  as  the  one  Ood-man,  (5.)  I  un- 
derstand Christ  literally,  as  do  Calvin,  Meyer, 
Stier,  Alford  and  Alexander.  He  did  not  know, 
in  the  same  sense  in  which  men  and  angels  do  not 
know.  In  his  voluntary  humiliation,  in  taking 
upon  him  the  form  of  a  servant  (phii.  2 : 6-8),  he 
laid  aside,  not  only  external  glory,  but  also 
knowledge  and  power  (Matt.  20 :  23 ;  Mark  10 :  40).  The 
declaration  of  ignorance  here  is  no  more  inexpli- 
cable than  the  declaration  that  he  grew  in 
wisdom  (Luke  2 : 5"),  Icamcd  obedience  (neb.  5 :  s), 
marveled  (Matt.  8 :  10,  note),  was  tempted  (Matt.  4: 1-11 ; 
Prci.  Note,  §  6,  p.  75),  Uttered  desircs  in  prayer  (Luke 
6 :  12,  etc).  Any  thcory  of  Christ  which  denies,  or 
interprets  away  these  and  similar  significant 
declarations  of  the  limitations  of  his  nature,  is 


unscriptural.  It  were  better  frankly  to  concede, 
that  in  the  mystery  of  his  being,  the  full  inter- 
pretation of  them  is  hidden  from  us,  than  to 
make  them  clear  by  denying  their  force  and 
meaning.  The  practical  lesson  of  the  verse  is 
well  put  by  Dr.  Schail:  "  His  voluntarily  not 
knowing  the  day  of  judgment  during  the  days 
of  His  flesh,  is  a  warning  against  chronological 
curiosity  and  mathematical  calculations  in  the 
exposition  of  Scripture  prophecy.  It  is  not  likely  j 
that  any  theologian,  however  learned,  should  ; 
know  more  or  ought  to  know  more  on  this  point 
than  Christ  himself,  who  will  judge  the  quick 
and  the  dead,  chose  to  know  in  the  state  of  His 
humiliation." 

33-37.  Parallel  to  this  is  Matt.  24  :  43-51. 
See  notes  there.  It  is  a  briefer  report,  but  not  a 
condensation.  The  independence  of  the  two 
writers  is  evident  from  a  careful  comparison  of 
them  in  the  original.  And  this  may  be  with 
equal  truth  said  of  the  two  accounts  of  this  dis- 
course throughout.  The  verbal  difEerences  are 
just  such  as  would  characterize  two  reports  of 
the  same  discourse  by  different  hearers.  "  Tlie 
porter  is  the  door-keeper  (John  is :  le,  note),  whose 
office  it  would  be  to  look  out  for  approachmg 
travelers,  answering  especially  to  ministers  of  the 
word  (Ezek. ch.  S3),  watchmcu  to  God's  church." — 
{Alford.)  The  four  watches  here  mentioned 
are  those  into  which  the  Jews,  after  the  Roman 
supremacy,  and  following  the  Romans,  divided 
the  night.  The  first  or  evening  lasted  till  9  p.  m.  , 
the  second  till  midnight,  the  third  till  the  early 
cock-crowing,  or  3  p.m.,  the  fourth  till  about 
sunrise,  or  6  a.  m.  The  language  here  is  some- 
what indefinite,  but  is  that  of  the  common  people. 

Ch.  14  :  1-9.  The  anointing  at  Bethant. 
Recorded  also  by  Matt.  26  :  6-16,  and  John  12  : 
1-8.  It  is  not  to  be  confounded  with  the  analo- 
gous incident  recorded  in  Luke  7  :  36-50.  The 
time  of  its  occurrence  is  not  certain,  whether 


392 


MAKK. 


[Ch.  XIV. 


10  And  "  Judas  Iscariot,  one  of  the  twelve,  went  unto 
the  chief  priests,  to  betray'  him  unto  them. 

11  And  when  they  heard  li,  they  were  glad,  and 
promised  to  give  himJ  money.  And  he  sought  how 
he  might  conveniently  betray  him. 

12  And  the  first  day  of'  unleavened  bread,  when 
they  Icilled  the  passover,  his  disciples  said  unto  him, 
Vv^here  wilt  thou  that  we  go  anci  prepare,  that  thou 
mayest  eat  the  passover  ? 

13  And  he  sendeth  forth  two  of  his  disciples,  and 
saith  unto  them,  Go '  ye  into  the  city,  and  there  shall 
meet  you  a  man  bearing  a  pitcher  of  water :  follow 
him. 

14  .'Vnd  wheresoever  he  shall  go  in,  say  ye  to  the 
goodman  of  the  house.  The  Master""  saith,  Where  is 
the  guest-chamber,  where  I  shall  eat"  the  passover 
with  my  disciples  ? 

15  And  he  will  shew  you  a  large  upper  room  fur- 
nished ««</ prepared :  there  make  ready  for  us. 

16  And  his  disciples  went  forth,  and  came  into  the 
city,  and  found  "  as  he  had  said  unto  them :  and  they 
made  ready  the  passover. 

17  And  in  the  evening  he  cometh  with  the  twelve. 

18  And  as  they  sat  and  did  eat,  Jesus  said.  Verily  I 
say  unto  you.  One  of  you  which  eatethP  with  me  shall 
betray  me. 

ig  And  they  began  to  be  sorrowful,  and  to  say  unto 
him  one  by  one,  /j  it  I  ?  and  another  sai'd,  /r  it  I  ? 

00  And  he  answered  and  said  unto  them,  //  z's  one 
of  the  twelve,  that  dippeth  with  me  in  the  dish. 


21  The  Son  of  man  indeed  goeth,  as  it  is  written  of 
him :  but  woe  to  that  man  by  whom  the  Son  of  man  is 
betrayed  !  good  1  were  it  for  that  man  if  he  had  never 
been  born. 

22  And'  as  they  did  eat,  Jesus  took  bread,  and 
blessed,  and  brake  zV,  and  gave  to  them,  and  said, 
Take,'  eat ;  this  is  my  body. 

23  And  he  took  the  cup  ;  and  when  he  had  gjiven 
thanks,  he  gave  I'i  to  them  :  and  they  all  drank  ol  it. 

24  And  he  said  unto  them,  This'  is  my  blood  of  the 
new  testament,  which  is  shed  for  many. 

25  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  I  will  drink  no  more  of  the 
fruit  of  the  vine,  until  that  day  that  1  drink  it"  new  in 
the  kingdom  of  God. 

26  And  when  they  had  sung  an  hymn,  they  went  out 
into  the  Mount  of  Olives. 

27  And  Jesus  saith  unto  them.  All  ye  shall  be  of- 
fended because  of  me  this  night:  tor  it  is  writ- 
ten," I  will  smite  the  shepherd,  and  the  sheep  shall  be 
scattered. 

28  Hut™  after  that  I  am  risen,  I  will  go  before  you 
into  Galilee. 

29  But "  Peter  said  unto  him,  Although  all  shall  be 
offended,  yet  wiU  not  I. 

30  And  Jesus  saith  unto  him.  Verily  I  say  unto  thee. 
That  this  day,  even  in  this  night,  before  the  cock  crow 
twice,  thou  shalt  deny  me  thrice. 

31  But  he  spake  the  more  vehemently.  If  I  should 
die  with  thee,  I  will  not  deny  thee  in  any  wise.  Like- 
wise also  said  they  all. 


1  Matt.  26  :  14, 

Luke  22  :  ID 
w  cL.  16:7.. 


;.  ;  Luke  22:  3,  etc.... 1  Johu  13  :  2. . . .j  1  Kings  21  :  20; 
28  ;  13  :  13. . .  .n  Rev.  3  :  20. . .  .o  John  16  :  4. . .  .p  P.^. 
I  Cor.  11  :  23,  etc.... a  John  6  :  48-58.... t  1  Cor.  10  :  16 
t  Matt.  26  :  33,  34  ;  hake  22  :  33,  34  ;  John  13  :  37,  38. 


Prov.  1  :  10-16. . .  .k  Exod.  12  :  8,  etc. . .  .1  ch.  11  :  2,  3  ;  Heb.  4  :  13. 

41   :  9  ;    65  :   13,  14 q  M.ntt.  18  :  6,  7 v  Matt.  26  :  26,  etc.  ; 

;  John  6  :  53,  . .  .u  Joel  3  :  18  :  Amos9  j  13,  14. . .  v  Zech.  13  :  7. . . . 


two  clays  or  six  days  before  the  Passover.  Com- 
pare Johu,  and  note  on  Matthew.  Bethany  was  a 
village  about  two  miles  east  of  Jerusalem,  on  the 
eastern  slope  of  the  Mount  of  Olives,  and  the 
supper  was  given  in  the  house  of  Mary  and 
Martha,  the  sisters  of  Lazarus. .  Of  the  Simon 
liere  mentioned  nothing  is  known ;  it  is  conjec- 
tured that  he  was  the  father  of  the  two  sisters, 
or  the  husband  of  one  of  them.  He  is  not  men- 
tioned in  the  other  accounts  of  the  famUy,  from 
which  it  is  presumed  that  he  was  not  living. 
The  300  pence  (denarii)  mentioned  in  verse  5,  was 
a  sum  equal  to  about  $54 ;  but  as  one  penny  was 
a  day's  wages,  we  may  regard  it  as  equivalent  to 
at  least  $300.  See  Matt.  20  ;  3,  note.  On  the 
entire  incident,  see  notes  on  Matthew  and  John, 
especially  the  latter. 

10,11.  The  teeachert  of  Judas  Iscabiot. 
See  Matt.  26  :  14-16,  notes  ;  and  on  the  character 
of  Judas,  Matt.  27  :  3-10,  p.  305. 

12-16.  Preparation  for  the  Passover. 
Compare  Matt.  26  :  17-19,  and  Luke  22  :  7-13. 
For  notes,  see  Luke.  For  chronological  order  of 
the  events  of  this  evening,  see  Matt.  24  : 1.  The 
omission  of  the  names  of  the  two  disciples  sent 
by  Christ,  Peter  and  John,  Alford  regards  as  an 
indication  that  this  Gospel  was  not  drawn  up 
under  the  superintendence  of  Peter.  But  why, 
any  more  than  John's  habitual  omission  of  his 
own  name  from  his  Gospel  indicates  that  he  is 
not  its  author  ? 

17-21.  Prophecy  OF  THE  BETRAYAL.  Com- 
pare Matt.  36  :  31-35;   Luke  33  :  31-33;  John 


13  :  21-35.  For  notes,  see  Matthew  and  John ; 
the  latter's  account  is  much  the  fullest. 

22-26.  Institution  of  the  Lord's  Supper. 
Compare  Matt.  36  :  26-39  ;  Luke  22  :  19-21 ;  1  Cor. 
11  :  23-35.  John  does  not  mention  the  Lord's 
Supper.  See  notes  on  Matthew.  The  language 
of  ver.  23,  "They  all  drank  of  it,"  does  not  prove 
that  Judas  participated  in  the  supper.  The  all 
that  were  present  are  intended. 

27-31.  Prophecy  of  Peter's  deniai.  See 
Matt.  26  :  31-35,  and  Luke  23  :  31-38,  notes.  The 
warning  reported  here,  and  in  Matthew,  was 
given  immediately  after  the  Lord's  Supper,  ap- 
parently on  the  way  to  the  Mount  of  Olives ; 
that  reported  in  Luke  and  John  (12 :  36-38),  was 
given  previous  to  the  supper. 

32-42.  Christ's  agony  in  Gethsemane. 
Recorded  also  in  Matthew  36  :  36-46,  and  Luke 
32  ;  40-46.  Matthew's  account  is  the  fullest, 
though  Luke  alone  mentions  the  bloody  sweat 
and  the  appearance  of  an  angel  from  heaven 
strengthening  Christ.  See  notes  on  Matthew. 
The  phrase  "sore  amazed"  (ver.  33),  is  peculiar 
to  Mark,  and  implies  that  the  experience  of  sor- 
row, however  it  is  to  be  interpreted,  came  upon 
Christ,  if  not  literally  as  a  surprise,  at  least  mth 
new  and  unexpected  force;  "  ?/ie  Aojo* "  (ver.  35), 
is  equivalent  to  the  cup  in  the  next  verse,  and 
refers  to  the  approaching  Passion,  with  all  its 
accumulation  of  physical  and  mental  anguish ; 
the  language  of  ver.  40,  "aw(?  spnJce  the  sarm 
words,'''  appears  to  describe  more  accurately  the 
third  than  the  second  prayer.    Matthew  notices 


Ch.  XIV.] 


MARK. 


393 


32  And  f  they  came  to  a  place  which  was  named 
Gethsemane :  and  he  saith  to  his  disciples,  Sit  ye  here, 
while  I  shall  pray. 

33  And  he  taketh  with  him  Peter  and  James  and 
John,  and  began  to  be  sore  amazed,  and  to  be  very 
heavy ; 

34  And  saith  unto  them,  My  ^  soul  is  exceeding  sor- 
rowful unto  deatli :  tarry  ye  here,  and  watch. 

35  And  he  went  forward  a  little,  and  fell  on  the 
ground,  and  prayed  »  that,  if  it  were  possible,  the  hour 
might  pass  from  him. 

36  And  he  said,''  Abba,  Father,  all  things  are  possi- 
ble unto  thee  ;  take  away  this  cup  from  me  :  neverthe- 
less ■=  not  what  I  will,  but  what  tliou  wilt. 

37  And  he  cometh,  and  findeth  them  sleeping,  and 
saith  unto  Peter,  Simon,  sleepest  thou  ?  couldest  not 
thou  watch  one  hour  ? 

38  Watch  ye,  and  pray,  lest  ye  enter  into  tempta- 
tion.   The  "^  spirit  truly  is  ready,  but  the  flesh  is  weak. 

39  And  agam  he  went  away,  and  prayed,  and  spake 
the  same  words. 

40  And  when  he  returned,  he  found  them  asleep 
a^ain,  (for  their  eyes  were  heavy,)  neither  wist  they 
what  to  answer  him. 

41  And  he  cometh  the  third  time,  and  saith  unto 


them.  Sleep  on  now,  and  take  yoitr  rest :    it  is  enough, 
!  =  hour  IS  come  :  ijehold,  the  Son  of  man  is  betrayed 
into  the  hands  of  sinners. 


the": 


42  Rise  up,  let  us  go  ;  lo,  he  that  betrayeth  me  is  at 
hand. 

43  And'  immediately,  while  he  yet  spake,  cometh 
Judas,  one  of  the  twelve,  and  with  him  a  great  multi- 
tudes with  swords  and  staves,  from  the  chief  priests'" 
and  the  scribes  and  the  elders. 

44  And  he  that  betrayed  him  had  given  them  a  to- 
ken, saying.  Whomsoever  I  shall  kiss,'  that  same  is  he : 
take  him.  and  lead  him  away  safely. 

45  Ana  as  soon  as  he  was  come,  he  goeth  straightway 
to  him,  and  saith,  Master,^  master :  and  kissed  him. 

46  And  they  laid  their  hands  on  him,  and  took  him. 

47  And  one  of  them  that  stood  by  drew  a  sword,  and 
smote  a  servant  of  the  hi^h  priest,  and  cut  off  his  ear. 

48  And  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  them,  Are  ye 


come  out,  as  against  a  thief,  with  swords  and  with 
staves  to  take  me  ? 

49  I  was  daily  with  you  in  the  temple,  teaching,  and 
ye  took  me  not :  but  the  scriptures  ^  must  be  fulhlled. 

50  And '  they  all  forsook  him,  and  fled. 

51  And  there  followed  him  a  certain  young  nian, 
having  a  linen  cloth  cast  about  his  naked  body:  and 
the  young  men  laid  hold  on  him  : 

52  And  he  left"  the  linen  cloth,  and  fled  from,  them 
naked. 

53  And  "  they  led  Jesus  away  to  the  high  priest :  and 
with  him  were  assembled  all  the  ctiief  priests  and  the 
elders  and  the  scribes. 

54  And  Peter  followed  him  afar  off,  even  into  the 
palace  of  the  high  priest :  and  he  sat  with  the  servants, 
and  warmed  himself  at  the  fire. 

55  And  the  chief  priests  and  all  the  council  sought  for 
witness  against  Jesus  to  put  him  to  death  ;  and  found 
none. 

56  For"  many  bare  false  witness  against  him,  but 
their  witness  agreed  not  together. 

5;;  And  there  arose  certain,  and  bare  false  witness 
against  him,  saying, 

58  We  heard  him  say,  I  will  destroy  p  this  temple 
that  is  made  with  hands,  and  within  three  days  I  will 
build  another  made  without  hands. 

59  But  neither  so  did  their  witness  agree  together. 

60  And  •i  the  high  priest  stood  up  in  the  midst,  and 
asked  Jesus,  saying,  Answerest  thou  nothing  ?  What 
is  it  which  these  witness  against  thee  ? 

61  But  he''  held  his  peace,  and  answered  nothing. 
Again  the  high  priest  asked  him,  and  said  unto  him, 
Art  thou  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  Blessed  ? 

62  And  Jesus  said,  I  am  :  and  ye "  shall  see  the  Son 
of  man  sitting  on  the  right  hand  of  power,  and  coming 
in  the  clouds  of  heaven. 

63  Then  the  high  priest  rent '  his  clothes,  and  saith, 
What  need  we  any  further  witnesses  ? 

64  Ye  have  heard  the  blasphemy:  what  think  ye? 
And  they  all  condemned  him  to  be  guilty  of  death. 

65  And  some  began  to  spit  "  on  him,  and  to  cover  his 
face,  and  to  buff'et  him,and  to  say  unto  him,  Propliesy : 
and  the  servants  did  strike  him  with  the  palms  of  their 


y  Matt.  26  :  36,  etc. ;  Luke  22  :  39,  ete.  ; 
Jolin  4  :  34  ;    6  :  30  ;    6  :  33,  39  ;    18 

.   26  :  47  J    Luke  22  :  47,  etc.  ;    J..lm  18 

6  :  46 k  Ps.  22  : 1,  etc. ;  laa.  63  :  3,  c 

22  :  64,  etc. ;  John  18  :  13,  etc. . .  ..  Pa. 

,    ....8  Dan.  7  :  13;  Matt.  24  :  30  ;  26 


JounlS  :  1,  etc....z  John  12:  27.... a  Heb.  6:7....  bH 
:  11  ;   Phil.  2  :  8....d  Eom.   7  :  18-26;    Gal.  6  :  17... e  J 

:  3,  etc....?   Ps.  3  :  1,  2 h  Ps.  2  :  2 i  2  Sam.  20  :  9 

:. ;  Luke  24  ;  44. . .  .1  ver.  27  ;  Ps.  88  :  8  ;  Isa.  63  :  3. . .  .m  c 
5:  11....P  ch.  15:  29;  John  2;  19....q  Matt.  26  :  62,  etc. .. 
64;  Luke  22  :  69  ;  Rev.  1  :  7....t  Isa.  37  :  1....U  ch.  15 


)m.  8  :  16  ;  Gal.  4  :  '6. . .  .c  Ps.  40  :  8  ; 
)hn  7  :  30;  8:20;  13  :  1 . . .  .f  Matt. 
;  Pa.  65  :  21  ;  Prov.  27  :  6....J  Luke 
1.  13  :  16. . .  .n  Matt.  26  :  67,  etc.  ;    Luke 

r  Ps.  39  :  9  ;    Isa.  63  :  7  ;    1   Pet.  2  :  23. 

19 ;  laa.  60  :  6. 


a  difEerence  between  the  first  and  second  prayers. 
Compare  Matt.  'i6  :  39  with  4:3,  and  see  note  on 
ver.  43. 

43-52.  The  BETRAYAL  AND  AKREST  OF  Jesus. 
Compare  Matt.  36  :  47-56 ;  Luke  33  :  47-.53  ;  John 
18  : 1-13.  See  notes  on  Matthew  and  John.  The 
language  of  ver.  41  is  rather  "lead  him  away 
sscurehj,''^  and  implies  a  fear  of  resistance,  rescue, 
or  flight ;  see  Matt.  36  :  48,  note.  Mark  alone 
mentions  the  young  man  in  ver.  51.  Nothing 
el.se  is  known  concerning  him.  Conjectures  have 
been  busy,  but  are  valueless.  The  incident  ap- 
pears to  be  introduced  to  show  the  wanton  char- 
acter of  the  motley  crowd  that  arrested  Jesus, 
and  to  set  forth  more  strongly  the  remarkable 
escape  of  the  disciples  from  arrest.  The  linen 
cloth  {sinclon,  atvihuv),  was  hardly,  as  Mr.  Barnes, 
a  part  of  the  bed-clothes,  rather  a  night-dress, 
answering  to  our  own  analogous  night  apparel. 

53-65.  Trial  of  Jesus  before  Caiaphas 
AND  THE  Council.  Of  this,  which  I  believe  to 
be  the  formal  trial  of  Christ  before  the  Sanhe- 


drim, there  are  two  other  accounts,  viz..  Matt. 
26  :  57-68 ;  Luke  23  :  63-71.  John  narrates  only 
the  preliminary  hearing  before  Caiaphas  (ch.  is, 
13-27).  On  the  apparent  discrepancies  in  these 
accounts,  see  Matt.  36  :  57-68,  Prel.  Note.  Mark's 
account  is  nearly  identical  with  Matthew's.  See 
throughout  notes  there. 

66-73.  Peter's  DENIAL  OF  our  Lord.  These 
are  narrated  by  all  four  Evangelists  :  Matt.  36  : 
69-75  ;  Luke  23  :  54-63  ;  John  18  :  15-17,  35-27. 
For  a  comparison  of  these  accounts,  their  dis- 
crepancies, and  their  harmony,  and  for  the  gen- 
eral lessons  of  the  incident,  see  notes  on  Matt. 
36  :  69-7.5.  —  Beneath  in  the  courtyard. 
That  is,  beneath  the  room  in  which  the  exami- 
nation of  Christ  was  going  on.  This,  probably, 
opened  upon  the  courtyard  and  was  raised  above 
it. — Warming  himself.  At  a  fire  kindled  in 
the  courtyard,  probably  in  a  brazier  (John  is  :  i8, 
note).— She  looked  upon  him.  Earnestly  (Luke 
22:66);  studying  his  countenance.  —  Neither 
understand  I  what  thou  sayest.    Not  to  be 


394 


MARK. 


[Ch.  XV. 


66  And '  as  Peter  was  beneath  in  the  palace,  there 
Cometh  one  of  the  maids  of  the  high  priest : 

67  And  when  she  saw  Peter  warming  himself,  she 
looked  upon  him,  and  said,  And  thou  also  wast  with 
Jesus  of  Nazareth. 

68  But  he  denied,  saying,*  I  know  not,  neither  un- 
derstand 1  what  thou  sayest.  And  he  went  out  into 
the  porch  ;  and  the  cock  crew. 

69  And  a  maid  saw  him  again,  and  began  to  say  to 
them  that  stood  by.  This  is  one  of  them. 

70  And  he  denied  it  again.  And  a  little  after,  they 
that  stood  by  said  again  to  Peter,  Surely  thou  art  one 
of  them  ;  for  thou  art  a  Galilsean,^  and  thy  speech 
agreeth  thereto. 

71  But  he  began  to  curse  and  to  swear,  saying,  I 
know  not  this  man  of  whom  ye  speak. 

72  And  the  second  time  the  cock  crew.  And  Peter 
called  to  mind  the  word  that  Jesus  said  unto  him.  Be- 
fore the  cock  crow  twice,  thou  shalt  deny  me  thrice. 
And  when  he  thought  thereon,  he  wept.y 

CHAPTER   XV. 

AND  straightway  in  the  morning  the  chief  priests 
held  a  consultation  ^  with  the  elders  and  scribes 
and  the  whole  council,  and  bound  Jesus,  and  carried 
him  away,  and  delivered  him  to  Pilate. 

2  And  Pilate  asked  him.  Art  thou  the  King  of  the 
Jews  ?  And  he,  answering,  said  unto  him,  Thou 
sayest  //. 

3  And  the  chief  priests  accused  him  of  many  things : 
but  he  answered  nothing. 

4  And  Pilate  asked  him  again,  saying,  Answerest 
thou  nothing  ?  Behold  how  many  thmgs  they  witness 
against  thee. 

5  But  Jesus »  yet  answered  nothing ;  so  that  Pilate 
marvelled. 


6  Now")  at  that  feast  he  released  unto  them  one  pris- 
oner, whomsoever  they  desired. 

7  And  there  was  one  named  Barabbas,  which  lay 
bound  with  them  that  had  made  insurrection  with  him, 
who  had  committed  murder  in  the  insurrection. 

8  And  the  multitude,  crying  aloud,  began  to  desire 
him  to  do  as  he  had  ever  done  unto  them. 

o  But  Pilate  answered  them,  saying,  Will  ye  that  I 
release  unto  you  the  King  of  the  Jews  ? 

10  For  he  knew  that  the  chief  priests  had  delivered 
him  for  envy.'= 

11  But  the  chief  priests  moved  the  people,  that  he 
should  rather  release  ''■  Barabbas  unto  them. 

12  And  Pilate  answered,  and  said  again  unto  them. 
What  will  ye  then  that  I  shall  do  unto  him  whom  ye 
call  the  King  =  of  the  Jews  ? 

13  And  they  cried  out  again.  Crucify  him. 

14  Then  Pilate  said  unto  them.  Why,  what  evil'  hath 
he  done  ?  And  they  cried  out  the  more  exceedingly. 
Crucify  him. 

15  Aud  so  Pilate,  willing  to  content  the  people,  re- 
leased Barabbas  unto  them,  and  delivered  Jesus,  when 
he  had  scourged  him,  to  be  crucified. 

16  And  the  s  soldiers  led  him  away  into  the  hall 
called  Praetorium  ;  and  they  call  together  the  whole 
band. 

17  And  they  clothed  him  with  purple,  and  platted  a 
crown  of  thorns,  and  put  it  about  nis  head  : 

18  And  began  to  salute  him.  Hail,  King  of  the  Jews ! 

19  And  they  smote  him  on  the  head  with  a  reed,  and 
did  spif"  upon  him,  and  bowing  their  knees,  wor- 
shipped him. 

20  And  when  they  had  mocked'  him,  they  took  off 
the  purple  from  him,  and  put  his  own  clothes  on  him, 
and  led  him  out  to  crucify  him. 


V   MBt 

.26 

:  69,  etc. 

Luke  22  :  55 

e(r 

John  18  :  16,  e 

^        w 

2  Tim.  2:12 

13. ...X 

Acts  2  :  7. 

2  Cor.  7 

in 

.z  Ps.  2 

Mm 

Luke  23:  1, 

tc. ;  John  18  : 

28,  e 

to. ;  AcU  3:13 

4:  26 

.    .a  Isa.  53 

7;    John 

19:9. ...b 

Ma 

t.  27  :  16  ; 

Luk 

e  23  :  17 

J 

uhn  18 

c  Pi- 

27 

:  4  ;    Eccl.  4:4;  Acis 

13  : 

45  ;    Tit.  3  :  3 

...d  Acts  3  :  14... 

.6  Ps.  2 

6  ;    Jer.  2 

i  : 

i  ;  Acts  5 

:  31 

. .    f  ISH. 

63 

9.   ..p  Mall 

«  : 

n; 

Jokn  18  i 

28,  33  i  19  :  9 

...h 

ch.  14:66.... i 

ch.  10 

34  i  Job  13  : 

9  ;  Ps.  35 

:  16  ;  Matt 

20 

.19;  Luke  22: 

63  ;    23  : 

1'. 

36.      ^ 

taken  literally.  It  answers  to  our  colloquial 
expression,  "I  do  not  know  what  you  are  talking 
about." — And  the  cock  crew.  See  Matt.  26  : 
74.  Only  Mark  mentions  this  crowing  of  the 
cock. — The  maid  saw  him  again.  Not  a 
maid,  as  in  our  version.  Mark's  language  clearly 
implies  that  the  same  maid  followed  him  to  the 
door;  Matthew,  that  he  was  questioned  by 
another  maid ;  and  Luke,  by  a  man.  Each  may 
be  true  ;  evidently,  suspicion  of  him  was  increas- 
ing and  widening. — For  moreover  thou  art 
a  Galilean.  The  conjunction,  moreover  (xal), 
omitted  in  our  English  version,  indicates  that 
his  Galilean  origin  was  only  an  additional  ground 
for  the  charge  against  him. — And  thy  speech 
agreeth  thereto.  These  words  are  omitted  by 
the  best  manuscripts,  and  by  Lachmann,  Tisch- 
endorf,  Tregelles,  and  Alford. — To  curse  and 
to  swear.  Matt.  26  :  74,  note.  —  When  he 
thought  thereon.  Much  difficulty  has  been  ex- 
perienced in  rendering  the  Greek  word  {ImiiaXixJv), 
80  translated.  For  a  list  of  interpretations  see 
Alford.  Our  English  version  is  probably  the 
best.  "He  thought  thereon,"  is  not  synony- 
mous with  "he  called  to  mind."  "That  was 
the  bare  momentary  remembrance,  the  word 
occurred  to  him  ;  this  is  the  thinking,  or,  as  we 
sometimes  say,  casting  it  over,  going  back  step 
by  step  over  the  sad  history." — (Alford.)    Comp. 


Psalm  119  :  59  ;  Lam.  3  :  40 ;  Hag.  1  :  fi.  —  He 
wept.  The  verb  is  in  the  imperfect  tense,  and 
signifies  something  more  than  a  mere  transient 
outburst  of  tears.  He  wept,  and  continued 
weeping. 

Ch.  15  :  1-20.  The  trial  of  Jesus  before 
Pilate.  Comp.  Matt.  27  :  1,  2;  11-31;  Luke 
23  : 1-25  ;  John  18  :  28-40 ;  19  :  1-16.  Mark's 
account  differs  but  very  slightly  from  Matthew's. 
See  notes  there,  where  the  differences  are  noted. 
For  consideration  of  Pilate's  cliaracter,  and  the 
lessons  to  be  drawn  from  his  course,  see  notes 
on  John. 

21-41.  The  crucifixion.  Comp.  Matt.  27  : 
32-56 ;  Luke  23  :  26^9 ;  John  19  :  17-80.  Mark's 
account  is  almost  exactly  parallel  to  Mat- 
thew's. See  notes  there.  The  identification  of 
Simon  as  the  father  of  Alexander  and  Rufus  is 
peculiar  to  Mark;  they  are,  perhaps,  referred 
to  in  Rom.  16  :  13  and  1  Tim.  1  :  20,  or  Acts  19  : 
33.  The  win£  mingled  with  myrrh,  ver.  21,  is  the 
same  as  vinegar  mingled  ivith  gall  (Matt.  27 : 4,  note). 
Mark  alone  mentions  the  hour  of  crucifixion, 
the  third  hour  (ver.  25),  that  is,  9  a.  m.  For  re- 
conciliation of  this  statement  with  John  19  :  14, 
see  note  there.  The  reference  in  ver.  28  to  the 
O.  T.  prophecy  is  wanting  in  the  best  manu- 
scripts, and  is  omitted  by  Tischendorf  and  Alford  ; 
the  latter  thinks  it  was  borrowed  from  Luke 


Ch.  XV.] 


MARK. 


395 


21  And  they  compel  one  Simon  a  Cyrenian,  who 
passed  by,  commg  out  of  the  country,  the  father  of 
Alexander  and  Rufus,  to  bear  his  cross. 

22  And  they '  bring  him  unto  the  place  Golgotha, 
which  is,  being  interpreted,  The  place  of  a  skull. 

23  And  they  gave  him  to  drink  wine  mingled  with 
myrrh :  but  he  received  it  not. 

24  And  when  they  had  crucified  him,  they  parted'' 
his  garments,  casting  lots  upon  them,  what  every  man 
should  take. 

25  And  it  was  the  third  hour  ;  and  they  crucified  him. 

26  And  the  superscription  of  his  accusation  was 
written  over,  THE  KING  OF  THE  JEWS. 

27  And  with  him  they  crucify  two  thieves ;  the  one 
on  his  right  hand,  and  the  other  on  his  left. 

28  And  the  scripture'  was  fulfilled,  which  saith.  And 
he  was  numbered  with  the  transgressors. 

29  And  they"  that  passed  by  railed  on  him, wag- 
ging their  heads,  and  saying,  Ah,  thou  "  that  destroy- 
est  the  temple,  and  buildest  it  in  three  days, 

30  Save  tnyself,  and  come  down  from  the  cross. 

31  Likewise  also  the  chief  priests,  mocking,  said 
amon^  themselves  with  the  scribes.  He  saved  others ; 
himself  he  cannot  save. 

32  Let  Christ  the  King  of  Israel  descend  now  from 
the  cross,  that  we  may  see,"  and  believe.  And  they 
that  were  crucified  with  him  reviled  him. 

33  And  p  when  the  sixth  hour  was  come,  there  was 
darkness  over  the  whole  land  until  the  ninth  hour. 

^4  And  at  the  ninth  hour  Jesus  cried  with  a  loud 
voice,  saying,  Eloi,i  Eloi,  lama  sabachthani  ?  which  is, 
being  interpreted,  My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou 
forsaken  me  ?  ■■ 

35  And  some  of  them  that  stood  by,  when  they  heard 
it,  said,  Behold,  he  calleth  Elias. 


36  And  one  ran  and  filled  a  sponge  full  of  vinegar, 
and  put  //  on  a  reed,  and  gave "  him  to  drink,  saymg, 
Let  alone  ;  let  us  see  whether  Elias  will  come  to  take 
him  down. 

37  And '  Jesus  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  and  gave  up 
the  ghost. 

38  And  the  vail  of  the  temple  was  rent  in  twain,  from 
the  top  to  the  bottom. 

39  And  when  the  centurion,  which  stood  over  against 
him,  saw  that  he  so  cried  out,  and  gave  up  the  ghost, 
he  said.  Truly  this  man  was  the  Son  of  God. 

40  Tliere  were  also  women  looking  on  afar"  off; 
among  whom  was  Mary  Magdalene,  and  Mcry  the 
mother  of  James  the  less,  and  of  Jbses,  and  Salome  • 

41  (Who  also,  when  he  was  in  Galilee,  followed  him, 
and  ministered "  unto  him  ;)  and  many  other  women 
which  came  up  with  him  unto  Jerusalem. 

42  And  now  when  the  even  was  come,  because  it 
was  the  Preparation,  that  is,  the  day  before  the  sab- 
bath, 

4j  Joseph  of  Arimathsea,  an  honourable  counsellor, 
which  also  waited"  for  the  kingdom  of  God,  came,  and 
went  in  boldly  unto  Pilate,  and  craved  tlxe  body  of 
Jesus. 

44  And  Pilate  marvelled  if  he  were  already  dead : 
and  calling  tmto  Iii7n  the  centurion,  he  asked  him 
whether  he  had  been  any  while  dead. 

45  And  when  he  knew  it  of  the  centurion,  he  gave 
the  body  to  Joseph. 

46  And  he  bouEfht  fine  linen,  and  took  him  down, 
and  wrapped  him  in  the  linen,  and  laid  him  in  a  sepul- 
chre which  was  hewn  out  of  a  rock,  and-  rolled  a  stone  " 
unto  the  door  of  the  sepulchre. 

47  And  Mary  Magdalene  and  Mary  the  mother  of 
Joses  beheld  where  he  was  laid. 


j  Matt.  27  :  33,  etc. ;  Luke  23 
o  Rom.  :i  :  3  ;  2  Tim.  2  :  13. 
JT  :  50  ;  Luke  23  :  46  j  John  19  :  30 


etc.;    John  19  :  17,  etc k  Ps.  22:18 1  Isa.  53  :  12. . .  .m  Ps.   22: 

Matt.  27  :45;  Luke  23  :  44 q  Pa   22  :  1 1   Ps.  •12  :  9  ;    71  :  11  ;  La 

38:ll....v  Luke  8:  2,  3....W  Luke  2  :  26,  US..  ..x  ch.  16:3 


23  :  37.  The  reference  is  to  Isaiah  53  :  12.  The 
language  of  mockery  in  ver.  33,  "  that  we  may  see 
and  believe,"  is  peculiar  to  Mark.  Observe  that 
this  is  the  customary  demand  of  infidelity,  which 
insists  that  faith  shall  rest  always  on  sight. 
Mark's  account  of  the  response  to  Christ's  ciy 
(vers.  35,  38),  Eli,  Eli,  lama  sabachthani,  differs 
slightly  from  Matthew's.  For  a  comparison  of 
the  four  accounts,  see  notes  on  Matthew.  Mark 
does  not  mention  the  earthquake  and  resurrec- 
tion, described  by  Matthew,  and  attributes  the 
awe  of  the  centurion  to  the  sublimity  of  Christ's 
death,  not,  as  Matthew,  to  the  portents  which 
accompanied  it.  It  was  probably  produced  by 
both.  The  words  '■'■He  so  cried  out,''''  in  ver.  39,  are 
wanting  in  the  Sinaitic  and  Vatican  manuscripts, 
and  are  omitted  by  Tischendorf  and  Alford. 
Whether  a  part  of  the  original  text  or  not,  they 
correctly  explain  it.  "Salome,"  ver.  40,  is  the 
same  as  "the  mother  of  Zebedee's  children," 
Matt.  27  :  56.  The  addition  of  "many  other 
women  who  came  up  with  him  unto  Jerusalem," 
in  ver.  41,  is  peculiar  to  Mark. 

42-47.  The  bubtal  op  Jestts.  Compare 
Matt.  27  :  .57-61;  Luke  33  :  50-56;  John  19  : 
36-43.  See  John  for  notes  on  what  is  common 
to  the  four  Evangelists.  Nicodemus  came  with 
Joseph  of  Arimathea  (john) ;  the  tomb  belonged 
to  Joseph  (Matthew) ;  and  was  in  a  garden  near 
the  place  of  crucifixion  (jobn).    Mark  and  Luke 


(23:53)  describe  the  tomb.  Only  Mark  narrates 
Pilate's  surprise  at  learning  of  the  death  of  Jesus 
(ver.  44). — The  cvcii  Avas  come.  Here,  evident- 
ly, the  first  of  the  two  evenings  recognized  in 
Jewish  reckoning,  i.  e.,  hefore  sunset,  because  the 
Sabbath  began  on  sunset  (Lev.  23  :  32).  —  The 
preparation,  that  is,  the  fore-Sabbath; 
or,  as  we  should  say,  in  analogy  with  our  Christ- 
mas-eve, Sabbath-eve.  In  the  Syriac  N.  T.  the 
word  "preparation"  is  rendered  "eve."  It 
would  appear  that  the  close  of  Friday,  perhaps 
from  the  ninth  hour,  3  p.  m.,  was  at  first  called 
the  "  preparation, "  and  that  later  the  term  ex- 
tended to  the  whole  of  Friday,  as  in  German  the 
usual  name  of  Saturday  is  Sonnabend,  i.  e., 
"Sunday-eve."  See  John  19  :  31,  note.  That 
the  bodies  might  not  remain  on  the  cross  over 
the  Sabbath,  the  Jews  had  asked  to  have  death 
accelerated  (John  19 :  31),  and  now  Joseph  asks  per- 
mission to  give  the  body  honorable  burial. — 
Joseph  of  Arimathea.  On  his  character,  see 
notes  on  John.— An  honorable  counsellor, 
i.  e.,  a  member  of  the  Sanhedrim  and  occupying 
some  station  of  honor  or  dignity.  Luke  adds 
the  information  respecting  him,  that  he  was  a 
"  good  man  and  just,"  and  had  not  consented  to 
the  condemnation  pronounced  against  Christ  by 
the  Sanhedrim.— Which  also  Avaited  for  the 
kingdom  of  God.  That  is,  he  belonged  to 
that  portion  of  the  Pharisees  (Matt.  3 : 7,  note)  who 


396 


MARK. 


CHAPTER     XVI. 


AND  when  y  the  sabbath  was  past,  Mary  Magda- 
lene, and  Mary  the  mother  of  James,  and  Salome, 
had  bought  sweet  spices,^  that  they  might  come  and 
anoint  him. 
2  And  very  early  in  the  morning,  the  first  day  of  the 


[Oh.  XVI. 


week,  they  came  unto  the  sepulchre  at  the  rising  of  the 
sun. 

3  And  they  said  among  themselves,  Who  shall  roll 
us  away  the  stone  from  the  door  of  the  sepulchre  ? 

4  And  when  they  looked,  they  saw  that  the  stone  was 
rolled  away :  for  it  was  very  great. 


y  Matt.  28  :  1,  etc. ;  Lake  24  :  1,  etc. ;  John  20  :  1,  etc z  Luke  23  :  66. 


were  in  expectation  of  the  coming  of  a  Messiah 
to  inaugurate  the  kingdom  of  God.  Comp.  Luke 
3  :  25.— Went  in  boldly.  Of  course  this  ended 
for  him  all  position  of  honor  in  the  Jewish  court 
and  nation  (john  9 :  22).  Moreover  it  identified  him 
with  a  man  crucified  on  a  charge  of  sedition 
against  the  Roman  government.  Mr.  Farrar  notes 
a  case  in  history  in  which  such  a  request  cost 
the  petitioner  his  life.  —  Pilate  wondered  if 
he  Avere  already  dead.  Because  crucifixion 
is  a  lingering  death,  and  rarely  proves  mortal 
in  so  short  a  space.  Christ  had  not  been  on  the 
cross  more  than  six  hours,  probably  not  so  long. 
Comp.  ver.  25  with  34.  See  note  on  Physical 
Cause  of  Christ's  Death,  John  19  :  34,  35.— 
Whether  he  had  been  any  AvhiJe  dead. 
Because  he  would  make  sure  of  his  death.  Ob- 
serve the  incidental  testimony  that  the  resurrec- 
tion of  Christ  was  no  arousal  from  a  syncope  or 
fainting  fit,  as  rationalistic  criticism  has  some- 
times regarded  it.— He  gave  the  body.  Often 
the  privilege  of  burial  was  bought  with  a  bribe 
by  the  friends  of  the  deceased.  Pilate,  as  a 
measure  of  reUef  to  his  conscience,  gave  the  body 
to  Joseph. 

Ch.  16  :  1-8.  The  kesuhbection  of  Jesus 
Christ.  See  note  on  Matt.  28  : 1-17.  Parallel  to 
the  account  here  is  Matt.  28  :  2-10 ;  Luke  24  : 
1-11 ;  comp.  John  20  : 1-10.  For  a  comparison  of 
the  difierent  evangelical  narratives  of  the  resur- 
rection of  our  Lord,  and  for  the  evidence  of  the 
reality  of  that  resurrection,  see  note  on  the  Res- 
urrection of  Jesus  Christ,  p.  330.  For  notes  on 
what  is  common  to  Matthew  and  Mark,  see 
notes  on  Matthew.  Mark  here,  as  elsewhere, 
furnishes  some  vivid  details,  which  we  should 
not  otherwise  possess. — When  the  Sabbath 
was  past,  Mary,  etc.,  purchased  aromat- 
ics.  It  is  not  very  clear  when  they  were  pur- 
chased. The  verb  is  in  the  aorist  tense,  not,  as 
in  our  English  version  in  the  pluperfect.  The 
indication  here  is,  certainly,  that  this  purchase 
was  made  on  the  Sabbath,  after  sunset ;  the  in- 
dication in  Luke  23  :  55,  56,  is  that  it  was  made 
on  Friday  night,  after  the  burial.  It  may  be, 
that  the  purchases  were  begun  then,  but  not 
completed,  the  evening  coming  on  quickly,  and 
the  shops  being  closed,  so  that  the  women  had 
to  postpone  the  completion  till  the  Sabbath  was 
past. — That  they  might  come  and  anoint 
him.    An  indication  that  they  had  no  expecta- 


tion of  his  resurrection.  It  was  customary 
among  the  Jews,  as  a  mark  of  honor  to  the  de- 
ceased, after  washing  the  corpse,  to  anoint  it 
with  certain  perfumes,  or  to  enclose  them  in  the 
grave-clothes  in  which  the  body  was  wrapped. 
They  were  sometimes  also  burned  as  an  incense. 
The  hurried  burial  had  not  permitted  this 
anointing  to  be  completed ;  it  had  been  com- 
menced by  Nicodemus  at  the  time  of  the  inter- 
ment (joho  19 :  39,40).  Perhaps  the  women  were 
ignorant  of  that ;  perhaps  they  wished  to  add 
their  own  offerings.  The  aromatics  employed 
for  this  purpose  appear  from  John  to  have  been 
aloes  and  myrrh. 

2-4.  They  came  unto  the  sepulchre  at 
the  rising  of  the  sun.  Matthew  says,  "As  it 
began  to  dawn  ";  John,  "  When  it  was  yet  dark." 
This  discrepancy  is  only  verbal ;  the  language 
describes  the  same  substantial  time,  and  differs 
only  as  we  should  expect  the  language  of  inde- 
pendent writers  would.  At  sunrise  is  in  popular 
language  equivalent  to  dawn  (judges  9 :  33 ;  Ps.  104 :  22): 
John's  language  is  the  most  minutely  accurate, 
and  he  is  the  one  most  likely  to  have  been  accu- 
rately informed.  The  women  came  probably 
before  the  sun  was  fairly  up.— Who  shall  roll 
us  awa  y  the  stone  ?    The  language  here  ex 


Diagram  of  Jewish  Sepulchre. 

actly  corresponds  with  the  known  structure  of 
the  Jewish  tomb  and  door,  one  of  those  incidental 
evidences  of  the  authenticity  of  our  Gospels  with 
which  they  abound.  The  form  of  the  ordinary 
Jewish  tomb  will  be  best  understood  by  the  an- 
nexed plan.  It  consisted  of  a  chamber  or  cham- 
bers, A,  B,  C,  cut  in  the  rock,  from  which  openings 


Ch.  XVL] 


MARK. 


397 


5  And  entering  into  the  sepulchre,  they  saw  a  young 
man  sitting  on  tne  righi  side,  clothed  in  a  long  white 
garment ;  and  they  were  affrighted. 

6  And  he  saith  unto  them,  be  not  affrighted :  Ye  seek 
Jesus  of  Nazareth,  which  was  crucified  :  he  is  risen  ;  ^ 
he  is  not  here  :   behold  the  place  where  they  laid  him. 

7  But  go  your  way,  tell  nis  disciples  and  Peter  that 
he  goeth  before  you  into  Galilee :  there  shall  ye  see 
him,  as  he  said  unto  you. 

8  And  they  went  out  quickly,  and  fled  from  the  sep- 
ulchre ;  for  they  trembled  and  were  amazed  :  neither 
said  they  any  thing  to  any  man  ;  lor  they  were  afraid. 

9  Now  when  Jesus  was  risen  early  the  first  day  of 
the  weak,  he  appeared  first  to  Mary  Magdalene,  out  of 
whom  he  had  cast  seven  devils. 


10  ^«^  she  went  and  told  them  that  had  been  with 
him,  as  they  mourned  and  wept. 

11  And  they,  when  they  had  heard  that  he  was  alive, 
and  had  been  seen  of  her,  believed  not. 

12  After  that  he  appeared  in  another  form  unto  two" 
of  them,  as  they  walked,  and  went  into  the  country. 

13  And  they  went  and  told  it  unto  the  residue  ;  nei- 
ther believed  they  them. 

14  Afterward  he  '^  appeared  unto  the  eleven  as  they 
sat  at  meat,  and  upbraided  them  witli  their  unbelief''  and 
hardness  of  heart,  because  they  believed  not  them 
which  had  seen  him  after  he  had  risen. 

15  And  he  said  unto  them.  Go "  ye  into  all  the  world, 
and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature.' 


a  Ps.  71  :20. .  .b  Luke  24  :  13. .  .  c  Luke  24:  36;  1  Cor.  15  :  6. . .  d  Luke  24  .  26.  .  .  e  Matt.  28  :  19  j  John  20  :  21. .  .  f  Rom.  10  :18;  Col.  1:23. 


branched  out,  about  two  feet  wide  and  three 
feet  high.  These,  called  lonili,  held  the  bodies 
of  the  dead.  Sometimes,  but  probably  only  at 
a  later  period,  they  were  found  as  indicated  in  B. 
The  interior  of  such  a  tomb  is  represented  in 
a  cut  illu^tntino:  the   resurrection  of  Lazanis, 


PLAN  OF  TOMB  DOOB  OB  GOLAL. 

and  accompanying  John,  ch.  11.  Sometimes, 
doubtless,  the  tomb  consisted  simply  of  the 
cave  or  larger  chamber,  without  the  accompany- 
ing locidi.  The  door  of  the  cave  consisted,  at 
least  in  some  cases,  of  a  circular  stone,  like 
a  mill-stone,  which  could  be  rolled  across  the 


POOB  OF  TOMB. 


doorway,  closing  the  aperture,  or  rolled  back 
into  a  niche,  cut  In  the  adjoining  rock  to  receive 
it,  so  as  to  leave  the  doorway  open.  The  accom- 
panying plan  and  picture  illustrates  the  method. 
The  picture  is  from  the  tombs  of  the  kings,  still 
existing  in  the  neighborhood  of  Jerusalem.  The 
opening  of  such  tombs  is  generally  low,  so  that 
on  entering  them  it  is  necessary  to  stoop  (Luke 
24 :  12 :  John  20 : 6,  ii).  In  the  case  of  Jesus,  the 
anointing  had  not  been  completed,  and  if  there 
were  loculi,  the  body  could  hardly  have  been  laid 
away  in  one  of  them,  for  Mary  Magdalene,  with- 
out entering  the  sepulchre,  saw  two  angels  sitting, 
one  at  the  head,  and  the  other  at  the  foot,  where 
the  body  of  Jesus  had  lain  (john  20 :  12),  which 
they  could  not  have  done,  in  the  loculus. 
The  facts,  then,  woiild  appear  to  be  that  the 
women,  coming  to  the  sepulchre  early  in  the 
morning  to  complete  the  anomting,  feared  that 
they  could  not  roll  back  into  its  niche  the  golal 
or  circular  stone,  the  groove  into  the  niche  gen- 
erally inclining  upwards,  so  that  it  required 
considerable  exertion  of  strength  to  roll  back  the 
door  ;  that  when  they  came  they  found  it  already 
rolled  back,  and  entering  in  they  saw  the 
young  man  (ver.  5),  the  angel  of  Matthew  (ch.  28 : 2). 
Whether  he  was  sitting  in  a  partially  reclining 
attitude  on  the  door  when  they  entered,  and  was 
not  disclosed  to  them  till  after  they  entered,  or 
whether  Matthew's  statement  of  his  sitting  on 
the  stone  is  merely  indicative  of  his  previous 
posture,  as  a  symbolic  act  of  victory  over  the 
grave,  is  a  matter  of  conjecture  merely. — And 
Avheii  they  looked,  etc.  These  words  are 
correctly  placed  in  our  English  version  in  a 
parenthesis.  The  narrator  breaks  in  upon  his 
narrative  to  set  in  contrast  with  their  anxiety 
the  unexpected  and  supernatural  removal  of  the 
stone.  The  moral  has  often  and  fairly  been 
drawn,  that  when  Christian  love  undertakes  a 
difficult  duty,  God  will  remove  the  obstacles 
which  are  too  great  for  its  own  strength. 

5-8.  A  young  man.  That  there  were  two 
is  evident  from  John  20  :  13 ;  that  they  were 
angels,  appears  from  Matt.  28  :  2 ;  see  note  there. 
— Clothed  in  a  long  white  garment.    Liter- 


398 


MARK. 


[Ch.  XVI. 


i6  He  e  that  believeth,  and  is  baptized,  shall  be  saved  ; 
but  he  ■■  that  believeth  not,  shall  be  damned. 

17  And  these  signs  shall  follow  them  that  believe  :  In 
my '  name  shall  they  cast  out  devils  ;  they  shall  speak  J 
with  new  tongues  • 

18  They  shall  take  up  serpents  ;  ^  and  if  they  drink 
any  deadly  thing,  it  shall  not  hurt  them  ;  they'  shall 
lay  hands  on  the  sick,  and  they  shall  recover. 


19  So  then"  after  the  Lord  had  spoken  unto  them, 
he  was  received  up  into  heaven,  and  sat "  on  the  right 
hand  of  God. 

20  And  they  went  forth  and  preached  every  where, 
the  Lord"  working  with  i/tem,a.ad  confirming  the  word 
with  signs  following.    Amen. 


hn3:18,  36;  Acts  16  :  31-33  :  Rom.  10  :  9  ;  1  Pet.  3  :  51. . .  .h  John  12  :  48  ;  2  Thess.  2  :  15. 
:  12.... j  Actsa:4;  10.46;  1  Cor.  \i  :  10,  •.>8....k  Luk«  10  :  19 ;  Acls  28  :!>...  .1  Acts  6  : 
2,  3;  Luko  24  :  61 n  Pa.  110  :  1 ;  1  Pet.  3  :  2a  ;  Rev.  3  :  21 o  Acts  6  :  12  j  14  :  3 


.i  Luke  10:  11;  Acts  6  : 
6,  16;  28  :  8;  James  6 
Heb.  2  :  4. 


ally,  a  stole  (Gr.  otoh]).  See  ch.  12  :  38-40,  note. 
— Be  not  affrighted.  The  angel's  reassuring 
response  to  the  women,  who  started  back  at  the 
unexpected  apparition. — And  Peter.  Observe 
that  as  Christ's  first  appearance  is  to  Mary 
Magdalene  (John  20 :  is),  out  of  whom  he  had  cast 
seven  devils,  so  his  special  message  is  to  Peter 
who  had  denied  him.  "  Tell  Peter,  for  it  will  be 
news  more  welcome  to  him  than  to  any  of  them, 
for  he  is  in  sorrow  for  sin ;  and  he  wUl  be  afraid 
lest  the  joy  of  this  good  news  do  not  belong  to 
him." — {Matthew  Henry.)— They  trembled  and 
were  afraid.  Rather,  Were  in  an  ecstasy  or 
in  a  maze;  a  commingled  feeling  of  fear,  awe, 
hope,  and  strange  expectation  is  indicated  by 
the  language  here  and  in  Matthew.  —  Neither 
said  they  anything  to  any  man.  That  is, 
on  their  way  to  tell  the  disciples.  See  Matt. 
28  : 8,  note. 

Ch.  16  :  9-20.  Al'PEARANCES  OF  JESUS  AFTER  HIS 
RESDItRECTION.  —  COMMISSION  TO  THE  ELEVKN.— 
ASCENSION.— Chp.ist's  first  appearance  is  to  the 

WOMAN  to  whom  he  HAS  SUOWN  THE  GREATEST  MERCY 
(9). — The    MISTAKE   OF  MOURNING  :    IT  WEEPS  AT  THE 

grave  of  the  risen  (10,  11).  —  the  reproach  of 
Christ's  church:  its  slowness  to  believe  (14).— 
The  commission  of  Christ  to  his  church:  its  field 
IS  the  world  ;  its  work  is  to  preach  the  gospel  ; 
its  congregation  embraces  evert  creature  ;  its 
offer  is  a  free  and  full  salvation;  the  con- 
DITION op  SALVATION  IS  FAITH  IN  CHRIST  AND  CON- 
FESSION OF  AND  CONSECRATION  TO  HIM :  THE  CONSE- 
QUENCE OF  REJECTING  CHRIST'S  PROFFERED  SALVATION 
IS  ETERNAL  CONDEMNATION. 

The  question  whether  this  passage  properly 
belongs  to  Mark's  Gospel  or  is  an  addition  by  a 
later  hand,  is  one  of  the  most  difficult  in  Biblical 
criticism.  I  shall  here  state  briefly  the  reasons 
for  and  against  its  authenticity,  and  then  my  own 
conclusion.  I.  External  considerations.  It  is 
found  in  the  Alexandrine,  Ephraem  and  Cam- 
bridge Manuscripts  (sce  Intro.,  pp.  23, 24),  and  in  the 
Vulgate,  Ethiopic,  Curetonian  Syriac,  Peshito, 
Jerusalem  Syriac,  Memphitic  and  Gothic  Ver- 
sions. It  is  wanting  in  the  two  oldest  and  most 
valued  manuscripts,  the  Vatican  and  Sinaitic.  If 
not  a  part  of  the  original  Gospel,  it  must  have 
been  added  at  a  very  early  date,  probably  during 
the  first  century.  II.  Internal  considerations. 
Verse  8  ends  so  abruptly  as  to  forbid  the  idea 
that  this  was  the  close  of  the  original  Gospel. 


The  last  word  in  the  Greek  is  a  connective  par- 
ticle. ^^For  they  were  afraid''''  is  literally.  They 
were  afraid  for  {ifu^oCvro  yan).  If  Mark's  Gospel 
really  ends  here,  it  must  be  either  because  he 
was  suddenly  interrupted,  or  because  his  original 
close  has  been  lost.  On  the  other  hand,  the  lan- 
guage in  the  Greek  of  the  last  eleven  verses  is 
unlike  the  rest  of  Mark's  Gospel.  "  No  less  than 
twenty-one  words  and  expressions  occur  in  it 
(and  some  of  them  several  times)  which  are 
never  elsewhere  used  by  Mark,  whose  adherence 
to  his  own  peculiar  phrases  is  remarkable." — 
{Alford.)  To  which  add  that  the  summing  up  of 
verses  19,  20,  is  unlike  Mark,  who  is  pictorial 
but  unsystematic,  and  that  the  language  of  verses 
15-18,  compared  with  Matthew's  account  of  the 
same  commission  to  the  eleven  (ch.  28 :  18-20),  indi- 
cates a  less  accurate  and  authentic  report  of  this 
legacy  of  our  Lord  to  his  church.  See  notes 
below.  III.  Opinions  of  scholars.  The  genu- 
ineness of  this  passage  is  affirmed  by  Mill,  01- 
shausen,  Eward,  Lachmann,  and  Schaff;  it  is 
doubted  or  denied  by  Griesbach,  Ewald,  Meyer, 
Tischendorf,  Tregelles,  Lightfoot,  and  Norton. 
For  an  elaborate  discussion  of  these  and  other 
conflicting  testimonies,  see  James  Morison's  Com- 
mentary on  Mark ;  he  concludes  that  the  passage 
is  genuine.  The  weight  of  authority  internal  and 
external,  appears  to  me  to  point  to  the  other 
conclusion,  viz.,  that  Mark's  Gospel  either  was 
abruptly  broken  off  by  some  accident,  or  its  close 
was  early  lost,  and  that  verses  9-20  were  append- 
ed at  a  very  early  day,  probably  during  the  first 
century,  to  give  completion  to  the  book.  The 
question  is  one  of  secondary  importance,  since 
all  that  is  essential  in  spirit  and  substance  in  this 
passage  is  to  be  found  elsewhere  in  the  Gospels, 
in  accounts  whose  authenticity  is  undoubted. 

9-11.  The  details  of  this  appearance  are  given 
in  John  20  :  11-18.  See  notes  there.  On  the 
character  of  Mary  Magdalene,  see  Matthew  27  : 
56,  note.  Of  the  fact  here  stated,  that  Christ 
cast  seven  devils  out  of  her,  we  have  no  informa- 
tion except  the  statement  here  and  in  Luke  8  :  2. 

12,  13.  This  is  a  brief  recapitulation  of  an  in- 
cident recorded  more  fully  in  Luke  24  :  13-35. 
See  notes  there. 

14.  This  appearance  is  more  fully  described  in 
Luke  24  :  36-49,  and  John  20  :  19-23.  See  notes 
there. 


Ch.  XVI.] 


MAKK. 


399 


15-18.  This  commission  is  repeated  more 
briefly,  but  I  believe  more  accurately,  by  Matt. 
28  :  18-20.  See  notes  there.  At  least  it  appears  to 
me  that  they  are  identical,  though  all  commen- 
tators do  not  so  regard  them.  Matthew  indicates 
that  it  was  given  in  GalUee.  Mark  connects  with 
it  the  ascension,  which  took  place  from  the 
Mount  of  Olives  (Acts  i :  12).  But  neither  asserts 
definitely  the  location.  This  can  hardly  be  the 
same  interview  reported  by  Luke  (24 :  45-49).  That 
our  Lord  should  have  prepared  the  eleven  for 
the  last  commission,  by  previous  instruction,  is 
what  we  might  reasonably  expect. — Into  all 
the  world.  Comp.  Matt.  13  :  38. —Herald 
the  glad  tidings.  This  was  the  first  commis- 
sion of  the  apostles  (Matt,  w-.i);  they  were  now  to 
be  more  than  mere  heralds  of  a  coming  Gospel — 
they  were  to  be  instructors  of  the  people  in  the 
principles  of  a  Gospel  which  by  his  death  Christ 
had  finished,  which  was  no  more  coming  but  had 
come  (comp.  Matt.  28 :  19,  note).  It  appears  to  me  that 
the  author  of  this  passage  has  failed  to  recognize 
this  change  in  the  apostle's  work,  which  Mat- 
thew's report  clearly  indicates.  This  variation 
between  Mark  and  Matthew,  is  one  of  the  indi- 
cations that  we  have  not  here  an  authentic 
report  of  the  original  commission,  but  a  sum- 
mary made  up  by  a  later  hand. — To  all  the 
creation.  This  is  equivalent  to  "  all  nations  "  in 
Matthew.  "True,"  asAlford  says,  "all creation 
is  redeemed  by  Christ  (coi.  i :  15-23 ;  Rom.  8 :  19-23) ; 
but  the  Gospel  can  be  preached  only  to  man. — 
He  thatbelieveth  and  is  baptized  shall  be 
saved.  Believeth,  i.  e.,  has  faith  in  and  trusts 
himself  to  Christ  as  preached  m  the  Gospel ;  and 
is  baptized,  pubh'cly  acknowledges  that  faith,  and 
is  consecrated  to  and  enters  upon  a  new  life  in 
the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  (john  3 : 6, 6 ; 
Matt.  28 :  19,  note) ;  shaU  besavcd,  from  both  the  present 
dominion  and  the  future  penalty  of  sin  (Matt,  i :  21 ; 
Rom.8 : 2).  —  But  he  that  believeth  not  shall 
be  condemned.  Not  he  that  is  in  doubt  or 
perplexity,  as  the  disciples  in  vers.  11,  13,  but  he 
that  refuses  to  open  his  heart  to  the  influence  of 
a  living  and  present  Saviour.  The  declaration 
here  is  parallel  to  and  interpreted  by  John  3  : 
18,  19 ;  comp.  John  15  :  22 ;  Heb.  2  :  3.  Observe, 
then,  that  not  every  belief  saves  (James  2 :  19),  nor 
does  every  unbelief  bring  into  condemnation  (john 
20 :  25-27).  Observe,  too,  that  by  implication  bap- 
tism is  not  exsential  to  salvation  as  faith  is.  One 
may  be  baptized  and  yet  not  believe,  as  Simon 
(Acts  8 :  13  i  18 :  23),  Or  bellevc  and  not  be  baptized,  as 
the  penitent  thief  (Luke  23:  43). — In  my  name 
shall  they  cast  out  devils.  For  fulfillment 
of  this  promise,  see  Acts  5  :  16  ;  8:7;  16  :  18.— 
They  shall  speak  with  new  tongues.    See 


Acts  2  : 4 ;  1  Cor.  14  :  23,  and  notes  at  these  places. 
—They  shall  take  up  serpents.  See  Acts 
28  :  3-5,— If  they  drink,  etc.  Scripture  af- 
fords no  illustration  of  the  fulfillment  of  this 
promise.  But  we  may  presume  that  of  the  mira- 
cles wrought  after  Christ's  resurrection,  as  of 
those  wrought  by  him  in  the  body,  many  were 
not  recorded  (joim  20  :  30).  —  They  shall  lay 
hands  on  the  sick,  etc.  Comp.  James  5  : 
14,  15.  With  this  whole  promise  compare  that 
of  Matt.  10  :  1-8  and  Luke  10  :  19,  from  which 
the  unknown  author  of  this  passage  may  have 
derived  it.  Though  the  miracle-working  power 
remained  in  the  church  after  the  ascension  of  our 
Lord,  Christianity  was  made  less  dependent  on 
such  external  signs  and  tokens,  and  more  and 
more  on  the  moral  and  spiritual  power  of  the 
word  itself.  Comp.  1  Cor.  2  :  4 ;  1  Thess.  1  :  5. 
With  this  promise  compare  the  still  more  general 
one  of  Psalm  91.  On  its  applicability  to  our 
own  time,  Alford  says  :  "  This  promise  is  gener- 
ally without  limitation  to  the  first  ages  of  the 
church.  Should  occanion  arise  for  its  fulfillment 
there  can  be  no  doubt  that  it  will  be  made  good 
in  our  own  or  any  other  time.  But  we  must  re- 
member that  signs  are  not  needed  where  Chris- 
tianity is  professed,  nor  by  missionaries  who  are 
backed  by  the  influence  of  the  powerful  Christian 
nations."  This  seems  to  me  to  be  true,  but  only 
a  superficial  truth.  Such  signs  as  are  indicated 
here  are  not  needed  in  this  age,  when  the  divine 
nature  of  Christianity  is  witnessed  by  such  his- 
torical evidences  as  are  afforded  by  the  moral, 
the  religious,  the  social,  the  political,  and  even 
the  commercial  development  which  has  every- 
where attended  on  and  resulted  from  its  progress. 
I  can  hardly  conceive  that  occasion  ever  can  arise 
for  the  further  fulfillment  of  this  promise. 
Christianity  is  itself  a  greater  sign  than  any  the 
apostles  wrought. 

19,  20.  Verse  19  epitomizes  the  fuller  account 
afforded  by  Luke  24  :  50-^3,  and  Acts  1  :  9-12. 
It  is  not  necesarily  implied  that  the  ascension 
followed  immediately  after  this  commission. 
Rather,  the  language  throughout  is  that  of  a 
compend  or  summary  of  events  more  fully 
recorded  elsewhere,  as  known  throughout  the 
church  by  means  of  tradition.  Ver.  20  indicates 
in  a  sentence  the  work  wrought  out  in  subse- 
quent years,  and  detailed  in  part  in  the  Book  of 
Acts.— Amen.  This  word  is  not  found  in  the 
best  manuscripts,  but  is  the  fitting  response  of 
the  church  to  the  command  and  promise  of  its 
Lord.  The  scribe  who  added  it,  did  but  give 
voice  to  what  should  be  the  universal  though 
unuttered  reception  accorded  to  it  by  Christ's 
church  throughout  all  ages.    Comp.  Rev.  32  :  20. 


SI  Tes^tament.^ith  notes  and 


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